Lutherans--why Lutheran and not Catholic?

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So I’m a United Methodist Church member feeling led to possibly join the Catholic Church, but my husband is rather against the idea of raising our kids Catholic 😦 He asked me to explore Lutheran theology ( he was raised Lutheran), and so I was just wondering if some Lutherans could explain why they decided to be Lutheran instead of Catholic? Many thanks in advance for your perspectives!
 
mls9q said:
So I’m a United Methodist Church member feeling led to possibly join the Catholic Church, but my husband is rather against the idea of raising our kids Catholic 😦 He asked me to explore Lutheran theology ( he was raised Lutheran), and so I was just wondering if some Lutherans could explain why they decided to be Lutheran instead of Catholic? Many thanks in advance for your perspectives!
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When first thought about conversion from Evangelical to Catholic, I thought I would “stay protestant” by becoming Anglican or Lutheran. The problem is my conversion was due to understanding Catholic doctrine not just standard “church shopping”,

I wonder why your husband does not want the kids raised Catholic? In my conversion process I have found a tremendous amount of ignorance of true Catholic teaching, a ton of mischaracterizations, and a fair amount of deep rooted prejudice against Catholics.

I would suggest you join RCIA and have your husband attend with you. You can learn about the faith together, ask questions, and break down walls. You won’t have to convert at the end of RCIA if you are not ready, but you will have the knowledge to make a good decision with your husband.

Prayers!
 
Not a Lutheran, but I used to be.

I was baptized, raised, confirmed in the Lutheran Church. Until I left home, the church was the center of our family life. My three best friends became Lutheran pastors.

I married a Catholic girl, continued to identify myself as a Lutheran, but occasionally we attended catholic Mass.

In 1990 I felt a calling to Catholicism, which in retrospect was clearly the work of the Holy Spirit, but I suppressed the call.

In 2004, after attending a funeral Mass for my mother in law, the call increased in intensity…I still ignored it, even though I clearly heard it.

In 2008 my wife and I visited Rome and on a whim decided to visit Vatican City. We made it into the square, even though we were advised we may not be let in because we didn’t have tickets for the Wednesday blessing by Benedict Xvi, but we ended up literally feet away from him, and I was moved to almost tears. We were standing outside one of the chapels in St. Peter’s and an usher outside the chapel took me by the arm and led us to the pews saying, “it would be a shame for a believer to come all the way to the Vatican and not attend a Mass”!

My wife and I moved to South Korea on business for a year and we regularly attended Mass on a nearby Army base. three years ago, at age 57, and after returning home, I entered the church the week before Lent.

I cherish and thank God for my Lutheran roots. My faith as a Lutheran made my conversion to Catholicism easy and swift…8 weeks into RCIA the rel ed director and pastor told me they wanted me to consider enter in full communion with the church so I could experience Lent as a Catholic with my wife instead of waiting for the Easter vigil.

Now, back to your concern, although similar in many ways to Catholicism (but surely different in many others), I never really got what God’s relationship with me, and mine with him, was all about until I entered the Catholic Church!

I am praying for you!
 
Jon S:
Quote:

Originally Posted by mls9q

So I’m a United Methodist Church member feeling led to possibly join the Catholic Church, but my husband is rather against the idea of raising our kids Catholic He asked me to explore Lutheran theology ( he was raised Lutheran), and so I was just wondering if some Lutherans could explain why they decided to be Lutheran instead of Catholic? Many thanks in advance for your perspectives!

When first thought about conversion from Evangelical to Catholic, I thought I would “stay protestant” by becoming Anglican or Lutheran. The problem is my conversion was due to understanding Catholic doctrine not just standard “church shopping”,

I wonder why your husband does not want the kids raised Catholic? In my conversion process I have found a tremendous amount of ignorance of true Catholic teaching, a ton of mischaracterizations, and a fair amount of deep rooted prejudice against Catholics.

