Protestants believe that they are a "reformed" religion. Faith not works, etcetera, is a purer religion, brings them closer to salvation. Luther is the champion of Protestants everywhere, and he is revered. But how can we praise a man who was so Antisemitic? He proposed taking away the property of Jews, forbidding rabbis to teach at the price of their lives, burning sacred books, burning synagouges, keeping them out of work, prohibiting travel...It seems the jumping-off point of the Nazi Regime. How can Protestant Christians overlook this flaw in their hero? If the "reformer" is flawed, how can the religions not be?
How do you distinguish between the two? Thanks.
2007-11-30 13:22:15 · 15 answers · asked by Nipivy 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I am quite aware that Protestants do not "follow" Martin Luther. Martin Luther is not to Protestants what Joseph Smith is to Mormons, for example. But he is discussed favorably, as a good man. Of course, Jesus is the savior, but Martin Luther is still revered as a particularly pious man. And there would be no Protestants without him.
Adam's sin tainted mankind.
So does the sin of the founder of a church (many churches) taint its followers (all branches of Protestants)?
Raised Protestant myself.
2007-11-30 13:32:48 · update #1
Yah, he went a little crazy towards the end of his life. That doesn't diminish what he accomplished when he was healthier in his mind and body. His early works were not anti-Semitic at all. And of course, the cause of his many troubles was not really Jewish people, but actually Catholic people. But you should realize that the anti-Semitic period of his life was the same period when he was "seeing" things that weren't there.
BTW, Christians do not "praise" any man. Nor do we suppose any human is perfect, or even "mostly good." Luther accomplished something great when he exposed the corruption of the church of his day. It cost him his health and just about everything else.
How do you distinguish between a flawed, sinful human being, and the truth towards which he is pointing? Well, how do you distinguish between the city of Paris and an old, tattered and dirty map? The map may be soiled, but it still shows you how to reach the Eiffel Tower.
2007-11-30 13:33:34 · answer #1 · answered by greengo 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
When I was a kid, I went to Sunday school for 8 years. Luther was discussed briefly during a quick run through pf the history of Protestant religions. I never praised him, nor did I ever get the idea that we were supposed to praise him. He's mentioned in no prayer or hymn that I know of.
All I do know is that Luther was a man, and as a man, he was far from perfect. (Nevertheless, not to defend anti-any-religion-ism, he never burned alive or horrifically tortured those of other religions.)
Lutheran is only one of many branches of the Protestant religion, so maybe someone from a Lutheran church could shed some light on Luther.
2007-11-30 21:38:35 · answer #2 · answered by Diana 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I did not know this. My Sunday school teacher must have skipped it. But the Catholic church history is pretty murky too. All Churches are created by flawed humans who are searching for meaning, forgiveness and hope. They often operate on their own agenda. That is why it is up to each individual to study, pray and think for themselves. All people are flawed. All religions are flawed. Until we stand before the creator we will never see perfection. We can just do the best we can with what we have and know that God is bigger than our biggest mistakes. If along the way we find others who we can join with the learn with or from and worship with, well great. You have a church. But in the end none of them have all the answers .
2007-11-30 21:41:45 · answer #3 · answered by andria k 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Luther is not revered, even by Lutherans.
No one praises Luther, we praise God, period.
We know Luther was a sinner and so am I.
Remember that Luther was not a Lutheran. He was a Roman Catholic Monk and he learned all his anti semetic ideas from the Roman Catholic Church.
Had Luther lived another 100 years I'm sure he would have seen that his anti Jewish ideas were quite sinful and he would have repented.
Pastor Art ( born and raised Lutheran )
2007-11-30 21:31:13 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I don't revere Luther. I revere Christ. I am not a Protestant. I'm a Christian -- a Seventh-day Adventist Christian.
Luther only made *one* step away from the Catholic church. He remained caught in all the other non-Biblical Catholic traditions. Each subsequent "protestant" religion made another step away from the non-Biblical Catholic traditions. But each remained ensnared in the Sunday tradition -- even fooling themselves that Sunday was somehow based on the Bible (which it is not - the Catholics knew that much).
Thankfully, things didn't stop there. Many religions took at least one more step -- away from Sunday -- and went back to the Bible Seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath of the LORD.
2007-11-30 21:27:24 · answer #5 · answered by ♫DaveC♪♫ 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No man is the champion of protestant reformation.
The lord is our shepherd.
It has never been a matter of how we honor God.
It has always been a matter of how we never dishonor God.
God is the creator of all things great or small, from the beginning of time without end.
God is our calling.
The Bible is about the knowledge of good and evil, the light and the dark, life and death. truth and lies. Can you discern the light from the dark? If we didn't know pain, we would never know joy.
Distrust without finding truth is never knowing enlightenment. That would be paranoia.
Paranoia is not making fishers of men, it makes wolves in sheep's clothing. Haven't you noticed this?
Truth vs lies. You can tell the difference.
It's extremely hard to distinguish belief from disbelief.
It's very easy to distinguish truth from distrust, you just have to think about why you distrust something.
I do not believe, I trust God because I know.
2007-11-30 21:58:15 · answer #6 · answered by wise1 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1) Very few Protestants know much or base their ideologies off of Luther, and consequently Luther is not their "hero" as you say
2) You say the Catholics were not anti-Semitic at times? In Catholic history the Church was very hostile to Jews.
If you are stuck thinking Protestants follow Luther, you are really mistaken.
2007-11-30 21:30:33 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Bunch of ASSumptions.
Luther is neither the "champion" nor "hero" of the Christian church, the LORD Jesus Christ is.
Furthermore, Luther never payed out millions and millions and hid evidence from the prosecuting authorities of CHILD RAPE as the Pope (catholic champion, hero) has.
2007-11-30 21:28:29 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Uh, Luther is not and shoud not be anyone`s HERO.. He is not and should not be revered. He has never championed me. I think you have over rated him quite a bit..
Peace & God bless from Texas <><
2007-11-30 21:32:07 · answer #9 · answered by jaantoo1 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Luther was just another man. I don't revere him at all. I respect him for his courage, and for what he started, but I don't think he went far enough, personally.
That being said, it was also many others, like John Calvin, John Huss, William Tyndale, Menno Simons, and others who sought to let the Bible speak to our faith, and to diminish the role of traditions of men.
2007-11-30 21:31:46 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