To effectively defend is not to offend

Bitter consequences of a Church shooting in Texas

A Lutheran congregation's right to defend itself is an item of debate within the LCMS.  

The debate surfaced in the mainstream with the publication of the latest edition of Luther's Large Catechism in mid-January 2023.  Several of the essays accompanying Luther's work, to include Concordia Seminary St Louis professor Joel Biermann's essay on the 5th commandment, created sufficient controversy that LCMS President Harrison asked the publisher to stop distribution of it in order to permit LCMS time to “evaluate the comments and critiques received and revisit our doctrinal process.”  While the document was  subsequently approved for further distribution and sale, the objections of many was noted. (1)

The essay on the 5th commandment can be seen in the links below:

https://www.s1lentdrum.online/Theo/JBpage1.jpg
https://www.s1lentdrum.online/Theo/JBpage2.jpg
https://www.s1lentdrum.online/Theo/JBpage3.jpg
https://www.s1lentdrum.online/Theo/JBpage4.jpg

In the conclusion of the essay Dr. Biermann states "Lethal force, Luther consistently taught, is rightly used only by the one placed into the Amt of authority in the state."  Dr. Biermann also represented in a recent interview that a congregation dying en masse to a terrorist is preferred, the dead thereby serving as a better witness to Christ than they would have killing a terrorist in defending themselves! (2)  

Personally, I would note that in the United States, in the democratic republic he would accept has been established and authorized by God for us, the "Amt" lies in the hands of 'we the people', not Princes and their knights in shining armor.   We never surrendered our swords to a Prince, nor did we give the state a monopoly on use of force.   Also, Luther's prohibition on a commoner using lethal force - even against the emperor and his troops - changed entirely as he developed a fuller understanding of the "Beer Wolf" confronting protestant Germany (3).

Given the increasing number of attacks on conservative Christians, and Christian institutions (4), if you are attending a LCMS church, you should know what position your Head Pastor takes on this dispute. 

1. https://www.christianitytoday.com/2023/02/lutheran-catechism-concordia-publishing-critics-matthew-har/

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIru3RAff28  discussed between 2:07:13 - 2:23:16  .

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beerwolf
 
4.https://www.foxnews.com/media/hostility-against-churches-growing-trend-study-finds-hundreds-attacks-u-s-churches-2024?msockid=27ce44ba7eb86e5209d852d77fbe6fea