What are the main differences between the Lutheran Religion and the Catholic Religion?

Question

Well I'm interested in finding out because to me it seems that they are almost the same I'm a Catholic and I was attending a Lutheran Church and I could of sworn I was at a Cotholic Church untill someone told me it was Lutheran. I have a friend that's going through the same thing but he's still under the impresion that it's a Catholic church not a Lutheran, so how to tell them apart?

Answer 1

You are correct, in some of the high church Lutheran Churches; it is pretty hard to tell if you are at Mass or participating in the Lutheran Liturgy.

Lets see, the differences between Roman Catholicism and Lutheranism:

Authority of the Bible:
RCC- Accept the Bible as the source of truth interpreted in the light of tradition.
Lutheran- Accept the Bible as the sole source of truth. The Holy Spirit interprets scripture and scripture interprets scripture.

Sacraments:
RCC- Celebrate seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Penance, Eucharist, Marriage, Orders and Anointing of the Sick.
Lutheran- Celebrate two sacraments (means of Grace): Eucharist and Baptism.

Eucharist:
RCC- Believe in Real Presence, that the consecrated bread and wine turns into the body and blood of Christ
Lutheran- Believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The consecrated elements (bread and wine) is the bread and the wine and the ACTUAL Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. People really need to stop confusing the Lutheran belief on the Eucharist with the other Protestants (excluding the Anglicans and some Presbyterians).

Church Government:
RCC- College of Bishops shares authority with the Pope as the head of the College (called collegiality). Ultimately, the Pope is the visible head on earth of the Roman Catholic Church.
Lutheran- Congregational form of church government. I would like to point out that the Lutheran Church gets its Apostolic Succession through the Bishops of the Church of Sweden (Svenska kyrkan). See Gustavus Vasa 1527 and Pope Clement VII's decree on the Swedish Bishops.

The Priesthood:
RCC- Restricted to males who are forbidden to marry. From what I understand, there are some exceptions to this ruling if a married priest converts to Roman Catholicism, since they would have to divorce to remain celibate.
Lutheran- Ministers are allowed to marry. It can be pointed out that some Liberal Synods ordain women as ministers. It has to be pointed out that ordaining women is contrary to Scriptures and not a Confessional Lutheran belief.

The Virgin Mother:
RCC- Teach that the Virgin Mary was a virgin before, during and after the birth of her son Jesus Christ. They teach and believe that the Virgin Mary was born with out original sin (Immaculate Conception) and at the point of conception she was redeemed (full of grace, see Luke 2). Some Roman Catholics pray to Mary and over emphasis her role and claim she is a Co-Redempterix.
Lutheran- The Virgin Mary being a "Perpetual Virgin" is not taught in the Lutheran Church as cannon law. It is not discouraged if members believe she continued as a virgin after Jesus' birth. The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception and Co-Redempterix is not confessed or affirmed by the Lutheran Church.

Faith/Forgiveness of Sins/Means of Grace:
RCC- Faith not only can come by the Word and the sacraments, but Icons can be a visual representation of the Gospel.
Lutheran- Faith comes by the hearing of the Word and the receiving of the sacraments.

Papal Authority:
RCC- The Roman Catholic Church claims the Pope is the Vicar of Christ, has primacy of honor (universal immediate jurisdiction) and infallibility on matters of Christian living and faith. They claim the Pope is the direct successor of St. Peter (the first Pope).
Lutheran- Because Lutherans affirm Apostolic Succession, the Popes before the Reformation are considered first among equals. They do not affirm primacy of honor, infallibility and the title of Vicar of Christ.

Migration to America:
RCC- Someone please help me out here, to define the spread of Roman Catholicism to the United States.
Lutheran- Lutheran immigrants to the United States brought their faith. Lutheran churches and communities retained their national religious identity and prospective ministers were sent back to the old country for training. Gradually over time, immigrants came together to form Synods and establishing churchly institutions inside the United States.

I am sure there are tons more difference between these two church bodies.

There are similarities between the two churches:
1. Doctrine of Justification
2. Both churches trace their history back through the Western (Latin) Church.
3. Both churches practice the public or private confession of sins.
4. Infant Baptism

Answer 2

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RE:
What are the main differences between the Lutheran Religion and the Catholic Religion?
Well I'm interested in finding out because to me it seems that they are almost the same I'm a Catholic and I was attending a Lutheran Church and I could of sworn I was at a Cotholic Church untill someone told me it was Lutheran. I have a friend that's going through the same thing but...

Answer 3

Lutheran Religion

Answer 4

Its even more so the Episcopal church. The main difference is that Episcopal church does not recognize the man made appointed spokesman for God on Earth, the Pope, and they allow priests to be married. The problem with all religions is that they are run by men who alter their doctrine from decade to decade and clearly are just using God's name for personal gain and to advance their organization. Beyond that, each church has different bowling shirts.

Answer 5

There are several:
1: Primacy of the Pope, successor to Peter, the rock upon which Christ built the church.

2. the use of imagry, statues and icons, as a means to educated the illiterate.

3. The practice of the Seven Sacraments:
Baptism
Eucharist
Reconciliation
Confirmation
Marriage
Holy Orders
Anointing of the Sick

4. Practice of Divorce.

But we pretty much agree on the following:

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
one in Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered, died, and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in fulfilment of the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of Life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Answer 6

The main difference is that the Lutheran church denies the real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

Answer 7

Someone must be sleeping at the Holy Catholic Mass

Answer 8

The Catholic Chruch was founded by Jesus

The Lutheran Church was founded by a 16th century heretic who threw out several books of the Bible because he didn't like them.

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OK -- not being completely serious here.

Or am I?

Answer 9

The Lutherans have less guilt.