Lutheran Church Missouri Synod

[ExLuther]

Any fellow ex lutherans here? While not fundamentalist my school taught creationism, told me God scattered the dinosaur bones and purposely made them seem older, told me my Catholic relatives were going to hell (I was baptized Catholic), paddled students, refused to let my Dad take my first communion with me until I told them I would reject the church (which I did after my confirmation), and many other things. Does anyone else have similar experiences or questions about my experiences?

[Morgaine]

One of my friends went to a Missouri Synod Lutheran church when I was a kid. I went to another manner of fundie church. Until your post, I had no idea the Missouri Synod Lutherans embraced such notions.

[ExLuther]

I thought, until recently, that all Lutheran churches taught the same things. Then I googled and was shocked. I know my school was a little piece of its own hell but I would suggest anyone considering lcms to go with elca. Although I would personally advise against any exclusive religion

[Savoring Samsara]

I was raised ELCA and am now a Unitarian Universalist pagan, but got a good dose of LCMS crazy while teaching at an LCMS university. (I quit that job.) I agree that some Lutheran denominations can be much more fundie than anyone would think. If you think LCMS is conservative, try WELS...they don't even let women vote on congregational matters or let their members even pray with non-WELS Christians.

[ExLuther]

I also stumbled upon WELS in my non-scholarly research. Way worse than LCMS. I dare to say that our LCMS was on level with the WELS. It was IMO abusive. Physically (we had the paddle) and mentally (you family is going to hell because they are catholic)

[meep]

Interesting. I was raised LCMS and while I got the standard "private Christian education", it was nothing like that. My church/school was very high-church and very Roman Catholic like.

[SunnyAndrsn]

I was raised WELS, a couple of things

1. Catholics are going to hell--the worship Mary and idols, not Jesus. As a child, I remember crying when I found out some of my friends were Catholic because I truly believed what I had been taught, and though they were going to go to hell when they died.

2. Other protestant denominations are wrong--either they baptize wrong, do communion wrong, allow mixing with non-believers, or follow some other rule that WELS dogma determined was wrong. However, this is not as bad as being an idol-worshiping Catholic, so SOME of them might actually be saved.

3. We studied the split that resulted in WELS and LCMS--still think they made a mountain out of a molehill.

4. When my Methodist, liberal husband met me Pastor for the first time (pre-marital counseling), he told me it was a cult, and there was no way he'd ever be a member of that church. I was done with this church by then, so it wasn't a big deal for me. It was very, very hard on my father though.

5. One of the jokes I've heard about WELS is that up in heaven, St. Peter is doing a tour for new arrivals. He tells everyone to be quiet in a particular room, with one man in it. St. Peter says--"Shhh...he's WELS, he thinks he's the only one here." Pretty much sums up their beliefs.

6. School work revolved around memory work. I can't help but cringe when I hear the phrase "This is most certainly true" or "What does this mean?"

[Jilli]

My father was raised ELCA. My parents are both fairly non-religious but I sort of went in the other direction and headed back to the church. I don't really find Lutheranism to be my thing. I like more of a contemporary service, so I go to an Evangelical Free church.

My one and only experience with the Missouri Synod was at my cousin's wedding. She was raised by an ELCA pastor and married someone who was raised Missouri Synod. I was in the Wedding, I found the church to be a bit more rigid than I like.

[Ave Maria]

I spent a few years at a university that was LCMS affiliated. I'm Catholic, and they never tried to convert me or anything like that -- well, a few students did, but not the Lutheran ones. Certainly no one told me I was going to Hell.

My fav fundy experience from my time there was with a few of my roomies. They were non-denom girls, raised in very sheltered families. They had gone to on campus Lutheran church services (I can't speak to what that was like as I always went to Mass at Catholic churches off campus). One of them went up for communion and got wine and she flipped out -- she felt she had betrayed her family's beliefs because "my parents have never even tasted alcohol."

[ExLuther]

I was raised WELS, a couple of things

1. Catholics are going to hell--the worship Mary and idols, not Jesus. As a child, I remember crying when I found out some of my friends were Catholic because I truly believed what I had been taught, and though they were going to go to hell when they died.

