Lutherans Think Pope Is Anti-Christ

[Writer]

carol marie:

When I read that we believed the Pope was the anti-Christ I went to my Lutheran Misouri Synod Pastor to ask him what’s up with that? (Always admired JPII even before I was Catholic) My Pastor told me that was the “Official” position of the chruch but that he thought they were crazy & that Catholics are our brothers & sisters & the Pope was a good man & Mother Theresa was, in his opinion the BEST example of a Christian. So you can’t lump all Lutherans together.

And as a side note to Unworthy Soul,
I plan to add the phrase “real wingnut” to my vocabulary. Love it!

This was the final straw for us when we left the Missouri Synod, but I recall that our pastor’s response on this question was similar to what is described above. I would agree that we shouldn’t lump all Lutherans together; there are vast differences. The ELCA, for example, supports abortion and the ordination of homosexuals (or is on the verge of this, I am told). The Missouri Synod, in most respects, is probably as close to the orthodoxy of the Catholic Church as one can find in a mainline Protestant denomination. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and they are our allies on some very important social issues of the day. Yes, their official church statements are disheartening, but I don’t think this is the belief of most of them.

 

[nucatholic]

The LCMS and Wisconsin synods are much more respectable in their theological stances than the wacky ELCA. Of course they all believe that the Pope is the anti-Christ, but thats just a wacky belief of many Protestants. By the way I never hear anyone say whacky anymore and its pretty fun to use. My ex-girlfriends father is the VP of the LCMS and they had a very lovely and kind family. Of course their theology was all out of whack, but I respected their theology more than any other Protestants I have come into contact with. (This coming from a former Protestant).

 

[spanky]

I can’t believe I’m trying to designate levels of respect for various lutheran church’s “of the anti-christ” doctrines.

nucatholic The LCMS and Wisconsin synods are much more respectable in their theological stances than the wacky ELCA.

Yes but are they willing to back it up? It doesn’t seem as though, through my experience and reading some of the posts here, that pastors at LCMS churches (and WELS?) are willing to back up their own church’s doctrine about the Pope being the anti-Christ. I actually have more respect for smaller and more anti-Catholic lutheran churches (e.g. Church of the Lutheran Confession) who will not back down from this and other completely insane and insulting geliefs.