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Andrea “Andi” Thomas

Dr. Julie Gifford

RELG 3010

15 November 2018

God’s Plan: Misconceptions About Lutheranism

When I was a child, my bedtime routine was always the same. My mother would lay out

my clothes for the next day, she would tuck me in, we would say a prayer then she would turn

out the lights. Sundays were also always the same. My father would take my brother and I to

church where an old guy with a long robe would preach and read a book I didn’t understand

while Mom stayed home and did laundry. I used to wonder why my mother never went with us

to church but would pray with us at night. I knew she was Lutheran, and my dad was Catholic,

but were the two religions really that different? They’re both denominations of Christianity.

After my mother passed away, I researched her faith and was shocked by how different

Lutheranism was from my prior conception. The history, beliefs and practices of Lutheranism

separate it from the other denominations of Christianity.

First, I found in my research that I was wrong about the history of Lutheranism. I had

always believed Lutheranism originated in America after Europeans immigration. I believed this

because all the people I knew who practiced Lutheranism were from either Kentucky or southern

Ohio. I was surprised to learn that Lutheranism is the oldest Protestant denomination of

Christianity. Lutheranism originated in 16th century Germany from the teachings of Martin

Luther. Luther was unhappy with how the teachings and practices of the Catholic church did not

completely follow the Bible. In hopes of reforming the church, Luther posted the 95 Theses in

town square. This act led to controversy and eventually the excommunication of himself and his
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followers. The new denomination became outlawed, and followers faced threats from Catholic

military forces. Lutheranism was only formally recognised as a religion in 1555

(Britannica.com).

Lutheranism first came to America in 1619 during the Danish expedition of America.

More Lutheran immigrants came to America from Germany in the 16th century. Many

immigrants settled in Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia. They became farmers and established

Lutheran settlements. As time progressed, Lutheranism spread across America. During the baby

boom period between the years 1946 and 1964, the Lutheran church expanded due to social

shifts and emigration out west. Presently Lutheran communities are predominant in the Midwest,

the Carolinas and Texas (americanhistory.oxfordre.com).

I understand now where my misconceptions came from. Since Lutheranism is

predominant in the southern United States and in the Midwest, I did not think it had strong

European ties. This is purely because of the stereotypes I grew up around. I always believed that

Germany was not a very religious country. My German friends were not religious and were

always very practical with their thinking. If there was no solid proof that something existed, they

did not believe it. I was also surprised to learn of the oppression Lutherans faced in Europe.

When I think of oppression, I generally think of the major groups oppressed in recent history up

through today. I did not know that other Christian groups faced religious oppression. Last, I

understand now why I always believed Lutheranism was more popular in the Midwest. It is

because most American Lutheran settlements reside in the Midwest. The history of Lutheranism,

both in Europe and in America, is drastically different than what I once believed.

Furthermore, I found in my research that the beliefs of Lutherans are much different than

my assumptions. Growing up, I never thought about how beliefs differed across the
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denominations of Christianity. If you read the Bible and go to church, you do what every

Christian does, right? I have found this as a half truth. Lutherans believe that Jesus Christ is the

Savior, as do all Christians, but there are several beliefs that make this denomination unique.

According to Pastor Evan Goeglein, Lutherans believe that God will not judge you based on your

sins upon death. Instead, God will judge you based on your faith. Lutherans believe that if we

were judged purely on our sins no one would be allowed entry into Heaven. “If God demands

perfection, which he does, then there is no chance for me or you to get to Heaven we are both

doomed for Hell.” Pastor Goeglein said. Jesus died on the cross in our place for our sins after

living a morally perfect life. Anything we had done wrong in life has already been judged

through Jesus’s death on the cross. One will only go to Hell if they have not accepted Jesus as

their saviour. Lutherans do not believe in Purgatory; you will either enter Heaven or Hell upon

death (What Do Lutherans Believe). This is different from other denominations of Christianity.

For example, the Catholic church believes one will be ultimately judged based on their sins. If

one has committed a mortal sin that has not been forgiven or have rejected God, then they will

go to Hell. If the person dies with their sins forgiven, they will go to Heaven. If they do not fall

into either of these categories, they enter Purgatory (religioustolerane.org).

Another belief that sets Lutherans apart from other denominations of Christianity is their

beliefs about the Lord’s Supper. The Lutheran view on the Lord’s Supper is purely based on the

Bible’s text. Lutherans believe that the bread is the body of Christ and the wine is the blood of

Christ. This contrasts many denominations of Christianity. Roman Catholics believe in

transubstantiation, or the conversion of Eucharistic elements into the body and blood of Christ.

Baptists believe the bread and wine are simply symbolic. Reformed believe in the spiritual

presence of Christ and do not have bread or wine. Each denomination also believes in different
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benefits of the Lord’s Supper. For Lutherans, the benefit is that we were given the body and

blood of Christ to forgive our sins (The Lord’s Supper: Roman Catholics vs Lutherans).

