Michele Bachmann's Church Says the Pope Is the Antichrist

[kpete]

Michele Bachmann's Church Says the Pope Is the Antichrist
By Joshua Green

Jul 13 2011, 4:25 PM ET 86
The Iowa front-runner for the GOP nomination was a longstanding member of a strict Lutheran synod with controversial views of Catholicism



Michele Bachmann is practically synonymous with political controversy, and if the 2008 presidential election is any guide, the conservative Lutheran church she belonged to for many years is likely to add another chapter due to the nature of its beliefs--such as its assertion, explained and footnoted on this website, that the Roman Catholic Pope is the Antichrist.

Bachmann was a longtime member of the Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church in Stillwater, Minn., which belongs to the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), a council of churches founded in 1850 that today comprises about 400,000 people. WELS is the most conservative of the major Lutheran church organizations, known for its strict adherence to the writings of Martin Luther, the German theologian who broke with the Catholic Church and launched the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. This includes endorsing Luther's statements about the papacy. From the WELS "Doctrinal Statement on the Antichrist":

******Since Scripture teaches that the Antichrist would be revealed and gives the marks by which the Antichrist is to be recognized, and since this prophecy has been clearly fulfilled in the history and development of the Roman Papacy, it is Scripture which reveals that the Papacy is the Antichrist.


During the 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama's relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright nearly derailed his quest for the Democratic nomination after video surfaced of Wright's extreme pronouncements. Similarly, the views of Bachmann's church toward the papacy--which are well outside the mainstream of modern political discourse--could pose a problem as she pursues the Republican nomination.

MORE:
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/07/michele-bachmanns-church-says-the-pope-is-the-antichrist/241909/

[joeybee12]

1. Damn! I agree with them!

:evilgrin:

[mysuzuki2]

14. Even a broken clock is right twice a day!

I mean no disrespect to Catholics per se, but I think anyone who tolerated or covered up sex abuse qualifies as the antichrist. Pope Benny included.

[Liberalynn]

2. There goes the Catholic vote.

:rofl:

Bachmann opens her mouth and offends somebody. Who can she tick off next?:popcorn:

Besides Reagan was the one whose name works out to 666. He still gets my vote as the lead candidate for the Anti-Christ. ;)

[LongTomH]

3. Excuse me, this will only affect the Catholic vote if anybody finds out about it!

Does anyone expect the Main$tream Media to pay attention to anything, and I mean anything, negative about Michelle. Obama took hits about his pastor because the media ho's were instructed to find any dirt they could. If Michelle is crazy enough to get the nomination (and it's not a matter of: "Is she crazy?" It's "Is she crazy enough" for the new Republic party?), the media will have instructions to squelch anything negative and crucify anyone who says anything negative about her.

Edited to add: Oh yeah! About that "Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church" bit. Are they invoking the memory of Salem, MA where they hanged witches? I guess that's a perfect image for this current crop of Tea Party/Religious Right Republicans.

[monmouth]

4. Wow, my right-winged Catholic family will be offended..I think...n/t

[somone]

5. Man is intended by God to lead, wife's job is to submit:

http://www.wels.net/about-wels/doctrinal-statements/doctrinal-statements

God made her to be helper suitable for the man and created her right from the man (Genesis 2:18ff). God gave to the man the unique calling of being a loving head and to his wife the unique calling of being a loving helper to him. In the New Testament, the inspired Apostle Paul assures us that these unique callings were indeed found already in the perfection of Eden when he writes, "Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God" (1 Corinthians 11:3). Later Paul reminds us that what we read in Genesis 2 is indeed where this was established when he says, "For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman but woman for man" (1 Corinthians 11:8-9). While man's headship is intended by God to be lived out in loving servant humility like Christ for us (Ephesians 5:25), yet headship also includes the God-given authority to lead (Hebrews 13:17). That is why one part of the unique calling of helper is to respect and yield (submit) to that leadership (Ephesians 5:22).

[Hydra]

6. Anti-christ? Hardly

Favored son of? Most definitely.

[proud patriot]

7. Wow that's RADICAL ...

seems like the media should cover this like they did Obama's paster.

[gratuitous]

10. Anything's possible, I suppose

But in this instance, highly unlikely.

By the way, off topic but not really: While everyone made a big hoop-te-do about Rev. Wright thundering "God damn America!" does anyone know the context of his comment? Hint: It had to do with the big sesquicentennial observance we're making this year. Status of dark-skinned people? Involuntary servitude? Apparently, in the eyes of some people, God should bless America for its past practice of slavery.

[Frustratedlady]

8. I thought they decided it was the Statue of Liberty?

What a messed up herd of sheeple.

[spanone]

9. the church of spanone says marcus and michelle could qualify for that title

[Pisces]

11. If I believed in the Anti-Christ, I would have to say the Pope would be a top candidate.

[jwirr]

12. I would not get too excited. This document you are referring to was

written in the time of Martin Luther. The church does not pay much attention to any of this kind of prophecy today. It is considered historical background. Lutherans do not do much around the book of Revelations as it assumes it is not to be used as a doctrinal basis due to its difficult language and imagery. Most of us laugh at all the rw prophecy. Now what Michelle's individual preacher is teaching - that is another question. My guess he is behind the gay bashing that Michelle and hubby do.

[Adsos Letter]

17. I think it has always been a mainstay of Historicist eschatology...

in some form or another. As you noted, that's not the dominant eschatology in today's churches (as far as I know; maybe in the non-ecumenical evangelical group).

As you said re Luther; it was the dominant interpretaion in Protestantism generally until the early 20th century.

[21st Century FDR]

13. I'm not exactly Joey Ratzinger's biggest fan

but calling him the Antichrist is a bit of a stretch.

Now comparing him to Emperor Palpatine, on the other hand.....

[Avalux]

15. Oh boy, now she's done it. Ha ha!

The Repuke Catholics will be coming after her with pitchforks now....I know how us Catholics are about the Pope, regardless of political party.

[JoePhilly]

16. Many evangelicals also believe it .... but the GOP tries to hide this fact.

The GOP wants the "false Christians" (Catholics, Mormons, other non-baptists) to think they are good Christians, so that they will vote with the far right Christo-fascists.

[LeftyMom]

18. I'll buy tickets to the Bachmann v. Santorum cage fight.

The winner can fight the winner of the magic underpants undercard between Mitt and his cousin Jon to determine who's the king or queen of the GOP religious crazies.