AboutJason Harris Expertise I am an LCMS Pastor. I can answer questions about Lutheran theology past and present, Lutheran and Protestant church history from the reformation onward. I can address Latin to English translation questions in the Lutheran Confessions. I am also well versed in American Protestant history of all types.
Experience I would be considered a "confessional" and "high-church" Lutheran familiar with more conservative viewpoints.
Publications I have been published several times in Liturgy, Hymnody, and Pulpit Journal.
Education/Credentials I received my Master of Divinity from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne Indiana.
Question QUESTION: Hello, I am a 21 y.o. Indian girl. I was born Hindu, but now I am considering becoming a Protestant. I have a few concerns though:
1. What is the Protestant view on menstruation? Can I attend Church during menstruation? And will I be looked down upon just because I menstruate?
2. I don't believe in any rituals, like baptizing. Do Protestant Churches require me to get baptized? Are there rituals in Protestantism?
3. And what are the main beliefs of Protestantism?
Please guide me, I am new to this.
Thanks a lot,
Shruthi
ANSWER: Hello Shruthi,
Blessings on your inquiry into this very important matter. Religious conversions of any sort are likely to create many changes in your personal, family and public life. Periods of questioning can be daunting and confusing.
First and foremost, Protestant Christianity is about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. The heart and core of the Gospel is who Jesus is and what he has done for you, Shruthi. The Bible says, "God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." It is an exchange wherein your guilt and impurity have been put onto Christ when he was killed on the cross. His perfect record of pure deeds has been credited to you. Thus Christians are a common union of Holy Ones and forgiven sinners, given new life in Christ forever and ever. This Faith has been summed up for millenia in the words of the Apostles' Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ,
His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
Believing and confessing this faith, you have been clothed with the perfect righteousness of Jesus. You are already clean because of the word of the Gospel Jesus has spoken to you. Restrictions on menstruation, clean foods, and other "purity laws" are a common component of many world religions such as Hinduism and Judaism. These however, are not a part of Christianity. Holiness and purity is not attained by your outward deeds or rituals, but is a free gift placed upon you by God and treasured by the gift of faith to cling to these promises.
A man or woman in Christ is always seen by God as completely pure and holy. Christ is the bridegroom who has declared his bride, the Church, to be blameless and pure before the judgment seat. We are presented to him as a virgin bride adorned for her wedding day.
Baptism is taught very differently depending on what particular kind of Protestant church you go to. Many churches teach that Baptism is a required ritual of obedience to God's covenantal demand. Others teach that it is a symbolic gesture to show everybody else your personal work of faith and vow to try to gradually live a pure life. In these two cases, it is a primarily a personal work.
The Lutheran teaching on Baptism is very different. It is God's word combined with water. God's word, the Gospel, is the power of salvation. This word gives you faith to believe what Jesus did on the cross for you. God connects this word to a variety of simple everyday things. You are reading it on your computer screen. It is printed with ink on paper. It comes to us as bread and wine. It pours over our head in simple water.
By this, we can proudly proclaim "I am baptized!" "My sins have been washed away!" "I am pure!" "Jesus' life is now my life!"
I pray the the Holy Spirit be with you and guide you into all Truth. For you are His beloved Shruthi. He has lived, died, and rose again all for you. May you continue to receive his good gifts unto life everlasting.
Pastor Harris
PS For more basic explanation of Christian belief. See the following link.
Your answer to my previous question was very nice. Thank you so much for that! I have now decided to become a Protestant Christian. However I have more questions:
1. I will be staying with my parents (who are staunch Hindus) for 1 year. So in this 1 year, I cannot take any "visible" steps towards Christianity. I really want to be a Christian, and be proud about it. And I don't want to hurt my family. If I tell them about my becoming a Christian, they will disown me and get deeply hurt. I am so confused about how to manage this situation. And right now, is there anything I can do without getting baptized? I am not a scripture oriented person. I just want to lead my life as Jesus taught. Can you please suggest me a simple lifestyle till I get baptized?
2. I want to know why there are denominations within Protestantism.
3. There is a Protestant Church in my city that I have been to once. Since I am a Hindu now, I feel somewhat weird and a little scared as to how the Pastor and others may feel and react. Is it normal? And what should be my first step towards becoming a Christian?
