I am not sure if I would classify them as ridiculous because a number of them were rather violent and especially about the Jews, used by Hitler to justify his efforts to kill them. Luther’s comment about the peasants were in response to the peasant revolt and Luther had to take a back turn and defend the Duke who was supporting him. Luther had what would be called an “earthy” way of putting things. I think that is what made him popular in his day. I think many of his violent and earthy writings are usually over looked by many Protestants. While one could claim that maybe some of the quotes are taken out of context of the whole writing as well as one needs to understand the time of Luther which was rather violent. But there is nothing wrong with looking actually Luther did say and write and some of the things he did teach and write should be brought to light. When I learned about Luther’s violent writings about the Jews before I became Catholic helped me relook at Luther and at the time I reasoned if someone can promote violence, should I listen to him on anything else.Here is an article I put together that itemizes some of the Martin Luther’s most ridiculous comments. If you know a Protestant, please share this with them. It’s important that we know where we come from.
Thanks
If you lived back then, who knows, you might have found yourself siding with Luther. It's easy to look back and say "Well, how ignorant!". We can't say we fully understand how it was back then because it was a different time/mindset. In years to come perhaps our decedents will say the same thing about our statements.Further divide? Remind me again of who divided Christendom in the first place?.. Oh yeah, Martin Luther.
And we should be welcoming them home. Now, I am Catholic, but I bet that if I dug through Summa Theologica, I could easily come up with “38 Silly Things St. Thomas Aquinas Said”
In the first place? Christianity was well divided way before that. Among other disagreements and such, the Great Schism was around 500 years before Martin Luther.
The difference between the Great Schism and Luther is a difference in kind not degree. Protestantism is heresy. Orthodoxy is not. I would be very reluctant to conflate the two (as is the Church).
This is a perfectly accurate point, but your original quote of “who divided Christendom in the first place…” is not accurately answered by “Martin Luther.”
Go for it, I’ve probably read more of the Summa than you have (although that is still a small amount of the whole) and I’m betting you can’t find anything like this list. Aquinas wasn’t a heretic, Luther was – big difference. Secondly, we are Catholics, not Thomists. Something embarrassing written by a Catholic theologian (even one of the greats, like Thomas) isn’t the same to Catholics as Luther writing insane things is for Lutherans. Luther founded Lutheranism. Christ (not Aquinas) founded Catholicism. Maybe if you found 38 Silly Things Christ said, but He didn’t say even one.
Undoubtedly, as I’ve not read any of it. I’ve only recently joined the Church, so I’m making my way through Scripture and the CCC before I tackle too much else. (Well, I’m also reading St. Augustine’s Confessions, but that’s because he reminds me of me.) I am not disputing your claims about Luther, but saying that anyone could take a large part of even the Septuagint and say, “Look! Christians believe in slavery and etc, etc…” You’ve heard it. I’ve heard it. Everyone on this forum has probably heard it.
I understand what you are saying, some could try to pick a Pope or a prolific Saint and misquote or string together what they said or wrote to make them out to be something that they really aren’t. Even if one wanted to quibble of some of the quotes, if you read them all, you do get a sense of an angry man who is haunted by demons. He did have an abusive father and he did have a problem with authority which ended in his brake with Rome. But he did write a rather violently towards the Jews and his writings along with Johann Eck were used by Hitler in coming up with his six step plan to eliminate the Jews.
Have we forgotten about Pope Pius XI and the ‘Good Friday Prayer for the Jews’ that was part of the liturgy?
