Lutherans have seldom, if ever, taken a public position on vaccinations one-way or the other. We are thankful for every valid advancement in modern medicine to prevent and treat terrible diseases and sicknesses. But we tend to see vaccinations as a private matter of Christian liberty, just like everything else pertaining to personal health. Of course, we know all medical tools are imperfect and certainly no substitute for our ultimate hope and confidence in Jesus Christ alone.
Read MoreIn 1815, Napoleon was defeated in the battle of Waterloo. The hero of that battle was the Duke of Wellington. Interesting is that one the duke’s more recent biographers claims to have an advantage over all the other previous biographers. His advantage was that he had found an old account ledger that showed how the duke spent his money. This, says the biographer, was a far better clue to whatthe duke thought was truly important, much more than just reading his letters or his speeches. It is a curious claim.
Read MoreEven for those who lived through the upheaval of the 1960s, these days are proving to be a time of unprecedented political and social confusion. Almost by definition then, this is not only a time of great danger but also a time of great opportunity. There is danger to religious liberty from Critical Race Theory. Yet there is great opportunity in the movement toward educational choice.
Read MoreDo you show animals at your county fair? It would be odd if someone took a lame, unkempt animal to show. Yet this is how we are judged before Almighty God. Left in our sins, we stand before Him as unkempt, filth-ridden, diseased, death-bound human beings. His standards are absolute perfection. Sadly, try as we might, the “best” we can muster will only “show” our imperfections even more.
Read MoreCritical Race Theory (CRT) is an academic and philosophical discipline now mainstreamed in multiple segments of American culture—from public schools to the broader American business world, and even down to congregations and their members. As Christians, we want to know how to fight against the sin of racism, uphold biblical justice, and love our neighbor, all while not letting a dangerous ideology sabotage our trust in Jesus Christ and His Word of truth.
Read MoreOwing to yet another special session of the Minnesota State Legislature, the end of June marked the culmination of both the State of Minnesota 2021 Legislative Session and the 2020-21 U.S. Supreme Court Term. What follows is a concise report on those issues in which the LCMS has taken an interest.
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