4. How should I pray to Jesus? I don't have His photo. Is that required? What is the "method" to pray to Him?
5. Should I change my name on baptism?
Thank you very much for your patience, help, and time sir,
Sincerely,
Shruthi
Answer Hello Shruthi,
It is an honor and privilege to be able to share with you in the name of Jesus, our Savior. All of the angels in heaven rejoice over one sinner who repents and believes the Gospel. First of all, it must be noted that the primary aspect of conversion to Christianity and person and individual. If you know and believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, taking all your guilt upon himself and covering you with his perfect blood and righteousness, you are already converted. When you appear before judgment at the last day, God will see no sin whatsoever and will usher you into everlasting life. It is that simple!
Secondly, your questions are mainly about the public and communal aspects to conversion. For thousands of years Christians have been hated and persecuted in this world for the confession of the Faith. As a citizen of the Kingdom of God, you are considered a stranger and alien in this world. But our Lord has promised to be with us to the very end of the age and to never leave you nor forsake you, Shruthi, no matter the circumstances.
1. We are taught to honor and respect of parents, even if we believe differently. While you live with your parents, I would encourage you to follow their rules as far as "visible" or outward things. Yet treasure the Gospel proclaimed to you and always ponder it in your heart privately. Pray to God for wisdom as to the best time to "come out of the closet" with your faith and be baptized.
Remember, in the eyes of God you are already fully converted and a complete member of the Body of Christ. There are many old stories of converts to the faith in hostile pagan lands, who were persecuted and killed for their confession of faith before being able to be baptized. The old teachers said these martyrs were "baptized by blood". For you, like them, already knew and believed that Jesus has washed their sins away and were counted as pure, holy, and baptized before God in heaven.
My advice as far as lifestyle is to strive to live at peace with all men, humbly submitting to your parents, and serving others in Christian love. These things have nothing to do with earning merit before God, but are a way of proclaiming the Gospel to those around you by your actions. Even though you say you are not a "scripture oriented person" it is important to continually be reminded of who Jesus is and what he has done for you. Even if you do not understand much of what you read, I would encourage you to find a Holy Bible and read it whenever you can. The Holy Spirit will grant the understanding. Do not consider it a religious textbook, but a love letter from God to you, his precious bride, telling what He has done to seek and save you. By the Word alone, you have been given faith and by the Word alone, your faith will be sustained and nourished.
2. This is a difficult question. The reason there are divisions and quarrels among Christianity is ultimately because we are sinners, just like all humans. Some groups have formed as personal cults around misleading teachers. Some groups have formed to preach and teach more in accordance with the modern world and pagan philosophy. Many more have looked around and found the church around them teaching wrongly, so they have struggled to return to the pure teaching of God's word and be forced to form a new group. There is no perfect denomination. Amidst all the confusion, be comforted by knowing that you are Jesus' little lamb and you will know the voice of the Good Shepherd. When you hear about who Jesus is and what he has done for you, God himself is working through that Word to call, gather, enlighten and sanctify the entire church on earth, including you!
3. In almost any Christian church, folks will rejoice greatly at a newcomer wanting to convert and become a Christian. You should be received warmly as a sister in the family of God. It is normal to be nervous around a new group of people different from yourself. But we are all one in Christ. In the universal church, we are members of the same body, eat of the same loaf, and drink of the same cup. The reason we join a local church is so that the seed of faith planted in us may be watered and grow by the Word of God within the Communion of Saints.
4. While religious art has a long an rich tradition as a devotional aid in many times and places in Christianity, they are certainly not "required" for prayer. As a Christian, the Holy Spirit lives in you, making your own body his temple. You can pray wherever you are, whatever you are doing; while driving, working, or laying down; out-loud or silently in your heart. When Jesus' followers asked him "How should we pray?" he taught them what we know as the "Lord's Prayer":
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
5. Changing your name of Baptism is an ancient tradition in many places, but these days in not very common. In America, for example, almost nobody changes their name. It is entirely up to you. It is most important to realize that you already have a new name. You are "Christian". You are in Christ. You are part of the the universal church, the bride, which has been married to Christ, the bridegroom.
May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard you heart and your mind in Christ Jesus. Amen.
