TaÌˆgliche Omaha tribuÌˆne. [volume] (Omaha, Nebr.) 1912-1926, 1917-07-28
LUTHERANS in
CLEAR PROTEST!
ANSWER AS MADE TO STATE
COUNCIL OF DEFENSE.
SETTING FORTH OF ITS TENETs.
Subordination to Temporal Govern
ment and Loyalty a Distinct Part
of its Creed-Chureh and State
Separate-0pinion Not Treason.

AAAA~cAAt ANCp'y July 6N-1hG pAN
3 test presented by a committee Of thu
German Lutheran synod Of Missouri
/ Ohio and others states, Nebraska dis.
trict, to the state council Of defense
Tuesday to the councils attack Oh the
Lutheran church and in response tC
which the state council on Wednes-
day issued a greatly modified state
ment, is as follows. The answer
formulated at a meeting at Ply
mouth, Neb, is:
"In the discharge Of your duty in
the present crisis, you have deemed
it necessary to inform the public Of
certain alarming conditions, which
you believe to have been found in
certain circles in this state, among
which you name the representatives
Of the Lutheran church, whom you
accuse of a refusal to cooperate with
patriotic citizens for the support of
the government. You say, that they
have very generally, publicly and pri-
vately, discouraged the American
cause and that they have shown
marked partiality for the cause Of
Americas enemy.
"Since we well realize the serious
ness of the charges you make, we,
the official representatives of the
synodical conference OF the Lutheran
church which constitutes a consider
able part Of said church body, feel
in duty bound to respectfully submit
the following to your unbiased con
sideration:
Would Be Un-Lutheran.
'The Lutheran church is not, nor
has it eve been, an enemy of civil
authority in any form Of government,
but honors it and submits to it as a
divine institution, according to Ro-
mans IL, V. /: Let every soul be
subject unto the higher powers, for
there is no power but Of God. The
powers that be are ordained OF God.
Nhosoever therefore resisteth the
power resisteth the ordinance of God.
Furthermore, the Lutheran church
accepts as divine ~admonition the
words Of jeremiah, addressed to the
captiyes Of Babylon, to seek the well
fare Of the country in which they
lived and to pray for it unto the
Lord. Since the Lutheran church ac-
cepts these and similar passages to-
gether with all of holy scripture as
divine truths, and has embodied them
in her declarations Of faith, therefor
a partially to the cause Of Americas
enemy would be as un-Lutheran, as
it is un-American, since the sixteenth
article Of the Augsburg confession
clearly says. OF civil affairs, they
teach that lawful civil ordinances are
good works Of God, and that it is
for Christians to bear civil Of
fee, to sit as judges, to determine
matters by imperial and other exist
ing laws, to award just p~unishments,
to engage in just wars, to serve as
soldiers, to make legal contracts, to
hold property, 10 take oath when re-
quired by the magistrates, to marry
and to be given in marriage
Church and State.
THE Lutheran church stands for
complete separation Of church and
state, according to the words Of
Christ Matthew %, v q: Render
unto Caesar the things that are
Caesars and to God the things that
are Gods The duty Of the church
the salvation Of the soul; the duty
the state is to seek the welfare Of
body. The church deals with
spiritual matters, the state with tenn
poral affairs. The church for re-
the state for politics. To at
ain its ends the church must preach
he Gospel, to serve its purpose the /
state must enact and enforce laws
according to sound reason The
must not temper with the
which are Caesars, and the
state must not NEEDLE with the
which are Gods. The state
must not dictate the theme for a
sermon, and the church must not /.
lromulgate the enactment of social
reforms. History is replete with
examples of the disastrous
consequences, produced by the inter- :
Of M with another. We I
therefor consider the complete separ- :
ttion of church and state as n Of
most precious gems in the ero8n /,
# American liberties. You therefor )
understand why Lutheran +
hesitate to use their pull
its for the furtherance Of matters
ying outside of the province of the
.hurch, why they, at the same time,
lrge their members to be loyal, law
citizens, in peace and in war. I
religious freedom and the separa-
icn Of church and state are cardinal
principles Of the constitution Of the