There's an article in today's NY Times that discusses how a Lutheran pastor was admonished by the Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod) and forced to apologize because he attended an interfaith service for Sandy Hook victims in Connecticut. My sister sent me a link to the story that I've provided below. My sister was angered that the Lutherans frown upon members of their flock attending interfaith religious services. We grew up in the Missouri Synod branch of the Lutheran Church and it is a very conservative branch of Lutheranism. I didn't realize how conservative it was until I got out of it. What I don't understand is why the Lutherans think that if you sit and listen to a Buddist or a Hindu talk about his/her religion that you're somehow worshipping that faith. If you are strong in your faith, it shouldn't matter if you're sitting around with a bunch of agnostics or devil worshippers. You should be able to walk out of that the same way you walked in. If you walked in a Christian, then you should walk out a Christian. Attending a service with people of faiths other than your own shouldn't sway you from your faith. I would think the Lutherans would be glad to have one of their own at the interfaith service to provide a Christian perspective and maybe even get some converts.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/08/nyregion/lutheran-pastor-explains-role-in-sandy-hook-interfaith-service.html?emc=eta1&_r=0
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