Res. 4-07 — To Condemn Political Violence and Encourage Participation in Public Life

WHEREAS, Scripture (Matt. 22:15 –21) and the Lutheran Confessions (AC X VI; LC I 4) affirm that the entire civil realm is an institution of God to be respected and supported; and

WHEREAS, Our Lord commands us to pray for those who serve in public office (1 Tim. 2:1–3) and to respect all levels of government (Rom. 13:1; 1 Peter 2); and

WHEREAS, Our Lord reminds us through the words of St. Paul, that those serving in the civil realm have a God-11 ordained vocation (Rom. 13:6); and

WHEREAS, The Large Catechism warns that the devil seeks to destabilize the civil realm through “contention, murder, sedition, and war”: He is not satisfied to obstruct and overthrow the spiritual order, by deceiving souls with his lies and bringing them under his power, but he also prevents and impedes the establishment of any kind of government or honorable and peaceful relations on earth. This is why he causes so much contention, murder, sedition, and war, why he sends storms and hail to destroy crops and cattle, why he poisons the air, etc. In short, it pains him that anyone should receive even a mouthful of bread from God and eat it in peace. If it were in his power and our prayer to God did not restrain him, surely we would not have a straw in the field, a penny in the house, or even an hour more of life—especially those of us who have the Word of God and would like to be Christians (LC III 80 [Tappert]); and

WHEREAS, In recent years, political tensions have led to “contention, murder, sedition, and war,” in many forms and guises, even among those in the church, resulting in multiple assassination attempts of politicians and other public figures of various political persuasions, violent conflicts between law enforcement and civilians leading even to death, and many other sad examples of division resulting from political opinions, all of which contradict the peaceable and law -abiding witness of the church; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention declare its opposition to political violence in any form and urge its members to oppose such violence in their local context; and be it further

Resolved, That pastors and congregations of the Synod be encouraged to affirm the importance of peaceful engagement in the public square; and be it further

Resolved, That church workers and congregations of the Synod identify, encourage, and raise up from within our midst those with the gifts and abilities to serve God and their neighbor in public service, that through such representatives the church might provide a morally virtuous and theologically faithful example in this divisive climate; and be it finally

Resolved, That the theological resources addressing matters of church and state from a Lutheran perspective be commended to the people of the Synod, including the publications of the Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty and the Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR), especially the CTCR’s 1995 report, Render unto Caesar… and unto God: A Lutheran View of Church and State and its forthcoming report on church, state, and the Christian love of neighbor, as requested by 2023 Resolution 11 -05, “To Address the Relationship between Church and State in an Increasingly Hostile Environment.”