The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-06-05
DISLOYALTY
CHARGES DENIED
BY LUTHERANS

The annual convention Of the At
lantic District of the Missouri Synod,
representing Lutheran congregations
in the East, in sessions at Emmanuel
Lutheran church, Lexington avenue
and S1th street, New York city, April
24-May 1, adopted the following res
olutions:
From various quarters of the
country the loyalty of American Luth-
Grams has been questioned. They have
been charged with preading German
propaganda and particularly with
making their schools subservient to
the cause of German autocracy and
militarism. We, the Atlantic District
of the Missouri Synod assembled in
annual convention in the City of New
York, most emphatically repudiate
such insinuations and accusations as
coming either from ignorance or
from malice. We deplore the fact
that at this time when, more than at
any other time, our nation must stand
one and undivided large number of
our citizens who have ever loyalty
followed our flag and many of whom
are today sacrificing their lives for
the cause of liberty, should be made
the target of such unwarranted at
tacks. There are in the service of
our country today more than 165, 900
Lutheran men, and surely such in
situations and such accusations will
not help to make them better and
stronger soldiers in the fight for lib
erty.
We call attention to the following
facts:
/, We are today fighting for de-
Vnocracy. There is no more demo-
cratic institution in the world than
the Lutheran Church. The demo-
cratic principles of the Protestant
Reformation as annunciated by
Luther were never worked out in Ger
many, but came to their highest
fruition in this land of the free. And
every Lutheran church is an addi-
tional bulwark of constitutional law
and Americanism distinctly and pecu-
liarly so For the very chief glories
Of the federal constitution, liberty of
conscience, freedom of speech and of
the press, separation of Church and
State were the very things for which
Luther stood
2. Because they were not granted
that liberty of conscience and of wor-
ship which is so fundamental to the
principles of Lutheranism large num-
berS of JutheranS came to our coun-
try, here to enjoy what they were de-
MED in the land of their fathers. No
assistance or guidance has ever come
to the American Lutheran church
from the HohenZollerns, who have
not been Lutherans since 1914, or any
sources in Germany. American Lu-
therans have as d matter of con-
science for decades testified against
the state churches of Germany as be-
ing thoroughly un-Lutheran and ra-
tionalistic.
8. The parish schools of the Du-
theran churches in our country have
been established and maintained sole
ly for the purpose of giving the chill
dren of the church a Christian train
ing and not for the purpose of prop
aga4ing any foreign language in the
interest of any foreign country or its
rulers. All the text books used in the
lutheran parish schools have been
prepared and are printed in America
and all breathe the spirit of American
patriotism. The schools and the text
books of the Lutheran parish schools
are and ever have been open to in
spection.
4. American Lutherans never have
been subject to any foreign rulers
They are among the most loyal citi-
zens of our country which they love
for the blessings which they enjoy
And they have proved their loyalty
also in the present war by supporting
their government to the fullest extent
Of their ability. Moreover, American
Butherans are loyal to their country
for conscience sake. 1t is with then
a matter of deep religious convictfoI
to honor, to obey, to support, theil
country, its government, its laws, it:
institutions. And as the history o.
our country testifes to the loyalty O
American Iutherans in the past, Sc
also the present crisis finds them il
the front ranks to uphold and if need!
be to sacrifice their life and limb
their all, for the country which the
love.