Was Martin Luther the putting a deliberate nail in the coffin of religion?

Question

Quote
"Reason is the greatest enemy that faith has"

Surely this is reason not to trust faith in the first place.

Answer 1

I sincerely hope so but I don't think that was MLK's intent.

He wants people to refuse to be afraid and to boldly move forward. Reason keeps people from being superstitious about death and doesn't let mythology convince them of something irrational. His message was to continue to stand tall and proud and move forward in life despite the road blocks. Don't fear road blocks and the blocks will disappear. The road blocks are only optical illusions...enjoy them, laugh at them and move on...that's not FAITH...that's FACT!

MY BAD! I thought you were talking about Martin Luther King...You're talking about the founder of the Protestant faith hundreds of years earlier. Actually, the philosophy of the two men are still surprisingly similar. Martin Luther was overcomming the persecutions of the Catholic Church...Martin Luther KING was overcomming the persecutions of racism and prejudice...same difference...different era. Same call to bravery and human progress.

Tomorrow is MLK day and its just on my mind.

Answer 2

I think your misinterpreting this quote. When I read it it tells me that rationalizing why are things are destroys faith.

Martin Luther was a very religious man who disagreed with some of the recent Catholic church activities. If he had given up all faith to reason, then he wouldn't have posted his list against the church. he would have just walked away. Instead he knew the rational of the church at the time was destroying faith.

Today the same thing applies. Many things can be explain by science or rational; but that doesn't mean that spirituality doesn't exist anymore. Not trying to sound condescending, Atheist use reason to explain why God doesn't exist. There, again, is what Martin Luther as talking about.

The answer to your question is No. Reason can explain why faith is not needed; but, the reason of Man is always twisted to what we want and so anything can make sense. So reason is not always right; in fact it's often wrong unless proven by law. For example, I could reason that pigs can fly. Not only could they fly in a plane, but genetic manipulation can allow use to give pigs the ability to fly on their own. Of course this is ridiculous, but the same thing goes for faith. After all believing there is no God, is having faith that there isn't one. Wow, what an oxymoron.

Answer 3

If he said that, well he was a product of his times. Reason is not the enemy of faith, in fact reason is what drove ML. He brought to light the unreasonable catholic teachings and practices he saw. Religion is not in a coffin, never has been, never will be. Actually, given the state of science in those days, he could very well have been right.

Answer 4

In answer to your question, probably not as people always need to believe in something but in answer to The last Ent Wife, are you mad?
Christianity is the last place to look for the fostering of learning and human endeavour. It is only 500 years since Galileo Was placed under house arrest for daring to suggest that the Earth was no the centre of the galaxy, but that the sun was.
He had to recant in the end so he could continue to work.
The culture that did most to lead the development of science and learning - in addition to the Greeks, Chinese, Babylonians, etc - is that of Islam. The people of Europe were rooting around in filth and squalour when Islamic mathematicians were plotting the stars.
As for your contention on faith. We have proof that Christianity exists as a religion in society, but no proof of the underlying tenets of that religion - you know, big guy, white hair and sandals, son who died and came back, etc.
Those points are taken on FAITH, as you have to believe in them DESPITE the fact there is no proof.
Next time, I recommend you read the question twice before attempting to answer it.

Answer 5

I suppose you do not full understand the sentence "Reason is the greatest enemy that faith has"

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, things unseen.

Going by reason and logic, it is not easy for someone to have faith.

A person who have faith, can goes like this, even though everyone are saying otherwise and the medical reports show these symptoms, I am a child of God. The child whom God loves. Jesus already bore ALL my sickness and diseases on the cross and by His stripes I were healed! Moments later, the person is diagnosed to have a clean bill of health. How do you reason? All glory to Jesus! We already know you have no faith nor you believe in it. It's your choice.

Answer 6

i know little about luther but i do know he held the same thought jesus held about giving dispensations and usless rite and ritual
the degrading of a good pious christian at a time the church really moved into the flesh ,and away from spirit was not to spite jesus nor god it was a measure the faith full was forced to do to try to get reason to return
try not to judge anyone ,least of all an honest lover of the christ whose faith and love of jesus would go so far so as to leave his home church and but not his belief
i pray never to have to make such a choice ,thanjkfully the church has took note.
unreason is our greatest enemy ,
unbelief is the greatest enemy of faith.

Answer 7

He was attempting to make people question the then prevailing Christian religion of Catholicism. He set up a more rational alternative in Protestantism

Answer 8

I really don,t know because I never really listened to any of Martin luthers words,Im sorry

Answer 9

Religion is far from dead. Just because its not doing well in the West doesn't mean to say its not thriving elsewhere. Its prevelence tends to ebb and flow.

Answer 10

I disagree.

We would not have modern science or medicine where it not for Christianity.
Christianity is logical and reasonable.

Martin Luther, whose deeds began the Protestant Reformation, was attempting to RETURN the Church to the teachings of scripture. A worthwhile and noble cause in my opinion.

Faith is, according to my dictionary on-line is belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof.

We have logical proof of Christianity, so therefore it is not faith.