Should I change from being a Roman Catholic to Lutheran/ Protestant?
Do what your heart feels is right. Someone telling you religion X is better then religion Y is not the source to be listening to, regardless of the reasons. Also, with a question of this nature, you’re bound to draw attention from those who don’t practice their own faith, such as bashing a religion which is bigger then any other Christian denomination. If they spend more time insulting Catholics then explaining their own faith, then that should be another sign to find a better source. You mentioned you found that Lutherans/Protestants allow women to become priests and the whole celibacy issue. Have you researched why the Catholic Church takes its stance against it? It may not make you welcome the Catholic Church any better, but atleast you’ll be more informed, which should be your aim in a decision as big as this. God Bless.
The answer to your question is no. It is a major turning point in one’s life to leave Christ’s Church. You have known the truth and are now being seduced to fall away from the fullness of that truth. People who do this are judged to a different standard than others who never know the fullness of truth. Remember the statement of St. Peter when Jesus asked Him and the other 12 if they wished to leave Him too. He said in response, where else will we go, you have the Words to eternal life. Those that left Jesus, never to follow Him again, were not willing to be obedient to His teaching. St. Peters response of the Church can be understood as the Church today, which is the Corpus Christi, the living Body of Christ on earth. Those who have never known this truth are not judged for what they do not know but by what they do know and how they respond to that knowledge. If you leave the Church you are saying no to God just as the disciples did at Capernaum who never followed Him again, which is r
Well, you’re right about one thing (and “Pastor Loyd” is wrong) in that you are indeed “born again” through baptismal regeneration. He’s referring to Romans 10:9: “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” I don’t see any notation about this being the “born again” moment, do you? Evangelical and fundamentalist Christians have appropriated that phrase and re-defined it, tacking baptism on at the end as an ordinance (“re-baptism” as he recommends would be just getting wet; your baptism is and will always be valid). And that, my dear, brings me to one of the reasons why you should stay right where you are. There’s a good reason why so many Protestant-derived denominations exist: They reject the apostolic authority of the Church to interpret Scripture and define doctrine. Without that authority, which Christ clearly gave to the Apostles, anyone can (and does) read a few verses of the Bible and come
You should indeed consider Lutheranism. Lutherans accept the Real Presence of Christ’s Body and Blood in the Eucharist. Many Lutheran parishes have quite traditional liturgies, while others are more contemporary. (In my experience, the Lutheran parishes in my area are more traditional than the Catholic ones!) Lutherans practice confession and absolution- usually a “generic” confesion of as part of the liturgy, but also private confession if you choose. Many pastors have posted hours when they hear confessions, or they do by appointment. Not all Lutherans accept female ministers. In the US, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (both large nationwide denominations despite the name) do NOT. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the largest US Lutheran denomination, DOES.
