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Well, I guess I'll throw my two cents in here, and incur the wrath coming! The ‘common knowledge’ that Lutherans view the Pope as the antichrist is almost right. Actually, Lutherans view the papacy as anti-christ. Although there may have been individual Pope's who were anti-christ (perhaps), Lutherans don't think that Benedict or any recent Pope himself was THE Antichrist. Luther thought that there was no scriptural support for a “Pope”. Remember, Luther thought of himself as a Roman Catholic and wasn't intending to create a new denomination. And, secondly, there actually is only ONE christian church - from Jesus Christ - and that is the ‘church universal’. Denominations are a thing created by men to expound differences in interpretation and meaning of scripture. But, that's okay if we have true faith. That Michele is leaving WELS is alright with me, since I think that WELS is unreasonably restrictive anyway, and I hope that she finds another true Christian congregation to attend. Regardless, she may get my vote - unless Sarah runs.

If it were indeed true that past popes were the antichrist, would not the world have already perished? Ergo, while many of the popes were sinful men, they were not and have never been the anti Christ.

As for the rest of it, I’ve got no problem with anyone who accepts these premisses, I think they are bedrock Protestant principles.

However, I would also argue that scripture never says that the church universal is the body of Christ. It instead says that Christ gave the keys to the kingdom of heaven to Peter.