LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 144

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144

MERCY

2-03

To Encourage Christian Citizenship and Vigilance
re Termination of Life
through Government-Mandated Health Programs
Whereas, Christians are citizens of two kingdoms, one spiritual,
as believers of Jesus Christ, and the other earthly, subject to the laws
of their country, their state or province, and the various local governments within whose boundaries they reside; and
Whereas, Lutherans understand that, as citizens of two kingdoms, Christians are, first and foremost, subject to God’s Word and
His will, and are to stand firm on the eternal and everlasting truth; and
Whereas, Lutherans understand that God has established earthly
governments and that Christians are to be loyal citizens, adhering to
the laws of their country and recognizing the authority of their government, provided the actions and laws of the government do not
contradict or contravene the eternal and everlasting truth, by so doing
rendering “unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God
the things that are God’s” (Matt. 22:21); and
Whereas, Christians, in recognition of God’s establishment of
earthly government, are to actively pray for their leaders and those in
positions of authority in government that they may govern in accordance with God’s Word and in furtherance of the general welfare, so
that all may enjoy the blessings of God’s grace and mercy; and
Whereas, Christians, when their government takes actions which
are contrary to and in violation of the eternal and everlasting truth, are
to stand firm and faithful to God’s Word and His will; and
Whereas, Actions taken by federal, state, or local governments
that mandate that religious employers provide contraceptives which
include abortifacients under their employee health insurance plans
(such as 77 Fed. Reg. 8725—HHS Mandate) contravene the limitations on secular authority which God has established, which
limitations are affirmatively recognized in the First Amendment to
the Constitution of the United States of America; and
Whereas, Any inclusion of abortifacients encourages and makes
employers complicit in the termination of unborn life, in violation of
the laws of God as revealed in God’s Word; therefore be it
Resolved, That the member congregations of the Nebraska District
of the LCMS and all Christians be encouraged to earnestly pray for
federal, state, and local elected and appointed officials, that they may
carry out their duties faithfully, in a manner consistent with God’s
Word and His will, for the general welfare and benefit of their citizens; and be it further
Resolved, That the district in convention calls upon the members,
congregations, and all entities of the LCMS and all Christians to be
loyal citizens, adhering to the laws of the United States of America
and the state and all local governments, so long as the actions and laws
of said governments do not contradict or contravene the eternal and
everlasting truth set forth in God’s Word; and be it further
Resolved, That the 2012 district convention calls upon the members, congregations, and all entities of the LCMS to be vigilant
regarding any and all laws and regulations, whether adopted by federal, state, or local government, that are in violation of God’s Word
and His will, such as those which would result in the termination of
unborn life; and be it further
Resolved, That the 2012 district convention calls upon the members, congregations, and all entities of the LCMS and all Christians to
actively oppose any attempt to contravene the limitations on secular
authority which God has established and which have been affirmed
2013 Convention Workbook

in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of
America; and be it finally
That the 2012 Nebraska District in convention memorialize the
2013 LCMS convention to adopt this resolution.
Nebraska District
2-04

To Oppose HHS Mandate re Provision
of Abortifacient Drugs and Intrauterine Devices
(IUDs)
Whereas, The Holy Scriptures clearly teach that human beings
are created in the image of God, formed and knit together by God
Himself in the womb, and therefore prohibit every sort of murder,
including abortion (Gen. 1:26–27; 9:6; Ps. 139:13; Ex. 20:13; Matt.
5:21–22; James 3:9–10); and
Whereas, According to God’s good order, human life is conceived by the union of man and woman (Gen.1:27–28; 2:18–24; 4:1);
and
Whereas, Science describes the beginning of human life as fertilization—that is, the formation of a human embryo, a unique human
being, takes place the moment sperm and egg are joined; and such
human being exists prior to implantation in the mother’s womb;¹ and
Whereas, All intrauterine devices (IUDs) and many hormonal
forms of birth control, including all so-called emergency contraceptive pills (“morning after pills”) are either outright abortifacients or
include as part of their published physiological mechanism for preventing pregnancy the inhibition of an embryo’s implantation in the
uterus, thereby causing the death of a human being by abortion;² and
Whereas, The United States Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) has mandated virtually all health insurance programs, including those serving or managed by denominations of the
Christian Church and entities thereof, to make available to their clients sterilization, hormonal birth control drugs (including emergency
contraceptive pills), and IUDs; and
Whereas, Conscience being bound by the Word of God, no
Christian can support or provide services or products that cause the
death of an innocent human being, such as happens to unborn babies
with the above named products; and
Whereas, While Christians are called to obey political authorities (Rom. 13:1–8, AC XVI 6), when human authority violates God’s
will, Christians are bound to “obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:28–
29, AC XVI 7); and
Whereas, the Doctrine of the Two Kingdoms does not promote
quietism, but affirms that civil government is to be concerned with
things other than the Gospel and should not exercise its authority in
the church (AC XXVIII 11–12), and commands the Christian to use
political laws and public redress for the benefit of temporal life (Ap
XVI); and
Whereas, The aforementioned HHS mandate does not comply
even with United States law, which prohibits the federal government
from establishing religion or preventing the free exercise thereof (First
Amendment of The Constitution of the United States of America) and,
if left unchecked, represents the secular government’s infringement
on First Amendment rights and threatens religious freedom as stated
in the United States Constitution; and
Whereas, Now is the time for Christian citizens and churches to
make our voices heard in this matter, lest, by our inaction, our freedom
to worship God in accord with the Holy Scriptures be taken away; and