[Steelfish]

The truly intellectual and scholarly Lutherans and Episcopalians are beginning to see the light.

[vpintheak]

Nope. Ain’t happening.

[Salvation]

Welcome home, everyone.

[John S Mosby]

Sure. Martin Luther didn’t know anything about the Church.
Luther taught that salvation is not earned by good deeds but is received as a gift of God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ as redeemer from sin and with an eternity in Hell. The office of the pope was broken in an important break from the all powerful monarchic alliances of Europe, by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge from God. Pretty powerful stuff.

The new presence of a jesuit pope will not increase the “flight” of devout Lutherans and other Protestants to the roman church. Other than those who have always followed the great wealth the church has amassed. That will never change.

The deists who were our greatest Founders would understand this, in founding the only country to largely escape euro-tyranny. Until now, of course.

[Moonmad27]

This ex-Catholic Lutheran will never turn back.

[BlessedBeGod]

Nope. Francis will tell them that they’re okay where they are — no need to come over.

[Secret Agent Man]

If any really are, they are coming from the liberal denominations, not the conservative ones.

[QBFimi]

Welcome, Lutherans!

P.S. - Bring your hymnals and pipe organs with you - please! (-:

[tumblindice]

That Pope Frank is a real draw for the Mother Church.

[Iscool]

I don’t know if 4 makes a landslide...

[sphinx]

It is an old observation that the best government is a wise, benevolent monarchy. This is arguably true in religious as well as political bodies: the father of the family; the shepherd of the flock, etc. The problem is that wise, benevolent monarchies cannot reliably replicate themselves, so they give way sooner or later to misguided and abusive authority.

The Catholic Church has had a good recent run of popes, whose intellectual and theological rigor did much to form a united front with conservative Christians of all denominations. (While alienating many liberals ....) Now: well, the problem of authority is getting complicated again, and there appears to be a lot of shuffling of the hierarchy, so that the damage may be long-lasting. The jury is still out on Francis, but a lot of us are getting nervous.

The problem of authority is where the rubber meets the road.

[RnMomof7]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/22/lutherans-bristle-at-suggestion-of-joining-catholic-church_n_2527164.html

[Zionist Conspirator]

The truly intellectual and scholarly Lutherans and Episcopalians are beginning to see the light.

Well, the Catholic Church is for intellectuals and scholars, after all.

[boatbums]

The truly intellectual and scholarly Lutherans and Episcopalians are beginning to see the light.

And those that don't are ignorant and unschooled?