[BplusK]

I have no doubt that Martin Luther was right in what he believed and taught. However, another question may come to our minds: Was Martin Luther right when he "pushed" his views so strongly that he created a new division in the Church? Someone may speculate that if Martin Luther did not defy the Pope, "maybe" the Roman Catholic church could have eventually accepted Luther's views or at least a certain Reformation. (but I am skeptical!)

[Publius]

Someone may speculate that if Martin Luther did not defy the Pope, "maybe" the Roman Catholic church could have eventually accepted Luther's views or at least a certain Reformation.

Read The Fixing, by Kingsley Amis.

[Terriergal]

Was Martin Luther right when he "pushed" his views so strongly that he created a new division in the Church?

Well, it was not his intention to divide the church but to bring them out of incorrect teaching. In any church, unity is good, but truth is primary. That is why the division came about. Both the RC's and Luther believed they were speaking/teaching the truth. First you have to decide which view is truth, then you can decide if he was right to do what he did. He only invited discussion, and for standing up for what he believed was truth (and of eternal impact) he was deemed a heretic.

He didn't want his "followers" to be called Lutheran either. He did *not* want to divide the church. This kind of thing goes on every day in churches across the land. Schisms occur for similar reasons. It happens because at least one party is incorrect. One can't decide whether it is right to stand by one's views even if it causes a schism, unless first one decides which view is right.

[LinnKeyes2000]

if you knew that your best friend was going to get himself killed by continuing a certain act, wouldn't you be fairly vocal
in order to get him to stop? - that's why he 'pushed'