Any Lutherans care to comment on this?

Question

"Unfortunately those in Lutheran Churches only follow what Luther said and they don't go directly to the Bible like Luther told them they should. Which is why the Lutheran church is the 2nd largest provider of abortions in the state of Illinois, right after planned parenthood."

This in "additional details" in a recent question I answered about the Catholic faith. To say the least, it floored me. The questioner didn't prove a source for the allegation -- I asked, but as of yet there have been no further details.

This can't be true; it's just totally against everything I've ever known about the Lutheran church. Is is actually possible for someone to so grossly misconstrue "Lutheran Family Services"? Or is it something else?

Understand: This is not retaliation for hostility shown to my own faith by the same questioner; I'm not that thin-skinned and this R&S participant is only one of many like-minded where Catholicism is concerned. I'm just sincerely boggled by this.

Anon: Boy, now I'm more confounded than ever; not that I doubt what you're saying, far from it, and I appreciate the clarification of differences between the Lutheran bodies.

But wasn't it the ELCA that signed the JDDJ with the Vatican?? I knew Missouri Synod wasn't a party to it, but one would think that hashing out a decidedly un-liberal agreement with the RCC would be out of character given what you've told me about the ELCA.

I guess we need to e-mail.

Yo, Michael -- you're not really adding anything to this, you know. Ask your own question instead of hijacking others.

Answer 1

Without sources it's hard to know what this person is talking about, but he might be talking about Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn, IL, and Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, IL, which have received a great deal of criticism for their practices. These hospitals are affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA).

ELCA is one of three major Lutheran bodies in the United States. They are the largest; the second largest is the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), which is my church. The third largest is the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS).

The ELCA is a very liberal body which does not represent the historic, confessional teachings of the Lutheran Church. By definition they are not traditional Lutherans, because Lutherans by definition completely accept the dogmas described in the Book of Concord. The ELCA only accepts those dogmas insofar as they agree with scripture--which sounds great until you find out that the ELCA doesn't believe that scripture is inerrant. So with neither dogmatic confession nor infallible scripture to lean on, they are left to apply modernist thinking to moral issues, and this is the result.

Your understanding of Lutheranism up to this point has apparently (and accurately) been based on the traditional, Christian, pro-life stance taken by the LCMS and WELS.


One additional point: We don't "follow what Luther said," actually. He only wrote some portions of the Book of Concord (not even the most significant documents), and he said a number of things we don't agree with at all. We bear his name in honor of his role in the Reformation, not for doctrinal reasons.


Edit: The JDDJ was signed by the Lutheran World Federation, of which the ELCA is just one member. I am only vaguely familiar with the Lutheran World Federation, but it might be a similar situation as with the Anglican Communion, where their USA province is much more liberal than the worldwide body as a whole.

Answer 2

I am a life long Lutheran and live in Illinois. I think there are two major synods in the Lutheran religion. One being the Missouri, and the other being the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Due to my living location, I have been a member of both synods. I know of absolutely NO Lutheran organization that is pro abortion or that offers abortion NONE OF THEM !! If someone feels that the Lutheran Church is somehow involved in abortion or promoting it, PLEASE give the name and address of such location and the church that affords it. In other words I ask them to "Put their money where there mouth is." To my knowledge Luther did follow the teachings as closely to the Bible as can be done. Almost all Christian faiths (Methodist, St. Paul, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Episcopalian, etc.) have some minor differences but the bottom line base is pretty well the same. Lutherans hold to what is written in Ephesians 2:2-17 as the way to salvation plus all the 10 commandments are relevant. You can put John 3:16 and the 23rd Psalm in there too. Luther is the father of the reformation and most Christian religions respect him as such. Luther,who was originally a Catholic Monk, found errors in the Catholic faith at that time, pointed them out, and broke away from the Catholic Church. The name Lutheran is because Luther founded the faith, pointed out errors, and set some things in motion. BUT the Church name is not because Luther himself is worshiped, thought of as holy, or considered as a god. The church is just named after him but not about, or having faith in him.

Answer 3

I read the story in Our Sunday Visitor about a woman ELCA pastor who discovered that abortions were provided by her church's medical coverage and not just for laity but also for pators and their spouses.. LC-Ms and WELS Lutheran denominations in the US are strongly Pro-Life as that is the New Testament application of ethics in the case of pregnancy.
I do think(I hope i am wrong) that Lutheran Family Services routinely give abortion referrals and some ELCA Lutheran-affiliated hospitals may be big abortion providers.

ELCA tends to be ' Progressive Liberal Protestant" in ethical matters but i know many ELCA people and some clergy who are Anti Abortion,Pro traditional Marriage, opposed to human embryonic experimentation and killing , condemn fornication,pornography and homoerotic sex and say "gay marriage' is unbiblical and contrary to God's Plan. There are ELCa folk in Lutherans For Life.

However, i find more hostility to Catholics among LC-Ms and even more among WeLS than among ELCA people, even though we are closer morally and in many others ways to the former.

I cannot understand how anyone can condone abortion and claim to have faith in the Incarnation of God in Christ Who became a human embryo,fetus, baby and child.

Answer 4

Anonymous Lutheran is Correct.

Missouri Synod, and my Synod, Lutheran Church Canada ARE Pro Life. Many of our members support and participate with our Catholic Brothers and Sisters in their Right to Life activities and demonstrations.

It pains me to be lumped in with the ELCA when the only thing they and us have in common is the name, but it does give us opportunities to witness (like now).

And yes, while we have our Lutheran Confessions, all doctrine must pass the test of Scripture.

Mark

Answer 5

i think of that if she's something like her daughter in any respect ;), she could stay and take care of a strike by ability of each of the girls of that congregation. enable's see that Minister take in all of that artwork on his very own. I gaurantee that his track will substitute very immediately while he reveals out in basic terms HOW lots the girls quite supply in direction of HIS revenue and the functioning of HIS church. the main suitable thank you to deliver that message isn't in basic terms by ability of retreating and taking the monetary help away. She'd stick around and withhold her monetary help AND nevertheless be there to boost Hell with that chauvinist. besides, in basic terms who's it that provides those young babies the 1st actual exposure to his faith? If that may no longer "preaching" at its maximum usual point, then no longer something is. Brightest advantages, Raji the GreenWitch

Answer 6

First let me tell you I agree that abortion is wrong. Not because the Vatican said so, but because GOD said so!!!

Years ago I created this web site (with already 3,250+ hits so far) of "pro life" web links and BIBLE wisdom against abortion...
http://pilecki.homestead.com/Bible.html

However my wife had a family of 9 sibblings (5 boys, 4 girls), because the pill wasn't invented yet, but half that number seems a huge family today.

If the pope is infallible, how come RC families have just 2 children now, instead of 9, despite Vatican's ban on birth control?!?

Did anyone pray to Mary in the bible books that were written 100 years afer Jesus? NO!!! So why do RC folks pray to a mere mortal woman?

"Back-to-the-Bible" PROTESTant enlightenment continues! Check it out.