Lutheran Church Supports War Crimes Court

By Bill W. Cooper

As the public outcries for the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court continue to intensify, the Bishop of the Lutheran Church, Rt. Rev. Dr. D. Jensen Seyenkulo has added his voice to the many voices for the establishment of a Tribunal Court in the country. He indicated that the establishment of the court will serve as deterrence to the would-be perpetrators and those who are anticipating using violence as the means of achieving their goals.
According to the Lutheran Bishop, those who are said to have committed heinous crimes against humanity need to pay for their actions, adding that it has been a call from the Lutherans for so many years.
Bishop Seyenkulo made the call during the celebration marking the 20th Anniversary of the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification by faith between the Lutheran World Federation and the Roman Catholic Church at the St. Peter’s Lutheran Church yesterday in Sinkor.

Additionally, he said that it is time for the citizenry to take a U-turn for the forward march of the country, stressing that the government needs to appoint citizens into office based on qualification and not party sentiments.
“We cannot wait for people to be like you or from the same party before giving them the opportunity to serve their country owing to the fact if they qualify to serve for the betterment of the country,” Bishop Seyenkulo added.
The Lutheran Bishop noted, “We cannot allow our differences obstruct the flow of the word of Jesus Christ, as we always focus on our differences and hurt the sweet gospel of God.”
“God loves you the way you are and not waiting for you to be good before he loves you. To reconcile this nation, we as Liberians have the responsibility to make the word of God spread and make the world knows who we truly serve,” Bishop Seyenkulo alluded.
“God has given us the responsibility to build this nation because we are somehow related. For this nation to be built, it requires every ones collective efforts, be it your political affiliation or your religion,” he averred.
The Lutheran Bishop further urged the government to replace government officials who he said are not functioning well in their various posts with qualified citizens for the betterment of the country.
The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of justification (JDDJ) is a document created and agreed to by the Catholic Church’s Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU), and the Lutheran World Federation in 1999 as a result of extensive ecumenical dialogue.
In substance, the PCPCU and the Lutheran World Federation acknowledged in the declaration that the excommunications relating to the doctrine of justification set forth by the Council of Trent do not apply to the teachings of the Lutheran churches set forth in the text; likewise, the churches acknowledged that the condemnations set forth in the Lutheran confessions do not apply to the Catholic teachings on justification set forth in the document.