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In the USA, we are familiar with the anti-Catholic, anti-LDS and anti-any African American churches..... The LDS has perhaps the most stunning examples of this, perhaps the most persecuted church in American history. But it often has involved churches you might not expect.
Lutheranism has roots primary in Germany and Scandinavia. People from those lands immigrated into the USA in large numbers, making Lutheranism one of the top 3 or 4 faith communities in the USA. Many of their congregations faced persecution rather than religious freedom; the German Lutheran groups (LCMS and WELS) faced the worse - especially since the USA went to war with Germany twice in the 20th Century. But sometimes the persecution had nothing to do with German roots but with some Americans feeling that Lutherans were just Catholics - and thus targets of anti-Catholicism (they must have missed that history lesson about the Reformation).
While all know about the KKK's attack on Catholics, few know they were equally focused on Lutherans. It was the worse in Texas where they managed to completely close (some by burning) many of the Lutheran churches and thousands of Lutherans were forced to move to states where the KKK was not active.
While persecution was obvious long before it, it rose to a new level during WW 1 (even before the USA entered the war). Lutheran churches were burned and crowds at times blocked the churches forcing the Lutherans to not worship in their own church. There are numerous stories of Baptists, Methodists and others leaving their churches and marching over to the Lutheran churches - sometimes with guns drawn - interrupting the serving and ordering the Lutherans to leave. Threats were common to Lutheran pastors. In an attempt to appease this, German Lutheran churches began displaying the flag of the USA in the church (a common practice to this day), renamed the denominations (to shorter ENGLISH names), even quickly translated the hymnal into English and worshipping in English. It didn't help. In rural areas where Germans were the majority, this persecution did not occur but these areas were few (mostly in the Dakotas and in Minnesota).
During WW 2, things were better, with few cases of outright violence, but there was still loud, vocal rebuffs and claims that Lutherans were loyal to Hitler and fundamentally un-American.
Some are 't aware, but even the NAMES of some Protestant groups are the result of persecution and hatred from fellow Christians....
"Lutheran" They called themselves "Evangelicals" (even "Evangelical Catholic") but the Catholics condemned them as people who did not trust or follow Christ but rather Luther - they weren't Christians but Lutherans. The term just stuck.... soon even these Christians began permitting (and even using) the term (they choosing not to be offended by what was clearly meant to be an attack, a term of derision).
"Baptist" (originally Anabaptist or RE-Baptist). While these Christians had a wide range, a number of distinctive teachings, the one that captured the attention of Catholics was that they rejected the infant baptism they received (probably in a Catholic Church) and thus RE baptized! Of course, these Christians rejected that insisting they were not RE baptizing anyone but were baptizing them legit for the first time, they were quite offended by the obvious term of derision. But again, they soon chose not to be offended by it - and soon embraced it themselves.
"Methodist" These Christians were rebuked by the Anglicans because they seemed to have a method for saving people, one that seem to discount the Holy Spirit, the Means of Grace. Method for this, method for that. These Christians insisted that they were NOT discounting the work or the Spirit or the Means and that the term of dersion was based on a gross misunderstanding of them. But the term stuck. They chose to not be offended by it and soon embraced it themselves.
There are many more..... Even the term "Protestant" has this history. Originally, the term only applied to a handful of German princes who "protested" an edict which forbid non-RCC'ers from publicly worshipping. But Catholics soon applied it to ANYONE (except Greek Orthodox) who were not docilicly submissive to the unmitigated power and authority of The Catholic Church but were "protesting" the authority of Christ on Earth..... they used it for any non-Catholic as a term of derision, one who protest the authority of Christ. Those who accepted sola gratia - solus Christus - sola fide soon chose to not be offended by this term of hatred and soon began using it themselves.
Persecution is not limited to the FEW Christians that usually get all the attention: the LDS, the RCC and any African American church. Those have some stunning examples (although the RCC has sure dished it out, too), but sadly, Christians have had MANY targets.
Pax Christi
- Josiah
Lutheranism has roots primary in Germany and Scandinavia. People from those lands immigrated into the USA in large numbers, making Lutheranism one of the top 3 or 4 faith communities in the USA. Many of their congregations faced persecution rather than religious freedom; the German Lutheran groups (LCMS and WELS) faced the worse - especially since the USA went to war with Germany twice in the 20th Century. But sometimes the persecution had nothing to do with German roots but with some Americans feeling that Lutherans were just Catholics - and thus targets of anti-Catholicism (they must have missed that history lesson about the Reformation).
While all know about the KKK's attack on Catholics, few know they were equally focused on Lutherans. It was the worse in Texas where they managed to completely close (some by burning) many of the Lutheran churches and thousands of Lutherans were forced to move to states where the KKK was not active.
While persecution was obvious long before it, it rose to a new level during WW 1 (even before the USA entered the war). Lutheran churches were burned and crowds at times blocked the churches forcing the Lutherans to not worship in their own church. There are numerous stories of Baptists, Methodists and others leaving their churches and marching over to the Lutheran churches - sometimes with guns drawn - interrupting the serving and ordering the Lutherans to leave. Threats were common to Lutheran pastors. In an attempt to appease this, German Lutheran churches began displaying the flag of the USA in the church (a common practice to this day), renamed the denominations (to shorter ENGLISH names), even quickly translated the hymnal into English and worshipping in English. It didn't help. In rural areas where Germans were the majority, this persecution did not occur but these areas were few (mostly in the Dakotas and in Minnesota).
During WW 2, things were better, with few cases of outright violence, but there was still loud, vocal rebuffs and claims that Lutherans were loyal to Hitler and fundamentally un-American.
Some are 't aware, but even the NAMES of some Protestant groups are the result of persecution and hatred from fellow Christians....
"Lutheran" They called themselves "Evangelicals" (even "Evangelical Catholic") but the Catholics condemned them as people who did not trust or follow Christ but rather Luther - they weren't Christians but Lutherans. The term just stuck.... soon even these Christians began permitting (and even using) the term (they choosing not to be offended by what was clearly meant to be an attack, a term of derision).
"Baptist" (originally Anabaptist or RE-Baptist). While these Christians had a wide range, a number of distinctive teachings, the one that captured the attention of Catholics was that they rejected the infant baptism they received (probably in a Catholic Church) and thus RE baptized! Of course, these Christians rejected that insisting they were not RE baptizing anyone but were baptizing them legit for the first time, they were quite offended by the obvious term of derision. But again, they soon chose not to be offended by it - and soon embraced it themselves.
"Methodist" These Christians were rebuked by the Anglicans because they seemed to have a method for saving people, one that seem to discount the Holy Spirit, the Means of Grace. Method for this, method for that. These Christians insisted that they were NOT discounting the work or the Spirit or the Means and that the term of dersion was based on a gross misunderstanding of them. But the term stuck. They chose to not be offended by it and soon embraced it themselves.
There are many more..... Even the term "Protestant" has this history. Originally, the term only applied to a handful of German princes who "protested" an edict which forbid non-RCC'ers from publicly worshipping. But Catholics soon applied it to ANYONE (except Greek Orthodox) who were not docilicly submissive to the unmitigated power and authority of The Catholic Church but were "protesting" the authority of Christ on Earth..... they used it for any non-Catholic as a term of derision, one who protest the authority of Christ. Those who accepted sola gratia - solus Christus - sola fide soon chose to not be offended by this term of hatred and soon began using it themselves.
Persecution is not limited to the FEW Christians that usually get all the attention: the LDS, the RCC and any African American church. Those have some stunning examples (although the RCC has sure dished it out, too), but sadly, Christians have had MANY targets.
Pax Christi
- Josiah
