[AnalogReigns]

Luther's anti-Semitism is often brought up when his other ideas are discussed. By any standard, certainly Martin Luther was anti-Semitic...however by medieval European standards, he was by no means unique. Remember the Roman Catholic Inquisition began a generation before Luther (targeted at Jews and heretics) with many hundreds killed and tens of thousands exiled (and that NOT for the most part in Germany)...Anti-Semitism is an historically European sin...of which Luther never on earth recovered.

Also Luther's statements against the Anabaptists and of course the Roman Catholics were every bit as inflammatory as those he said against the Jews--all based on his theological certainty that their beliefs were leading them--and others--to eternal hell.

The Nazis were profoundly anti-Christian (and therefore anti-Luther) however--atheistic in full, and we cannot blame their holocaust on Luther, they only used what was convenient for their own godless hatred. As many or more Roman Catholic Germans (and Austrians etc.) participated in murdering the Jews as did Lutherans.

We shouldn't let Luther's zealous overstatements cloud the clear and wonderful things he found in scripture about the gospel of justification by faith in Christ alone.

[zest for life]

We shouldn't let Luther's zealous overstatements cloud the clear and wonderful things he found in scripture about the gospel of justification by faith in Christ alone.

I don't think I was letting "Luther's zealous overstatements" to cloud my opinion of him, I just wanted to point out what can happen when any of us allow satan a foothold in our lives.

However, William Tyndale, was another man who also had as much do with the Reformation as Luther did. (Albeit, the English Reformation) Yet, the remarkable account of his life and his extraordinary accomplishments (including martyrdom)are little known or appreciated.