2006-11-01 06:35:56 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
Luther wanted to get back to a simpler church- much like the church in the Middle Ages.
He did not like all the pomp and circumstance some of the church rituals had. He also disliked the selling of indulgences. The money for the sale of these indulgences went back to Rome to finance the building the St. Peter's Cathedral.
What's an indulgence? It's like extra credit for your soul. If you do good works you get "extra credit" and your soul spends less time in Purgatory (like a purification stations) before going to Heaven.
At the beginning, Luther didn't want to leave the church. But, when church leaders failed to talk to him and to discuss compromise or reform, Luther left (or was excommunicated).
Luther took his faith very seriously. He prayed a lot and worried about his decisions.
There is more to it, but these are a few of the reasons why Luther left to start his own church.
2006-11-01 06:57:45 · answer #1 · answered by Lizzie 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Martin Luther never had an intention of leaving the Catholic Church. His goal, as was the goal of Erasmus, was to reform the church from within. The church had drifted off from the message of Jesus Christ to the point where it was more interested in controlling world politics and reaping in more money.
The spark that lit the candle was when the a priest into a neighboring province to sell indulgences. Indulgences bought, you paid to get yourself out of purgatory and/or hell. Luther said that salvation was not for sale, basically.
He did nto allow the priest into his province.
I will not tell you all that you need to know, but would suggest that you look up Martin Luther, John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli and Erasmus, and then for fun, look up Conrad Grebel (or Greble).
The reason the church was selling indulgences was to gather money to build the Sistine Chapel in Rome.
2006-11-01 17:12:11 · answer #2 · answered by Polyhistor 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They felt that God should be able to be reached through any religious person, and not through just a priest. Martin Luthers beliefs were that people are naturally sinned and only selected few are to reach salvation. People who started the reformation generally agreed with him. Many German Princes also contributed greatly because they sided with his beliefs.
2006-11-01 14:43:42 · answer #3 · answered by JaHannah 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The short answer is: Luther et al were disgusted with church corruption (church meaning the Roman church), everything from selling of indulgences to priests with concubines and LOTS more.
this is a pretty complex topic that can't really be explained here, but that is a start!
And Beloved77, I really, really, *really* hope you were making a very lame joke....
2006-11-01 14:41:45 · answer #4 · answered by fantushinka 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Many books have that story but they differ in opinion and that is how history creates rumors and myths. The truth is he was a Catholic Priest and they were going to kill him, for his ridicule of the Church and they thought of him as evil. When in fact he also wished to share the pleasures of the body as well which was forbidden in the Catholic Church on paper. Then they say other things but I would think he wanted to lead people in his own way for his interpretations of the scripture and of course stay alive.
2006-11-01 15:05:02 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
So that religion wasn't just for the rich and royal. So even peasents could read the bible and go to church to cleanse their sins.
2006-11-01 14:41:18 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