2. Other protestant denominations are wrong--either they baptize wrong, do communion wrong, allow mixing with non-believers, or follow some other rule that WELS dogma determined was wrong. However, this is not as bad as being an idol-worshiping Catholic, so SOME of them might actually be saved.

3. We studied the split that resulted in WELS and LCMS--still think they made a mountain out of a molehill.

4. When my Methodist, liberal husband met me Pastor for the first time (pre-marital counseling), he told me it was a cult, and there was no way he'd ever be a member of that church. I was done with this church by then, so it wasn't a big deal for me. It was very, very hard on my father though.

5. One of the jokes I've heard about WELS is that up in heaven, St. Peter is doing a tour for new arrivals. He tells everyone to be quiet in a particular room, with one man in it. St. Peter says--"Shhh...he's WELS, he thinks he's the only one here." Pretty much sums up their beliefs.

6. School work revolved around memory work. I can't help but cringe when I hear the phrase "This is most certainly true" or "What does this mean?"

Number 1! My whole paternal side of the family was Catholic and I was told the same thing. I also used to cry.

[bekahdimples]

Wow. Growing up elca I never experienced anything like that. I knew lcma didn't allow women pastors like we do.

We certainly studied why Catholic were 'wrong' but we also know that much of the 95 theses had actually been changed by the Catholic church - just martin thought to change it first ect.

Never did I hear fire and brimstom sermons- never heard anyone being dammend to hell ect ( not even Catholics)

Maybe not all elca churches are like this but mine in California was.

Then again my elca church allows women pastors ( we have one) and gay pastors ( but don't have)

[shatteredreality]

Any fellow ex lutherans here? While not fundamentalist my school taught creationism, told me God scattered the dinosaur bones and purposely made them seem older, told me my Catholic relatives were going to hell (I was baptized Catholic), paddled students, refused to let my Dad take my first communion with me until I told them I would reject the church (which I did after my confirmation), and many other things. Does anyone else have similar experiences or questions about my experiences?

It's interesting how different churches function within the same religion. I was baptized, raised & married in a LCMS church in the midwest. I am now raising my children Catholic. I never had any experience with the LCMS as yours. My sisters FIL was our pastor & we went to lutheran schools. Besides the Saints & Confession at the Catholic church, our Lutheran church was almost exactly like the Catholic we now attend which made it easy for the transition. Interesting post

[Marissap]

My mom was raised LCMS. I spent hundreds of hours in those church services. My mom converted to ELCA and that's what I was raised.

Imagine my surprise even as a 10 year old to hear that the church my grandparents went to (both lifelong members) did not allow my grandmother, due to her sex, to vote on church matters. They are so backwards. Now , they can't keep a pastor because even in the boonies people don't subscribe to those beliefs as much as they did 75 years ago.

[Marissap]

It's interesting how different churches function within the same religion. I was baptized, raised & married in a LCMS church in the midwest. I am now raising my children Catholic. I never had any experience with the LCMS as yours. My sisters FIL was our pastor & we went to lutheran schools. Besides the Saints & Confession at the Catholic church, our Lutheran church was almost exactly like the Catholic we now attend which made it easy for the transition. Interesting post

I was always surprised at how similar ELCA and catholic liturgy is!

[YoshiCat]

I went to a LCMS school for elementary and junior high. The religous point that stands out in my memory is being taught that only people who believed exactly precisely what the LCMS taught were going to heaven. Any tiny deviation in belief kept you out, not even other types of Lutherans would get into heaven. And the only mention of evolution was "some people believe in evolution, but we know that's not true, because we know God created the heavens and the earth."

But they were what I call real Christians, religion was all about love and forgiveness and helping the poor. We were emphatically taught that racism is wrong (it was the 70s).

And aside from the "evolution is false" bit, it was a truly excellent education, including science. I went to a public high school with an excellent reputation and it wasn't half as good as my junior high education.

[Mylnijya]

We go to a LCMS church. It's traditional. None of the abusive stuff you experienced OP. Wish they had more robust programs but we like it. I have Catholic tendencies, but my husband won't do Catholicism due to the priest scandal. So we made a Lutheran compromise.