Exhibit K

STUDY PAPER FROM THE HUMAN RELATIONS COMMITTEE

PREAMBLE

In an age such as ours where the rifts in the Church, in society, and between church and society are as great as they are, we the 1970 General Assembly of LSM, held at Holden Village, Washington, feel that it is within our range of responsibility to promote and implement courses of action to bridge such gaps and to make a voice heard which speaks out on controversial topics.  Such can be accomplished through the use of “student power”.

Our concept of student power is qualified by the principle that in all of our efforts to create a more sane atmosphere for a world to exist in, we will emphasize the necessity of Christian attitudes in our actions.  Specifically, this means that in our promotion of activism, we at no time condone violence, for all that violence accomplishes is defeat of purpose and the perpetuation of more violence.

Student power is one of the most volatile issues of our time.  It has become a reality on campuses throughout our nation and world.  A similar type of student power is needed to compel the church to become what it is called to be.  But student power has not yet been exercised in that institutional church.

Out of our concern we have drawn up a position paper.  Position papers in themselves are worthless if seen as ends in themselves.  Admittedly, our position paper does not map out strategies of action but rather this position paper is meant to serve as a springboard for concrete expressions of student power in the Church.

I. RACIAL CRISIS

Because we do not condone violence as a means of bringing about change, we must also denounce those conditions, fears, and prejudices that cause people to resort to violence in their attempts to realize their human potential.  We, as part of the institutional church, have failed to effectively work toward the dignity of all people but instead have been agents in the perpetuation of oppression.

Blacks, Spanish Americans, Indians, Mexicans, and Puerto Ricans have appealed to the church for aid in overcoming their plight, and the church has responded by defending the status quo.

As Christians we should respond to this situation in recognition of the message and mission of Christ, which was liberating the oppressed from oppressive principalities and powers.

Therefore, we dedicate our limited resources in the endeavor to complete Christ’s mission in a spirit of love and respect for ALL HUMANITY.  We can only pray and work for the day when the institutional church will join us in this commitment.

II.         WAR

We consider it necessary to draw attention to the extravagant expenditures of the military.  The tremendous emphasis of the United States’ budget on weapons of mass destruction and maintenance of a large standing army encourages war and death by its very existence.  Therefore, we call for a re-evaluation of our national priorities.

Furthermore, we wish to bring into serious question the morality of killing our fellow human beings under any circumstances.  We feel that Christ’s death on the cross has insured that all people are precious, and that even in times of war there can be no justification for taking a life which God has declared sacred.  Therefore, we condemn our country’s policy of violence and implore our government to establish a more loving foreign policy which recognizes the sacredness of all life.

Finally, as we pray for our fighting men overseas, let us also remember in our prayers those, who in agreement with the above, feel that they cannot serve in war.  For living such a moral conviction also requires a great degree of courage.

III.       DRUGS

We are deeply concerned about the drastic problems resulting from drug use.  However, drug use is only a symptom of much deeper social and psychological problems.  As concerned Christian we must attack these underlying problems.

We must better educate ourselves and our brothers and sisters about drugs, why they are used, and their effects.  We feel the urgent necessity for a serious re-examination of existing drug laws.  As students we should initiate the discussion of such with law officials and legislators.

Along with the 1969 ALC Student Conference, we encourage initiation of dialogue with the pastors, professors, and theologians of the church in order to develop a Christian ethic on drug use.

IV.       WOMEN AND THE CHURCH

We support the efforts of women to overcome the societal barriers which hinder the development of their potentiality as whole persons.  We deplore the existence in our society of a sex-caste system which frequently dehumanizes both men and women, and plea for a re-examination of what is truly “masculine” and “feminine”.

We deeply regret that the institutional church is one of the settings in which the sex-caste system exists in its purest form.  As one woman has stated:

What is open to me?  The Women’s Guild Program, lawn parties, fashion shows, bazaars, supers.  I came looking for God and I haven’t found him in any of the fashion shows.

Especially within the Lutheran churches, women are hardly ever found in decision-making or leadership positions.  A theology conditioned by a masculine culture has been used to reinforce an antifeminist heritage based on superficial stereotypes of the female.  Consequently the Church has been deprived of a large pool of talent, energy, and vision of the majority of its members; and has often foiled to grapple with the unique problem and needs of women.

We affirm the inherent equality of all persons before God, and the need for women to be recognized as fully responsible participants in the Body of Christ.  The Church needs the full potential of its women.  But for this to become a reality in the Church policy and attitude changes regarding the role of women in the Church are a must along with the active encouragement of women to enter decision-making and leadership roles in service of the Church.

V.        HOMOSEXUALITY

We regret that the reality of homosexuality has been so strongly tabooed in society and in the Church, for such taboos have led to ignorance of the problems involved, misunderstanding, and dehumanized treatment of many within our society.  We confess guilt due to our own categorization and ridicule of those who to us appear to deviate from socially-accepted sexual roles.  The homosexual per se should not be thought of or treated as a criminal.  Instead, as Christians, we recognize that each of us has a unique nature, and plead for an understanding and acceptance of the homosexual as a person loved by God.

A CONCLUSION

The number of problems to be faced are countless.  There is overpopulation, world hunger, disunity among nations and among churches.  The list goes on and on.  All of these problems need to be dealt with immediately because of the nature of the consequences if that action is not taken.  However, it is impossible for a concerned organization to be everywhere at once.

Our concern is for our fellow men and our future.  We see the need for positive action NOW!  For we need only be reminded that the blood being shed in Viet Nam is our brothers’; the overpopulated, undernourished world of the future will be the home of our children.  And the discrimination of today is that which will ruin the world of tomorrow.  Our concern is for God and His Creation.  We as the church and as human beings have neglected our responsibility to that Creation; but there is hope for the future if we act together.

A PLEDGE FOR IMPLEMENTATION

We the supporters of this 1970 Human Relations position paper pledge ourselves to work for the communication and concrete implementation of these positions in as many ways as possible on local, regional, and national levels.  To that end:

            1. We will join with other students of our particular Lutheran bodies in order to issue to their bodies specific directives based on the above positions and on others    we deem to be crucial.

            2. We will seek LSM representation, and thus communication of our position, on           all levels and standing committees of the LCA, ALC, and LC-MS.

            3. We will try to initiate dialogue on these positions with local congregations.

            4. By creatively implementing these positions within our local student groups, we            will hope to demonstrate to the institutional church what we feel it means to be         the Church.

            5. In order to better effect changes in Church and society, we will form coalitions           with others who share our concern on these issues.

            6. In the exercise of these and other forms of student power, we will seek to be             guided by the mandate of Christian love and understanding in our attempts to deal             with our fellow man.

Note:    As a resource to further explain the above six points, we suggest the paper, “Student Power in the Church.”