Martin Luther

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My best friend is a recent convert to Lutheranism (she previously was not a practicing christian)

So now I’m getting the Lutheran anti-catholic message of course.

I am curious about finding links/articles/books about the whole showdown between Luther and the Church.

Specifically - his 95 theses and the Church’s response to them (did the church respond to each and every one? Were any of them correct? Which ones were heretical?)

I also read there was a debate between Luther and a Cardinal - is there documentation of this event?

Also - is there a way to read the document in which the pope officially excommunicated Luther?

Lastly…am I right in my understanding that when indulgences used to be granted for a certain number of days…didn’t these “days” refer to days of penance?
Most people think they refer to days spent in purgatory.
 
Be sure to bring up Luther’s writings about killing the Jews and the “Romanists.”
 
_Christopher_:
Be sure to bring up Luther’s writings about killing the Jews and the “Romanists.”
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I would recommend against doing this. The fist well informed Lutheran that he asks about it will tell you that Luther said many things that the Lutheran Church does not accept and down right condemns. They will point out that we are all by nature fallible and sinners – Martin Luther was no different.

This usually strengthens the resolve of the individual to join the Lutheran faith not abandon it. If you want to encourage the individual to stay with the Catholic Church teach them about all of the great things of the Church. Start with how much the Church helps the destitute, the Catholic Church does this on a scale that will never be achieved by another institution.

Find greatness in your Church’s strengths not in the weaknesses of others.
 
Both needs to be done…showing our greatness AND comparing how and why its greater than the others, by pointing out the flaws and weakness.of those religions…and how their tenets fail to live up to those of the Catholic Church…
 
Oh please… Study your Popes, especially those between the Borgia and Medici period. Even though the Catholic Church teaches that the Pope will not officially teach in error it is still subject to being ruled by corrupt men.

I am not saying this to discredit the Catholic Church – quite the opposite. It is much grander than the acts of a few men.
 
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Shibboleth:
I would recommend against doing this. The fist well informed Lutheran that he asks about it will tell you that Luther said many things that the Lutheran Church does not accept and down right condemns. They will point out that we are all by nature fallible and sinners – Martin Luther was no different.

This usually strengthens the resolve of the individual to join the Lutheran faith not abandon it. If you want to encourage the individual to stay with the Catholic Church teach them about all of the great things of the Church. Start with how much the Church helps the destitute, the Catholic Church does this on a scale that will never be achieved by another institution.

Find greatness in your Church’s strengths not in the weaknesses of others.
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Great post and I agree, it is so easy to tear down why not build up for a while.
 
Martin Luther was responsible for the word “alone” being inserted
into Romans 3:28 when the Bible was translated into German.
I believe he was unable to condemn polygamy.Perhaps,like Mormonism,Lutheranism has distanced itself from this particular practice.
 
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burnside:
Martin Luther was responsible for the word “alone” being inserted
into Romans 3:28 when the Bible was translated into German.
I believe he was unable to condemn polygamy.Perhaps,like Mormonism,Lutheranism has distanced itself from this particular practice.
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Just to clarify, Martin Luthers German translation was not the first one translated into German. There were already 11 or 12 translations, courtisy of the Catholic Church, so there really wasn’t a need for him to do one. And then on top of it he refused to submit it to the Church for approval and refused to remove the word alone.
 
There’s a book out there called something like “There He Stood, Here We Stand” which is a compilation of conversion stories of Lutherans to Catholicism. I forget who the author was, but I read it a while ago, and it was really good. It may give you some insight. Also, “Roots of the Reformation” by Karl Adams may also give you some good information.
 
Hi there,

There are tons of Luther web-pages and info, and after a quick look, it will become quite clear that there are many different “Luther’s” depending on who’s perspective you’re reading.

I’m assuming you’re Roman Catholic. There are many articles on Luther from the RC perspective. Before you go through them, I did a study on Catholic scholarship and its understanding of Luther in 2 parts:

ntrmin.org/The%20Roman%20Catholic%20Understanding%20of%20Martin%20Luther%201.htm

and

ntrmin.org/Catholic%20Understanding%20of%20Luther%202.htm

I have gotten a lot of positive response from these studies. Even Dave Armstrong liked them, and links to them from his web-site.

Happy studying-
James
 
I just finished the 3 tapes:
“Luther: The Rest of the Story” by Ken Hensley
from Saint Joseph Communications
(saintjoe.com)
Tapes cost $21.95
You will have all of your questions answered
have good answers for others !!!
 
While I was still in the Protestant circles, an Evangelist once asked if we knew how the treasury department learned to identify counterfit money? They spent hours studying the real thing. If you study the truth, you will more easily recognize the lies. You can do your faith and your friend’s more good by studying the truth of the Catholic Church than the lies of Luther.

God Bless
 
Amen,
My tip is :

Study your Catholic faith.

Point your Lutheran friend to magisterial and ortodox Catholic material. Catholic Answers, Catholic United for the Faith are good online sources.

Don’t spend much time on the other stuff (Lutheran originated material), except to see what questions are posed.
 
The best treatment I’ve seen of Luther is from Joseph Lortz, who wrote “The Reformation: A Problem for Today”. Rather than show how Luther was able to say some really, really dumb things when he got made (which O’Hare does), Lortz attempts to get inside Luther’s head and understand him. I think he does a great job in doing so, and shows both the pros and cons of Luther and his thought.

If you can get this book or even the two volume “The Reformation in Germany” by Lortz, do so.
 
"“If I had to baptise a Jew, I would take him to the bridge of the Elbe, hang a stone around his neck and push him over with the words ‘I baptise thee in the name of Abraham’.”

[Martin Luther, “Hitler’s Spiritual Ancestor” by Peter F. Weiner (1985, Gustav Broukal Press)]"

Needless to say, I no longer attend a Lutheran church. Praise God the Jews had good Catholic men like Pope Pious XII that risked death and helped save over 860,000 of them from Hitler.
 
Malachi4U said:
"“If I had to baptise a Jew, I would take him to the bridge of the Elbe, hang a stone around his neck and push him over with the words ‘I baptise thee in the name of Abraham’.”

[Martin Luther, “Hitler’s Spiritual Ancestor” by Peter F. Weiner (1985, Gustav Broukal Press)]"

Needless to say, I no longer attend a Lutheran church. Praise God the Jews had good Catholic men like Pope Pious XII that risked death and helped save over 860,000 of them from Hitler.
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I attend a Lutheran church in good conscience, AND consider myself a friend of Israel and the Jewish people.
The reason:

LUTHER’S PERSON IS NOT CANONICAL TO LUTHERANS!
Luther said some horrible things, alongside all the good he did for Christendom. I renounce his hateful rhetoric against the Jews as un-scriptural, but acknowledge his Reformation, because those two are not ONE package…

On another note: If we have to descend to THAT level, please bear in mind the attitudes and actions of the Catholic church against the Jewish people throughout the centuries…does the term “The Spanish inquisition” ring a bell?
 
Rajo said:
I just finished the 3 tapes:
“Luther: The Rest of the Story” by Ken Hensley
from Saint Joseph Communications
(saintjoe.com)
Tapes cost $21.95
You will have all of your questions answered
have good answers for others !!!
Click to expand...
Ken Hensley did an excellent job. He did not whitewash the corruption in the Church, and used biographies about Luther and Luther’s own words in his talks.

He is a convert to Catholicism and at one time was impressed with Luther’s teaching. I highly recommend these tapes for those who are not inclined to read book after book and do a lot of research.
 
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