I would suggest you join RCIA and have your husband attend with you. You can learn about the faith together, ask questions, and break down walls. You won’t have to convert at the end of RCIA if you are not ready, but you will have the knowledge to make a good decision with your husband.

Prayers!
Click to expand...
Do this…awesome idea!

Posted from Catholic.com App for Android
 
mls9q said:
I was just wondering if some Lutherans could explain why they decided to be Lutheran instead of Catholic? Many thanks in advance for your perspectives!
Click to expand...
Let me point out that Lutherans would say that the Catholic church is valid - in that the Gospel is preached and the Sacraments are administered. So you’re probably not going to get too many Lutherans telling you that it’s an absolute need to find yourself in our pews.

Secondly (and I’m afraid the is true of all churches) - your local Catholic/Lutheran/Anglican/Orthodox church may make the decision for you: The Lutheran church may be filled with secular fools and the Orthodox filled with people doing heir best to be saints. Or vice/versa.

But… having said that, the Lutheran church has it’s strengths: A bright differentiation between Law and Gospel, a directness to approaching God that some like, and much better Hymnody*.

And if you do decide to explore the Lutheran tradition, please find a Confessional Lutheran church - usually the liturgy is noble and the gospel is proclaimed.

My finally advice would be to look at the local churches in the area to help make your decision and pray. And pray again.
  • a slight poke at our Catholic friends in Christ. 🙂
Catholic: youtube.com/watch?v=4rRea9qnjK4

Lutheran: youtube.com/watch?v=ADamVJaXZMg
 
benjohnson said:
Let me point out that Lutherans would say that the Catholic church is valid - in that the Gospel is preached and the Sacraments are administered. So you’re probably not going to get too many Lutherans telling you that it’s an absolute need to find yourself in our pews.
Secondly (and I’m afraid the is true of all churches) - your local Catholic/Lutheran/Anglican/Orthodox church may make the decision for you: The Lutheran church may be filled with secular fools and the Orthodox filled with people doing heir best to be saints. Or vice/versa.
But… having said that, the Lutheran church has it’s strengths: A bright differentiation between Law and Gospel, a directness to approaching God that some like, and much better Hymnody*.
And if you do decide to explore the Lutheran tradition, please find a Confessional Lutheran church - usually the liturgy is noble and the gospel is proclaimed.
My finally advice would be to look at the local churches in the area to help make your decision and pray. And pray again.
Click to expand...
There is only One True Church, and Lutheranism isn’t it. The Roman Catholic Church
is Christ founded. The Lutheran Church is man founded. So with that said, let me pro-
vide an even better video, shorter too:
 
mls9q said:
So I’m a United Methodist Church member feeling led to possibly join the Catholic Church, but my husband is rather against the idea of raising our kids Catholic 😦 He asked me to explore Lutheran theology ( he was raised Lutheran), and so I was just wondering if some Lutherans could explain why they decided to be Lutheran instead of Catholic? Many thanks in advance for your perspectives!
Click to expand...
Bold added by me.

You said here that your husband was RAISED Lutheran. Is he a PRACTICING Lutheran? Were you always a Methodist, and your husband just went along with it? If so, why does he care all of a sudden?

If he didn’t care until now, how can he be in a position to criticize your call to Catholicism?

I am not, nor have I ever been Lutheran; so I can’t compare the theology of Catholicism to Lutheranism as well as others on this forum. However, I CAN speak about being in a relationship with a Protestant (now Catholic :D) and how THAT situation can (and often does) have many struggles.

May God go with you on your path.
 
Good question.

Sometimes is comes down to what is most convenient. If there is a ‘catholic’ parish near you regardless the denomination [Roman, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran] that can be very valuable, allowing even weekday worship, be fed the holy Meal and enjoy fellowship. That has always been my experience.

The Church is healing under Francis.

