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Too few school children of today grow up knowing what Gustavus Adolphus - the Lion of the North - accomplished in his lifetime. Northern Europe, especially Scandinavia, of today is nothing like "Trainspotting". Northern Germany, Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Britain of today disposes of more industrial plants, more of well reputed universities and more of well educated workers than any other comparable part of the planet. Why? In one word: Protestantism. Regardless of the differences between the largest Lutheranist church on Earth, the Church of Sweden, and the Church of England which understands itself to be both Catholic and Reformed,...

A school in Karesuando in northern Sweden has been criticised by the National Agency for Education (Skolverket) for holding prayer and psalm readings during classes after children from a conservative Lutheran offshoot joined the school. The agency has criticised the municipal school for breaching requirements to conduct non-confessional teaching after a report from a parent of one of the children at the school. "It is stressed that all parents should [...] be able send their children to school, safe in the knowledge that their children will not be affected unilaterally in favor of one or other particular viewpoint," the agency...

ELCA Publisher's Board Terminates Defined Benefit Retirement Plan 10-001-JB CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Augsburg Fortress, the publishing ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), announced in a Dec. 31, 2009, letter to participants that it will terminate its defined benefit retirement plan effective March 5. The action, approved by the board of trustees of Augsburg Fortress Dec. 18, affects 500 plan participants. Not affected by the decision is the company's current retirement plan -- a defined contribution plan -- in which Augsburg Fortress' current employees can participate. That plan is a 403b plan "common for non-profit organizations," according to...

The Rise of Mormonism If anyone doubts that the Mormonism is a growing concern, just consider these facts. The Mormon church has grown from 2 million members in 1963 to 9.7 million members today with "stakes" (as they call their congregations) in 160 different countries. In the United States alone there are approximately 5 million people who claim to be Mormons!As we express our deep concerns about the anti-Christian nature of Mormonism, it is important that we recognize that many Mormons are fine people, with high moral values and deep devotion to their family. The sincerity of the Mormon people...

A decision to ordain actively gay clergy has caused deep fissures in the nation's largest Lutheran church group, with some traditional Lutherans saying they have been subjected to threats and retaliation as they consider breaking away. Several disaffected members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) say the decision made at the church's national convention in Minneapolis in August could prompt a major exodus from one of America's biggest Protestant denominations. "I wouldn't even begin to tell you how many thousands [of calls] I've gotten," said Paull Spring, chairman of Lutheran Coalition for Renewal, or CORE, a national coalition...

Lutheran Churches in Eastern Europe have added their voices to those of Lutherans worldwide who are critical of the decisions of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly to endorse same-sex unions and to allow pastors to be in same-sex sexual relationships. The leaders of the Lutheran Churches in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania met Nov. 3-4. The bishops issued a message noting the crisis of faith and fellowship caused by the actions of the ELCA and the Church of Sweden in endorsing same-sex sexual relationships. These churches are all members of the Lutheran World Federation. “At the present time a common witness...

Islam is, undeniably, a major source of inspiration for terrorism, oppression and barbarism. Many would even say the very nature of Islam is nothing but sheer evil and among these gainsayers of Islam we find plenty of well educated and highly literate individuals. Personally speaking, I can't say that I've grown more tolerant of Islam the more educated I've become. But could Muslim nations that today are run by advocates of pure evil eventually be transformed into well functioning democracies? Will Iran ever become a true democracy? Will Iraq? Will Saudi Arabia? - Or will Islam hinder such a development?...

Martin Luther's Devotion to Mary by Dave Armstrong .. Despite the radicalism of early Protestantism toward many ancient Catholic "distinctives," such as the Communion of the Saints, Penance, Purgatory, Infused Justification, the Papacy, the priesthood, sacramental marriage, etc., it may surprise many to discover that Martin Luther was rather conservative in some of his doctrinal views, such as on baptismal regeneration, the Eucharist, and particularly the Blessed Virgin Mary. Luther indeed was quite devoted to Our Lady, and retained most of the traditional Marian doctrines which were held then and now by the Catholic Church. This is often not well-documented...

It's a shame that in the largest Protestant country on Earth, as well as in many other Protestant corners of the world, people who call themselves Protestants usually know very little about the history of our faith. On the 6th of November 376 years ago, military genius and sole defender of the Lutheran faith, Gustavus Adolphus or Gustavus The Great, died at the battle of Lützen fighting the military forces of Catholicism and the Holy Roman Emperor under the command of Wallenstein. Gustavus died but Wallenstein was utterly defeated. However, the Thirty Year's war went on for decades. Thanks to...

