The orthodox are bunch of dudes who believe in more in the mystheticism of the eastern culture than christianity and the catholic side is papalists organization that only became like that because of a power struggle during Roman Empire.Lutheranism is the only way one can believe the way the early church did. Literally all other branches of christianity or some weird offshoots that do not follow tradition and make up their weird rules>but they are liberal!find the confessional lutheran church near you.>Confessional Lutheranism is a branch of Lutheranism that strictly adheres to the teachings of the Book of Concord. It emphasizes maintaining the original doctrines of Martin Luther without reinterpretation or compromise. In practice, it focuses on doctrinal consistency, traditional liturgy, and the authority of Scripture.Its the only way forward. In many ways, American catholicism is very anti-papal itself (Americans do not subscrice to the idea of Vatican leading them at all) and it kinda reminds me of confessional lutheranism this way.
"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Matthew 16:18. Those are the words of our Lord
>>18457381just like Amish can read the bible and find a passage that they can use to tell everyone in their church to not have phones, internet, tv or a washing machine or electricity...catholics can find a passage as well to support something they dobut the real reasons why these were invented were more human.
>>18457381But Catholics told me that the bible doesn't matter and was compiled by them anyway so only tradition matters?
Lutheranism's biggest struggle when claiming its (small c) catholicity is its doctrine of justification by faith alone. They don't mean for it to come off this way, but there is a certain amount of restorationism about how Lutherans talk about Luther "rediscovering the doctrine of justification by faith alone." While I believe that sola fide is a doctrine that can quite easily be read out of the Bible (especially in Romans 3-5), the Lutheran interpretation of it was seemingly novel at the time of the Reformation. Even Augustine, who patristic minded protestants love, explicitly believed that good works merit salvation. (Augustine believed that grace was necessary to do said good works, but those works were meritorious for the agent doing them. "God crowning his own gifts".)
>>18457441https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Declaration_on_the_Doctrine_of_Justification?useskin=vectorwhat do you think of this?
>>18457478I will note that confesssional lutherans dont really agree to this. This was very mainline lutheran thing.But to truly understand what the whole justification by faith alone is, you need to understand where Lutherans are coming from. Salvation doesnt come from you doing good deeds to God. Good works are something you do to others once you accept (not take, again, the lutheran doctrine is that you do no works for salvation) the gift of grace.https://bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession/of-good-works/read this>27 Furthermore, it is taught on our part that it is necessary to do good works, not that we should trust to merit grace by them, but because it is the will of God. 28 It is only by faith that forgiveness of sins is apprehended, and that, for nothing. 29 And because through faith the Holy Ghost is received, hearts are renewed and endowed with new affections, so as to be able to bring forth good works. 30 For Ambrose says: Faith is the mother of a good will and right doing. 31 For man’s powers without the Holy Ghost are full of ungodly affections, and are too weak to do works which are good in God’s sight. 32 Besides, they are in the power of the devil who impels men to divers sins, 33 to ungodly opinions, to open crimes. This we may see in the philosophers, who, although they endeavored to live an honest life could not succeed, 34 but were defiled with many open crimes. Such is the feebleness of man when he is without faith and without the Holy Ghost, and governs himself only by human strength.
>>18457363The vatican ought to lead united states catholics though, the understanding of the doctrine of hierarchy would appear to require that compliance from united states catholics The tough thing about protestantism is there’s melanchthon in addition to zwingli and that lot over there
