[Alex Murphy]

For Protestant Christians, especially members of the Lutheran and Reformed churches, Oct. 31, or the closest Sunday to it, is celebrated as Reformation Day each year in honour of the events that sparked the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. At the time, German monk Martin Luther was increasingly upset over some of the Catholic Church’s teachings, including those regarding baptism and absolution from sins.

He was particularly angry over the sale of indulgences by corrupt priests, who claimed that financial donations would guarantee the release of a relative or loved one’s soul from purgatory. Luther argued that the forgiveness of sins was a matter of grace, and that those selling indulgences were, at best, in error, and at worst, intentionally misleading believers for monetary gain.

He wrote a protest against these and other clerical abuses, popularly known as the 95 Theses, and in what historians now recognize as one of the earliest Halloween pranks, nailed it to the door of All Saints Church in Wittenberg, Germany on Oct. 31, 1517.

(Allegations that Luther followed this up by smashing pumpkins against the altar and unrolling toilet paper over the bishop’s horse are as yet unproven.)

[raygunfan]

I will stick with celebrating a normal candy filled halloween with my son, and then celebrate All Saints Day, at mass on Nov 1st.....

[agere_contra]

Luther counseled people to ‘sin boldly’.

Luther didn’t have Faith; he had a mad notion that his baptism was a get-out-of-jail-free card no matter what sins he committed. And he called this insane presumption ‘Faith’.

How many people have died ‘boldly sinning’, without fruit for God or Man because of Luther? How many Pharisees has he begotten, secure in the knowledge of their own salvation even as they staggered headlong towards hell?

It is a grave sin to presume on God’s mercy. May Christ preserve us from Luther’s sin against hope.

[lightman]

Lutheran Ping!

Wishing a Blessed Reformation & Hallowtide!