Lutheran Religion?

Question

I was hoping to get the rundown on the Lutheran beliefs. I am trying to make an informed decision when choosing a religion for my family. Serious answers only please.

I definitely want to stick to Christiananity. :)

Answer 1

Jules,
I'll give you some basics here, but there is a link to the LCMS website that has more indepth information.
Scripture - scripture is the word of God, given to man. It is to be taken as it is written. Only scripture can interpret scripture.
Grace - it is only through God's grace, freely given, that we are saved. Good works are only done as a repsonse to this grace, not as a means of obtaining grace.
Faith - without faith, we are nothing.
Baptism - until we are baptized, we are dead to Christ and must be reborn in Him. That is why we baptize infants. Baptism is one very special way God delivers to us the blessings Christ won for us. Baptism is not something we do, but something God does. Therefore, it is far more than a symbol. It is a sacred act in which God Himself is at work forgiving sins,giving new life in Christ and bestowing on us the Holy Spirit with all of His gifts.Baptism gives us the faith through which we receive these gifts.
Communion - we believe in the true presence of body and blood in and with the bread and wine. It is not merely symbolic, but truely there. Again, a gift from God, a heavenly banquet, to which we must show up and desire to partake.

As another person said, we do believe that through God's grace we are saved and thus will be going to heaven one day. However, that does not mean that we don't need to go to church and be a faithful servant. Unlike some denomintations where you are "obligated" to go, we go because we need to go. We follow His word and His commands because we are His children and we should do these things. We serve our churches, our communities, etc. as a response to His love and grace. It may appear that we are "lazy" by some denominational standards, but we are not. We are just secure in our salvation.

Our services are liturgical... there is a format that we follow called the divine service. Everything is in the hymnal, which is pretty easy to follow along. We do a lot of singing and, depending on the pastor, chanting. Divine service is a serious service, as we are coming before God, asking for His forgiveness, listening to His word, and partaking of His meal. It is not a "praise" service that you might find in other denominations, with a lot of noise and carrying on, it is a worship service.

Again, check out the website listed... lots of good info! Feel free to ask more questions if you like!

Answer 2

Is Lutheran A Religion

Answer 3

It is not only about the religion but also about the church you attend. You can like the religion, but not the church, and vice versa. Just go visit some churches in your area. Get a feel for the religion and the church atmosphere itself. Do you like sprinkling or dunking? Is communion important to you or is it distasteful to your family? Do you believe in the Trinity? Try a Unitarian church as well, maybe even research Buddhism. Unless you want to stick with Christianity.

Here's a website that list the basic differences.

http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/charts/denominations_beliefs.htm

Or try a book: Handbook of Denominations in the United States by Frank Spencer Mead

Answer 4

Martin Luther was a Catholic priest who had some gripes with the way the Church was being run. He split from the Catholic Church and is credited with the start of the Protestant Reformation, from that sprung Lutheranism and several tens of thousand other denominations.

Answer 5

I was a lutheran once. Think Catholic but without the saints and hail marys.

Answer 6

Yea... its not a bad religion. I would say you should go to a library and read a little. Martin Luther is an interesting guy to read about anyways

Answer 7

Lutheran...

http://foru.ms/f367-theologia-crucis-lutherans.html

This page has the list of every denomination's forum...

http://foru.ms/

Answer 8

I went to a Lutheran Church. I don't see the point, because they believe everybody is going to heaven. period. So where's the motivation to live right, go to church etc.? Also, Lutheran church services are EXTREMELY boring!!