Lutheran Vs Catholic Church QUESTION from Ryan September 4, 2001 I was hopeing that you could help me. I have been blessed with a lovely relationship in the past 3 months and we both have talked about getting married. I am a full practicing Catholic and she is a practicing Luthern. I explained that under my faith, I must marry in the Catholic Church for the marrage to be recongnized by the Church and that our children must be Catholic. After a little discussion she agreed to become a praticing Catholic but not only because she loves me but because she feels that Catholics have a stronger faith.
But my problem does not lay in my relationship but is with her father. Her father being Lutheran said to her I will not walk you down the isle if you become Catholic so I feel that I must show to him the differences in our faiths are hopefully not to different.
I know and feel that Catholics hold a stronger bond when it comes to Christinanity and Lutherans believe in divorce and Catholics do not. But what other differences are there? Isn't Lutheran just a break off from the Catholic Church? If I remember correctly I thought King Luther which was Catholic wanted a divorce but the Pope did not approve the action so the king started his own church basically with the belief that divorce is Okay.
Please Help me so I can covince him that our religion is not one to frown on but a step up in the right direction. Links to other sites will help too. Thank you.
ANSWER by John-Paul Ignatius, OLSM on September 10, 2001 Dear Mr. Ryan:
It is unlikely that you will change the mind of an anti-Catholic and your future father-in-law is obviously a raving anti-Catholic to go to the extreme of not walking his daughter down the aisle merely because she became Catholic. You will probably make matters worse to argue with him.
Your wife-to-be needs to follow her conscience and God's will in spite of her father and must accept the fact of her father's attitude. Many, if not most converts to the Catholic Church experience similiar things from Protestant family members.
I would also suggest that you learn about your own faith and the history of the Church. Luther was not a king, he was a Catholic monk who criticized the Church and spearheaded the Protestant Reformation. The King was King Henry of England who wanted to divorce his wife. When the Church would not approve the divorce he started his own church, the Anglican Church.
Most things between Lutherans and Catholics are similar, but the following things are some of the issues in contention:
Sola Scriptura (the bible alone): This is actually a heresy. Lutherans believe in the Bible Alone, Catholics don't)

Sola Fidei (faith alone): This is another heresy of Luther. Catholic believe what the Bible says which according to St. James that justification is NOT be faith alone.

The Papacy: Lutherans don't believe in the Pope

The Teaching and Governing Authority of the Magisterium the Lutherans don't believe in

Purgatory: Lutherans usually don't believe in a purgatory

Communion of the Saints (things like praying to the Blessed Mother) Lutherans generally do not do

Marian Doctrines such as the Assumption and Immaculate Conception the Lutheran don't believe in.
There is a book written by a Dr. Dailey entitled, How the Catholic Church is the Same and How it is Different from other Christian Churches. That can be ordered from the Catholic Evangelist Society or it will be available online on our website. We plan on publishing the book online.
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