The Lesson of Martin Luther...

by Confucious 21 Replies latest jw friends

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  Slick Willie

  There was a great movie out a few years ago, "Luther," which I got through Netflix. The Catholic Church did to Luther back then about the same as the WTS does today with their own 'apostates'.

  I've been quite interested in the modern Lutheran church and in my reading I discovered that today the church still teaches the primacy of the individual's conscience over any church authority. As was previously said, Luther didn't want to start a new religion or denomination, but wanted reform within the church. Today, some modern Lutherans consider themselves a reforming movement of the one catholic church and hope for full reconciliation with Rome in the future.

  The Luther movie portrayed Luther as a young priest who believed that if he could only enlighten the pope about the corruption he became aware of (selling indulgences, etc) that the Pope would immediately set things right. It really reminded me of loyal brothers and sisters who have attempted to suggest reforms within the WTS but were quickly shown the door.
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  Wasanelder Once

  Its hard for me to identify with such a rabid anti-semite as Marty Luther. He just founded decafinated Catholicism. For me, I didn't want reform, I wanted OUT! ...and that's no papal bull either!

  W.Once
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  Confucious

  Great posts here.

  Very interesting.

  Actually, I too was completely blind about the parallel between the GB and the Pope.
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  JWdaughter

  The thing about Luther and antisemitism-he was a man of his time. While very enlightened in some ways, he was in darkness in others. As are we all. Think how long it took for antisemitism to be absolutely socially unacceptable. . .wait, it hasn't happened YET. Jeez, you'd think we would have finished with that one by now, huh?
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  barry

  Martin Luther rediscovered the biblical teaching of righteousness by faith and this is the teaching which frightened the Catholic church the most. The teaching says that we are declared righteous and of course if the teaching was acceprted by the RC church many of there teachings would be obsolute. In othere words the rites performed by the church no longer have any power such as the rite of forgiveness and to forgive sins because the beleiver as the bible says can approach the throne of God himself. The official catholic position is that the beleiver is made righteous. Many Catholics today are evangelicals.
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  willyloman

  ...a young priest elder who believed that if he could only enlighten the popeWatchtower Society about the corruption he became aware of ... that the PopeWTS would immediately set things right.

  See, it's a perfect parallel.

  Recently I attended a lecture by a local college professor on the "Gnostic Gospels" and the struggle in the first, second and third centuries related to the "orthodox" and "gnostic" views. He said a lot of interesting things. The thing that resonated most was this: In the early centuries the major struggle was over whether enlightenment was the sole possession of the church, to be handed down to individuals who expressed agreement with church doctrine VS. enlightenment being experiential and without need of any church hierarchy.

  I think that's the journey many of us are on.
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  Peppermint

  This has just been broadcast on radio 4 in the UK.

  http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/inourtime/
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  Narkissos

  It just occurred to me that "the Diet of Worms" sounds real funny in English...
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  willyloman

  I guess that's where the saying comes from: "I'd rather eat worms."
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  hambeak

  You gave me something to think about I never thought about it in quite that light