Grave Tragedy!‏

[BlackJack774]

Hello All,

Thank you so much for the work you do.

I have a bit of long question. I apologize for the length.

What was the reformations all about? I’ve had the opinion that the church was doing something’s like, selling indulgences, that went against the scripture and that’s why Martin Luther broke away from the church. But just yesterday I was reading an article on Catholic Answers that the church never has taught the selling of indulgencies. That the selling was only done by a few heretical bishops. You know it always amazes me how a few bad apples gives the hole a bad name. And that reform to the church was happen years before Martin Luther. Take a look: catholic.com/thisrock/2006/0604tbt.asp

I’m of the opinion now that it was all sin. It’s certainly not scriptural to leave and make a church of your own free will given the following:

Romans16:17-18 says 17I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.

And 1 Cor. 1:10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought…

And Jesus prayer for all believers in John 17:20-21 20"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

How will the non-believers ever believe that God sent Jesus given our current divisions?

Is it man wanting to have things his way?

Why has Protestantism persisted for so long?

What do you think?

I believe if every protestant would take off their protestant blinders and let go of the teachings of MAN they could see what God really intended for his sheeps and lambs

Christ told one man in John 21 …Tend My lambs …Shepherd My sheep

 

[SpiritusSanctus]

Luther really broke away because he didn’t agree with some of the teachings of the Catholic Church. He therefore founded the Lutheran church, although on his deathbed he admitted he had made a mistake. Clearly he was pressured by the Devil to break away, because it has been said that an image of the Devil appeared to him atleast once. Luther threw an inkpot at that image. Image of the Devil or not though, you can conclude he was tempted to break away, and he did.

Then future Protestant reformers didn’t like Luther’s church either, so they broke away and formed numerous denominations of their own. And so today we has many separate denominations, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Angelican, etc.

As for it being the fault of Bishops, modernism invaded the Church many many years ago, and still is alive and well in the Church today. Luther left because he didn’t agree with the Church’s teachings, though.

 

[Catholic1954]

Luther was correct in calling attention to and complaining about the many abuses in the Church. He went too far however, in breaking away and starting his own movement. There were too many others out there that saw his dissent as their opportnity to break away from Rome and start a new church in their own and likeness. Let us pray for Christian unity.

 

[SGT_ROCK_33]

A grave tragedy indeed… The loss of all those souls, completely unnecessary and unfortunate for our Lord and His Church.

The writers on this thread are correct in saying that sin and temptation led Luther away from the Church. Fortunately, we have had MANY strong, authoritative Fathers of the Church to condemn the heresies and condemn modernism in the Church. Unfortunately, however, we also have MANY in the Church, presently, who are pushing modernist views and deviating from the true teachings of the Church. We need to pray for the conversion of our fallen brethern and pray that God will show them their erroneous ways and bring them back into the fold.

God Bless

 

[Phillip_Rolfes]

Luther really broke away because he didn’t agree with some of the teachings of the Catholic Church. He therefore founded the Lutheran church, although on his deathbed he admitted he had made a mistake. Clearly he was pressured by the Devil to break away, because it has been said that an image of the Devil appeared to him atleast once. Luther threw an inkpot at that image. Image of the Devil or not though, you can conclude he was tempted to break away, and he did.

Then future Protestant reformers didn’t like Luther’s church either, so they broke away and formed numerous denominations of their own. And so today we has many separate denominations, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Angelican, etc.

As for it being the fault of Bishops, modernism invaded the Church many many years ago, and still is alive and well in the Church today. Luther left because he didn’t agree with the Church’s teachings, though.

I don’t know that it’s quite fair to say that Luther “broke away.” From what I’ve read, he actually had no intention of breaking away, but rather of reforming. Sadly his reforms did eventually lead to separation, but I’ve not heard that the separation was ever his intention. Still, I could be wrong. My knowledge of the history of the Reformation is limited at best.

 

[Onegin]

I don’t know that it’s quite fair to say that Luther “broke away.” From what I’ve read, he actually had no intention of breaking away, but rather of reforming. Sadly his reforms did eventually lead to separation, but I’ve not heard that the separation was ever his intention. Still, I could be wrong. My knowledge of the history of the Reformation is limited at best.

Luther gets painted in a very benign light these days. The truth is that Luther absolutely despised Rome and the Mass. Specifically, he hated and ridiculed the idea that the Mass was intended to be a sacrifice rather than a meal. Several times he compared Catholicism to Islam, going so far as to say that both were products of the Devil. For those unconvinced, I suggest reading his work entitled “On the Papacy at Rome Founded by the Devil.”

Also, Luther played a big part in laying the foundation for modern Anti-Semitism. If you read his writing entitled “The Jews and Their Lies” you can see the nastier side of this. Even the modern Lutheran church has disavowed that part of Luther’s teachings.

I’d be interested in seeing the source that said Luther had a deathbed conversion, I’ve never seen that - especially since his writings close to his death still reeked of Anti-Catholic sentiment.

 

[roveau]

The Church was in a very sorry state at the time of Luther - making it very easy for Luther to nail a list of 95 criticisms on that church door at Wittenberg in 1517. The selling of indulgences was common throughout the Catholic lands - mainly for the construction of St Peter’s. It may be correct that there was no ‘teaching’ or dogma about the selling of indulgences but it was an official practice by the Church to raise revenue.

Anti-Semitism was alive and well in Christian lands for over a thousand years before Luther.