World history, as most Westerners interprets it, very much revolves around nations like France, Russia/Soviet, Britain, Italy and USA. These corners of the Earth, undeniably, have played major roles in the development of mankind. BUT, there seems to be a gap in the historical knowledge of several, otherwise well educated, Westerners concerning what took place during the period of approximately 1620-1720 on European soil. A lot of people seem aware that Britain at that time was not really, yet, the world's leading power and that France, Spain, Austria and Holland excersised much of influence over world affairs. However, during this...

Every nation could be described as a manifestation of a unique trait of character and most countries furthermore nurture, give emphasize to and celebrate this national identity of theirs. Some examples of such key national characters (please DO comment if you feel inclined to); USA: Liberty Italy: Creativity France: Refinement India: Spirituality Germany: Self-discipline Finland: "Sisu" (a Finnish term meaning "To have guts") Britain: Elevatedness Denmark: "Hygge" (a Danish word meaning "Good-naturedness", of mind as well as of deed) Spain: Passion China: Cultivation Russia: Chaos - just joking, I would actually say "Heart" (in the sense of having a big...

On the 6th of November, Sweden – and Gothenburg in particular – remembers perhaps its most famous and successful King: Gustav II Adolf, who reigned from 1611 until his death in 1632. Monday will be the 374th anniversary of his death (aged just 37) on the battlefield in Lützen in Germany during the Thirty Years War. He is the only Swedish King to have been honoured with the title “The Great” (“Den Stora”) and the anniversary of his death is an official Swedish flag day. Related Articles 'Swede's body found' in Ireland 3rd November 2006 Viking treasure found on Gotland...

BERLIN, January 10 (IslamOnline.net) – The Protestant Lutheran Church in the northwestern German city of Hannover is organizing an exhibition to acquaint the Germans with Islam and enhance the integration of the Muslim community into society. The exhibition, entitled “The Faces of Islam”, kicked off on Sunday, January 9, and runs through February 5. Its program is the work of the female students of the Protestant Studies Institute in the western city of Aachen. The mobile fair will move around 10 German states with the main focus being the everyday life of German Muslim women. It organizes interviews with Muslim...

Archaeologists in Germany say they may have found a lavatory where Martin Luther launched the Reformation of the Christian church in the 16th Century.The stone room is in a newly-unearthed annex to Luther's house in Wittenberg. Luther is quoted as saying he was "in cloaca", or in the sewer, when he was inspired to argue that salvation is granted because of faith, not deeds. The scholar suffered from constipation and spent many hours in contemplation on the toilet seat. 'Earthy Christianity'The lavatory was built in the period 1516-17, according to Dr Martin Treu, a theologian and Luther expert based in...

Ecumenical News International Daily News Service 30 September 2004 Swedish breakaway diocese awaits first bishop and new priests By Lars Grip Stockholm, 30 September (ENI)--A breakaway diocese of the (Lutheran) Church of Sweden, the Mission Province, hopes soon to ordain a bishop and three priests of its own. The Mission Province is not a geographical diocese but a grouping of Swedish Lutherans who oppose women priests and reject the Church of Sweden's support for a wedding ceremony for homosexual couples. The name of the bishop has not yet been made public, but the consecration is scheduled to be led by...

BERLIN (AP) _ A Roman Catholic priest based in Germany was suspended Thursday for leading a high-profile open communion service at a Lutheran church in May in defiance of a papal admonition. The bishop of Trier barred Gotthold Hasenhuettl, a professor emeritus of theology at the University of Saarbruecken in western Germany, from celebrating the Eucharist and withdrew his church teaching permit. On May 29, around 2,000 people crowded into Berlin's Gethsemane Church as Hasenhuettl distributed communion wafers among the worshippers _ Roman Catholics and Lutherans alike. He celebrated a Roman Catholic Eucharist, but the service was advertised as an...

A New Plan Let it be remebered, JESUITS DO NOT GIVE UP. They would have to bide their time. They would once again resort to undercover activities as they had so many times before. Their task would be a difficult one, yet for the unfaltering Jesuits, not impossible. They would have to discredit the Reformation. They would have to dislodge the Universal Greek Text from the firm position it once held in the minds and hearts of English scholarship. The would have to "wean" Protestantism back into the fold of Rome. To do this they would use the same plan...

Local Lutheran church changes affiliation By SCOTT POWELL Ledger Staff Writer St. Paul's Lutheran Church took the historic step Sunday of becoming the first South Carolina church to leave its state and national Lutheran governing bodies. St. Paul's Lutheran Church congregation members voted 90-25 following Sunday's worship service to leave the S.C. Synod and Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA). The move followed a 4-year span in which St. Paul's and several other Lutheran churches statewide have struggled with what pastor Roger Lindler described as a national "theological shift in the direction of the Lutheran church." The ELCA's activities have...