wfn.org | [LCMSNews] Objections remain to Moose tenets

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	March 4, 2005 .................... LCMSNews -- No. 16

	Objections remain
	to Moose lodge tenets

	Objections remain to tenets and rituals of the Loyal Order of
Moose, says a new evaluation of the lodge prepared by staff of the
Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR).

	"The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod recognizes that the Loyal
Order of Moose, like other fraternal organizations of its kind, is
engaged in many commendable humanitarian efforts ... and social
opportunities that contribute significantly to the common good of our
society," says the new evaluation.

	"... Regrettably, however, the rituals and ceremonies of the
lodge continue to require and assume acceptance of religious truths that
conflict with our Synod's understanding of what is taught in the Holy
Scriptures, and they do so in ways that compromise the Christian's
confession of the biblical Gospel," it adds.

	The 2001 Synod convention gave the CTCR the functions of the
former Commission on Organizations, which is no longer in operation.
Among those is the responsibility to provide counsel to the Synod
concerning the programs, tenets, and ceremonies of various societies,
lodges, and other organizations.

	Dr. Jerald Joersz, associate executive director of the CTCR,
said that it has been "several years" since the evaluations of the
lodges and other organizations have been updated. He said that as the
CTCR's workload permits, evaluations on other organizations will be
updated as well.

	The new evaluation of the Moose is the first updated report to
be placed on the CTCR's Web site ? www.lcms.org/ctcr
<http://www.lcms.org/ctcr>  ? under "Cults, Religion, Lodges and
Movements."

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	If you have questions or comments about this LCMSNews release,
contact Joe Isenhower Jr. at joe.isenhower@lcms.org or (314) 996-1231,
or Paula Schlueter Ross at paula.ross@lcms.org or (314) 996-1230.

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