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Crime

A Statement of the United Lutheran Church in America, 1932

1932: Minutes, 8th Biennial Convention, ULCA, pp. 418, 419.

That The United Lutheran Church records its feeling of horror and shame on account of the outrageous crimes committed in recent times, of which the kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh baby is cited as one of the most appalling; that it recognizes a general spirit of lawlessness as the background of such crimes; and that it charges its people conscientiously and actively to uphold the sacredness and the majesty of the law of the land, and to recognize and practice Christian stewardship in the strict observance of all duties involved in Christian citizenship, including proper preparation for right action at the ballot box.

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The document(s) on this page were voted on by a church body which preceded the founding of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Any such statement has the status of a "historical document." These documents may guide the ELCA and inform the work of the Office of the Presiding Bishop and act as policy when sufficient agreement exists and the ELCA has not adopted another statement on the same subject. However, social statements of predecessor church bodies to not constitute ELCA policy, as they have not been voted on by a Churchwide Assembly. When quoting or referring to these documents, please take care to make the non-binding nature of this relationship clear.

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