Some Methodists are now in full communion with some Lutherans who are in full communion with Episcopalians. Lutherans are actively seeking full communion with Catholics. We are all moving back to our Papa’s House. :cool:
 
I grew up attending a United Methodist Church as well and then as as adult I attended a Lutheran church because that was the only church I could get my ex to go to, even though he seldom attended, but he wanted our children to go there. So my two older sons went through confirmation classes but it didn’t seem to really have much impact on them until adulthood. They seem much more knowledgeable concerning the history of the church, traditions, and reverent. My youngest son went to a non-denominational church with his girlfriend and he said it just didn’t feel right to him and now in the military he’s been attending Catholic Mass on a regular basis and who knows maybe he will convert. Personally, I love liturgical worship. I like the Lutheran Church but the one we attended split apart because of the gay clergy controversy and the rumor was if you were openly gay you couldn’t be part of the congregation, etc. The pastor retired and there you have the beauty of Protestantism - there’s no papal authority, no magisterium, and when a pastor leaves, or there’s disagreement, it fragments, and fragments, and fragments. My current husband is Catholic and my decision to convert was initially because of his desire for our daughter to be raised Catholic but the more I delve into the history and theology the more it makes sense to me. Good luck to you.
 
EvangelCatholic said:
Good question.

Sometimes is comes down to what is most convenient. If there is a ‘catholic’ parish near you regardless the denomination [Roman, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran] that can be very valuable, allowing even weekday worship, be fed the holy Meal and enjoy fellowship. That has always been my experience.

The Church is healing under Francis.

Some Methodists are now in full communion with some Lutherans who are in full communion with Episcopalians. Lutherans are actively seeking full communion with Catholics. We are all moving back to our Papa’s House. :cool:
Click to expand...
This post makes my heart happy. 🙂

I pray God brings this to fruition!
 
benjohnson said:
Let me point out that Lutherans would say that the Catholic church is valid - in that the Gospel is preached and the Sacraments are administered. So you’re probably not going to get too many Lutherans telling you that it’s an absolute need to find yourself in our pews.

Secondly (and I’m afraid the is true of all churches) - your local Catholic/Lutheran/Anglican/Orthodox church may make the decision for you: The Lutheran church may be filled with secular fools and the Orthodox filled with people doing heir best to be saints. Or vice/versa.

But… having said that, the Lutheran church has it’s strengths: A bright differentiation between Law and Gospel, a directness to approaching God that some like, and much better Hymnody*.

And if you do decide to explore the Lutheran tradition, please find a Confessional Lutheran church - usually the liturgy is noble and the gospel is proclaimed.

My finally advice would be to look at the local churches in the area to help make your decision and pray. And pray again.
  • a slight poke at our Catholic friends in Christ. 🙂
Catholic: youtube.com/watch?v=4rRea9qnjK4

Lutheran: youtube.com/watch?v=ADamVJaXZMg
Click to expand...
I love on Eagle’s wings and don’t find it “less of a song” than A Mighty Fortress 🤷
Not sure what the point is.
Mary.
 
mls9q said:
So I’m a United Methodist Church member feeling led to possibly join the Catholic Church, but my husband is rather against the idea of raising our kids Catholic 😦 He asked me to explore Lutheran theology ( he was raised Lutheran), and so I was just wondering if some Lutherans could explain why they decided to be Lutheran instead of Catholic? Many thanks in advance for your perspectives!
Click to expand...
Apart from being born and raised Lutheran, I remain Lutheran and not Catholic specifically for one particular reason, and that is the claim of universal jurisdiction by the Bishop of Rome, and the fact that the other historic sees do not agree with that claim.

My suggestion, however, is that you explore Catholicism, Lutheranism, traditional Anglicanism, and Orthodoxy, and make an informed decision. I also suggest that you make sure you have a strong knowledge of Methodism. It is just as important to know what you are leaving behind as it is to know what you are moving toward, and may the Spirit guide you in your journey.

