Res. 1-10 — To Confront Increased Idolatry of Our Culture with Clear Confession of Love of Christ and Lutheran Resources in Christian Apologetics

WHEREAS, The Ten Commandments begin with, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Ex. 20:3; Deut. 5:7); and

WHEREAS, The sinful nature leads people to the deceptions of self-sufficiency and relativism as described in Judges 21:25: “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes”; and thus, people become like the idols they trust (Ps alm 115:8); and

WHEREAS, The Church is commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ to conduct both evangelism and apologetics , to give an answer or defense, and to contend for the faith (1 Peter 3:15; Jude 3); and

WHEREAS, Christian apologetics properly employed by the Church serves the saving Gospel, especially when it is used to demonstrate the futility of worldviews contrary to the Gospel and the importance of rejecting false faiths on the one hand, and when it supports the historical and empirical status, objective truth, and urgency of the Gospel itself on the other; and

WHEREAS, Constitution Article III 6 states that the Synod shall “aid congregations by providing a variety of resources and opportunities for … defending their confessional unity in the true faith”; and

WHEREAS, It is evident that the current cultural tsunami of idols includes not only false religions (such as Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, a nimism, Paganism, etc.) and atheistic philosophies, but also blatant expressions of S atanism, demonic witchcraft, and hedonism; furthermore, there are a host of idols that have permeated our culture , including the use of technology, the magnification of artificial intelligence, the worldly priority of career and success, the promotion of addictive states, the wholesale affirmation of separating what is created from the Creator, and the idol of power, especially when it confuses the two kingdoms; and

WHEREAS, The Church must serve and love the other two estates of the family and the state through God’s protection from and empowerment “against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:11) and “ against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12), while forming solid theological minds grounded in the evangelical, catholic, and reforming tradition of the Augsburg Confession in Synod congregations and schools; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Office of National Mission (ONM) survey the details of the forms of idolatry common in the American landscape and identify and promote resources and expertise already available for use within our fellowship; and be it further

Resolved, That the ONM work with Concordia Publishing House, our seminaries and universities, Lutheran Hour Ministries, and our recognized service organization s to develop resources in Christian apologetics, as appropriate to their purviews, for alerting the C hurch to cultural idols confronting Christians in this century so that congregations, schools, and individuals in the Synod may use these resources to witness to Christ and defend the faith; and be it further

Resolved, That the seminaries and universities of the Synod take up the issue of apologetics whenever possible; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Synod in convention urge all pastors, commissioned ministers, and congregations of the Synod to pray for the Church as she is confronted by the cultural idols of our day, that she discern what these idols are, and how the Word of Christ supplies all we need to be alerted to, protected from, and equipped for facing our cultural idols.