The Brief Statement (1932) combined with Bylaw 1.6.2 (b)(7) would seem to say that a YEC is the official position and "should be honored and upheld" until repealed". It becomes complicated because I think the Brief Statement is prior to the Bylaw and the CTCR process it outlines.
This part is not complicated at all; the LCMS does not have any "doctrinal statements" as defined by that particular Bylaw. The status of the Brief Statement is no different from any other "doctrinal resolution" adopted by simple majority vote at a Synod convention under Bylaw 1.6.2.(a).
Why does believing and confessing that God created the world in 6-24 hour days require a dogmatic subscription to a 6,000 year old universe?
It does not, and I am puzzled by the ongoing widespread misunderstanding of this distinction. The Brief Statement does not even insist on "24-hour" days; it simply says, "We teach that God has created heaven and earth, and that in the manner and in the space of time recorded in the Holy Scriptures, especially Gen. 1 and 2, namely, by His almighty creative word, and in six days." It goes on to reject the proposition "that the world came into existence through a process of evolution; that is, that it has, in immense periods of time, developed more or less of itself." However, it says nothing whatsoever about how much time has passed since the six days of creation.
What I usually say about this issue is that a plain-sense reading of Genesis suggests that creation took place in six 24-hour days a few thousand years ago, but I am not dogmatic about the age of the universe.
1. Ok, but that ends up in the same place. "Such resolutions are to be honored and upheld until repealed". [Look, I'm not saying I agree with any of this, but this is the argument that WY/ S WI would stand upon. We do have dogmatic statements. Look at the Brief Statement that makes clear what the scripture and confessions teach.]
2. Matt & Aletheist, you guys are better than that, c'mon. The brief statement continues, "We reject every doctrine which denies or limits the work of
creation as taught in Scripture. In our days it is denied or limited by those who assert, ostensibly in deference to science, that the world came into existence through a process of evolution;
that is, that it has, in immense periods of time, developed more or less of itself." The clear intent of the Brief Statement was that creation took 6 literal days. Maybe that doesn't mean 6000 year old earth. Maybe Bishop Ussher is off. But not by billions of years. Looking for wiggle room in the brief statement is dishonest.
I don't know if I'm honest, but when I am forced to present this I do two things. 1) The synod's teaching is Young Earth. This is probably the best way to take this if you are able. 2) If you are not able to make that leap. This should not bar belief in Jesus Christ as there are some other ways of reconciling what current science says and the biblical account. All of these have their own theological problems. The biggest typically being the appearance of death before sin. But even that can be finessed in various ways. At the end of the arguments, faith rests in the person and work of Jesus Christ. There are lots of things that we don't get answers for, the age of the earth may be one of them. I usually get pressed into "what I believe" and my answer is typically I default to a naive YEC or Omphalism, but I've been an engineer, a finance guy and a pastor. None of those have ever forced me passed that naive understanding. I respect the faith of many who are in the biological sciences who have been forced passed naive understanding.
The honest thing to do would be to put up a bylaw that altered the Brief Statement on Creation.