Previously, I thought the Lutheran beliefs were very similar to Catholics. I thought that

Lutherans believed they would be judged based on their actions in life. I did not know Lutherans

believed in salvation through faith alone. I had this misconception based on my religious

education. I attended a Catholic church while growing up. The preacher would speak of our sins

and how we must confess then ask the Lord’s forgiveness if we want to go to Heaven. My

mother, a practicing Lutheran, never contradicted these teachings so I assumed she believed in

the same ideologies. Furthermore, I did not know there were so many different views on the

Lord’s Supper, nor did I know that the Catholic view differed from the Lutheran view. The

origin of this misconception is my lack of knowledge on the subject. Lutheran beliefs are much

different than those of other Christian denominations.

Last, I found that the practices of Lutherans are much different than what I previously

thought. Since my mother was okay with my brother and I going to Catholic church so long as

we did not conform, aren’t they all the same? I have found that this is not true at all. One of the

practices that differs most across denominations is baptism. Lutherans do not believe that

baptism is necessary for salvation. The purpose of baptism is to strengthen one’s faith in God.

Anyone at any age can be baptised, whether they are an infant or an adult (lcms.org). This is

unlike the Catholic church, where baptism is used to cleanse someone of their sins alongside

strengthening their faith (dummies.com). Additionally, unlike the Baptist denomination,

Lutherans allow infants to be baptised. This is because Lutherans believe you can accept God

into your heart and soul at any age (What Do Lutherans Believe).
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Alongside baptism, church services are different for all denominations of Christianity.

Pastor Wolfmueller reflected on a time when a lady asked him what the difference was between

Baptists and Lutherans. His answer was that at the end of a Baptist service, the audience is asked

if they have surrendered their life to Christ and if they have given their heart to Jesus. In contrast,

at the end of a Lutheran service, the audience is asked if Christ has surrendered his life to them

and if Jesus has given his heart for them. Lutherans already know, based on their beliefs, that the

answer to these questions is yes. Unlike other Christian services that believe we “cooperate with

God in the work of coercion” and must struggle for salvation, God does everything from start to

finish and it is our job to accept Him into our lives. Lutherans believe salvation is guaranteed for

those who accept the Lord into their lives (What’s the Differences between Lutherans and

Baptists? A Tale from McDonald’s).

I had many misconceptions about the practices of Lutheranism. My misconceptions stem

from my experiences at both Catholic and Baptist church services. I remember at the end of each

service, I was told to accept God into my life and to ask forgiveness for my sins. I was unaware

that this was not standard practice for all Christian denominations. I also did not know baptism

and its significance differed for all denominations. Since mother never spoke of Lutheran

baptism, and since I was never baptised, I had no knowledge on the subject. All I knew about

baptism came from movies and passing conversations I had with my Catholic grandmother.

Lutheran practices are much different than other Christian denominations because of their unique

beliefs.

After my mother passed away, my father insisted on having a Lutheran pastor preach at

her funeral. “Why?” I wondered, “Why not a Catholic or Baptist pastor? Aren’t they the same?”

After researching the different denominations of Christianity, I now understand why my father
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pressed for a Lutheran pastor. Lutheranism is different from the other denominations of

Christianity in many ways. It was founded on the teachings of Martin Luther in Germany and

was originally met with a lot of controversy. Lutherans believe that God will not judge us based

on our sins; He will judge us based on our faith. Lutherans worship differently than other

denominations and ask not what you can do for Jesus, but to remember what Jesus has done for

you. I understand now why my mother did not want to go to Catholic church services and why

she and my father could not agree on which faith to teach my brother and me. My misconception

that Lutheranism is the same as other denominations led to unintentional intolerance towards my

mother’s religion. Learning more about Lutheranism has allowed me to grow closer to my

mother. It is comforting knowing that no matter her sins, nor her wrong doings in life, my mother

is in Heaven with God due to her strong faith.

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Works Cited

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www.dummies.com/religion/christianity/catholicism/the-catholic-sacrament-of-baptism/.
Fairchild, Mary. “Compare the Beliefs of Christian Denominations.” Thoughtco., Dotdash, 10
May 2018, www.thoughtco.com/comparing-christian-denominations-beliefs-part-1-
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“Frequently Asked Questions - Doctrine.” The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, The Lutheran
Church-Missouri Synod, 2018, www.lcms.org/about/beliefs/faqs/doctrine#baptism.
Goeglien, Evan. “What Do Lutherans Believe.” YouTube, YouTube, 3 June 2013,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eZ0KWhSyDw.
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Martinez, Eliza. “Lutheran Beliefs on Heaven, Hell & Purgatory.” Classroom, Leaf Group, 28
Sept. 2017, classroom.synonym.com/lutheran-beliefs-on-heaven-hell-purgatory-
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Wolfmueller, Bryan. “The Lord's Supper: Roman Catholics vs Lutherans.” YouTube, YouTube,
24 Sept. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIiqowsXHmg.
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McDonald's.” YouTube, YouTube, 12 Sept. 2018,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljng0mSoIuE.