Jon
 
mls9q said:
So I’m a United Methodist Church member feeling led to possibly join the Catholic Church, but my husband is rather against the idea of raising our kids Catholic 😦 He asked me to explore Lutheran theology ( he was raised Lutheran), and so I was just wondering if some Lutherans could explain why they decided to be Lutheran instead of Catholic? Many thanks in advance for your perspectives!
Click to expand...
One word. EUCHARIST.
 
JonNC said:
Apart from being born and raised Lutheran, I remain Lutheran and not Catholic specifically for one particular reason, and that is the claim of universal jurisdiction by the Bishop of Rome, and the fact that the other historic sees do not agree with that claim.

My suggestion, however, is that you explore Catholicism, Lutheranism, traditional Anglicanism, and Orthodoxy, and make an informed decision. I also suggest that you make sure you have a strong knowledge of Methodism. It is just as important to know what you are leaving behind as it is to know what you are moving toward, and may the Spirit guide you in your journey.

Jon
Click to expand...
Well said.

GKC
 
Neofight said:
Not a Lutheran, but I used to be.

I was baptized, raised, confirmed in the Lutheran Church. Until I left home, the church was the center of our family life. My three best friends became Lutheran pastors.

I married a Catholic girl, continued to identify myself as a Lutheran, but occasionally we attended catholic Mass.

In 1990 I felt a calling to Catholicism, which in retrospect was clearly the work of the Holy Spirit, but I suppressed the call.

In 2004, after attending a funeral Mass for my mother in law, the call increased in intensity…I still ignored it, even though I clearly heard it.

In 2008 my wife and I visited Rome and on a whim decided to visit Vatican City. We made it into the square, even though we were advised we may not be let in because we didn’t have tickets for the Wednesday blessing by Benedict Xvi, but we ended up literally feet away from him, and I was moved to almost tears. We were standing outside one of the chapels in St. Peter’s and an usher outside the chapel took me by the arm and led us to the pews saying, “it would be a shame for a believer to come all the way to the Vatican and not attend a Mass”!

My wife and I moved to South Korea on business for a year and we regularly attended Mass on a nearby Army base. three years ago, at age 57, and after returning home, I entered the church the week before Lent.

I cherish and thank God for my Lutheran roots. My faith as a Lutheran made my conversion to Catholicism easy and swift…8 weeks into RCIA the rel ed director and pastor told me they wanted me to consider enter in full communion with the church so I could experience Lent as a Catholic with my wife instead of waiting for the Easter vigil.

Now, back to your concern, although similar in many ways to Catholicism (but surely different in many others), I never really got what God’s relationship with me, and mine with him, was all about until I entered the Catholic Church!

I am praying for you!
Click to expand...
This is an excellent testimonial, and a breath of fresh air compared to a couple of other posts here. With this in mind, a couple of thoughts for the OP.
  1. There’s nothing more irritating when shopping for a new car than the salesman spending all his time bashing the competition, instead of selling the quality of his own product.
  2. Even though you have not here heard a Lutheran bash the Catholic Church, as you consider the Catholic Church, this post by Neofight is the one to keep in mind when seriously considering the Catholic Church. Don’t listen to the bashers. Don’t even listen to the Lutherans. Go to the local Catholic parish, and sign up for RCIA, and listen to what they tell you about the Catholic Church. And sign up for an adult education class at a local Lutheran parish (preferably LCMS, but any of them), and listen to what we teach. Then prayerfully consider.
Jon
 
mls9q said:
So I’m a United Methodist Church member feeling led to possibly join the Catholic Church, but my husband is rather against the idea of raising our kids Catholic 😦 He asked me to explore Lutheran theology ( he was raised Lutheran), and so I was just wondering if some Lutherans could explain why they decided to be Lutheran instead of Catholic? Many thanks in advance for your perspectives!
Click to expand...
I chose to be Lutheran for many reasons all summed up by the simple statement that I believe that the Lutheran confessions are true.
 
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