To Oppose Mandatory Registration of Women into the Draft

WHEREAS, God has created both male and female in His image, yet made them individually to be complementary but not identical to one another (Gen. 2); and

WHEREAS, The Word of God teaches that headship belongs to man (1 Cor. 11:1–16); and

WHEREAS, God specifically commands husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the Church and laid down His life for her (Ephesians 5); and

WHEREAS, Both natural law and the vast majority of human history testify that men, not women, are required at times to enter combat and risk their lives in defense of their wives, daughters, family, and country; and

WHEREAS, The Synod in convention in 2016 adopted Resolution 5-11A, “To Protect Christian Consciences and Address Conscription of Women,” which “strongly oppose[d] any legal action that forces the compulsory service of women in the military, also called the conscription of women, by mandatory participation in Selective Service registration, a draft, or by any other mechanism” (2016 Proceedings, 160); and

WHEREAS, We recognize, honor, and appreciate the talents and voluntary service of women who may choose to enlist in the military; and

WHEREAS, In December of 2015 the United States Secretary of Defense lifted the ban on women serving in frontline combat; and

WHEREAS, Legislation such as United States Senate Bill 4543 has included language that would require women at the age of 18 to register for the military draft (James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, Section 521 (d): Modernization of the Selective Service System, Expanded Registration to All Americans, S.B. 4543, 117th Congress [2022]); and

WHEREAS, Such entrance into the draft may mean that our wives, mothers, daughters, and sisters would be forced to fight in frontline combat; and

WHEREAS, Christian consciences are rightly burdened by the requirement that women risk their lives in carrying out duties of war; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod reassert and maintain its opposition to the compulsory service of women in the military, by the draft or any other means; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod direct the President of the Synod to communicate to the United States Congress, the United States Secretary of Defense, and the President of the United States our objection on religious grounds to the involuntary service of women in the military; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Synod continue to support the right of conscientious objection on religious grounds on the part of individual women, in the event of a national military draft which would include women