You wrote:
“Well, vladimir998, I see that I invited you a little too softly to just put our verbal exchange (I’ll let you characterize it) to bed. Hereafter I will do so - or, to put it your way, I will take my ball and go home.”
That’s always how this was going to end anyway.
“I will, however, make one observation. Your hatred for Martin Luther is so strong that I think you incapable of even trying to read and understand him.”
Actually I am familar with all of his works. Read through them all - all 50 or so volumes in translation. I didn’t want to spend the time reading the Weimar edition. I got so familiar with his works and their location on in the library that I memorized the call number (”BR 330 .E5 1955 fl” or something like that).
“No, I am not saying that intellectually you are not able. I am quite sure you are. But hate does strange and powerful things to people.”
I don’t hate the man. I freely admit I hate his lies, distortions, duplicity, support of bigamy, cutting books from the Bible, attacks on God’s Church, encouragement of rebellion and theft, schism, and vow breaking. I pity the man.
“If you would like to have the last word, be my guest.”
I think history will have the last word. Since you apparently don’t know much about that, it’s just as well.
As is typical so many times on these threads when some simply MUST resort to denigration, sneering one-up-manship and superiority, we have access to documentation that certainly can be called Unbiased. All of the things you accuse Luther of doing - things that you use to justify your continued attacks on all non-Catholics that DARE to challenge Roman Catholicism - can be viewed in a manner that demonstrates the duplicity of the Catholic Church and clarifies the views of reformers such as Luther.
You claim Luther:
lied - like what for example?
distorted - what did he distort?
duplicitous - about what?
supported bigamy - not anymore than Pope Clement VII did (see http://beggarsallreformation.blogspot.com/search?q=bigamy
cut books from the Bible - already talked about this - he didn't
attacked God’s Church - he attacked the decrepit mess Rome had made of the Church
encouraged rebellion and theft, schism, and vow breaking - like where?
You boast that you have read "all" Luther's works and are quite familiar with him. You toss out these invectives against him but fail to place these accusations in context, if true at all, and conveniently leave out facts that show your own bias and duplicity. I'm not a Lutheran, but I am a former Roman Catholic who left after coming to the knowledge of the truth concerning salvation by grace through faith apart from works - a MAJOR part of the Reformation that I thank God HE allowed to happen. Though it was not the first one it was certainly the most productive and millions of people were and still are being saved as a result. A great book available online on Google is Sermons on the Creed of Pope Pius IV by John Nash Griffin. Very informative about the times surrounding the Reformation and the condition of the Church at that time.
We have already discussed the Canon of Scripture on this thread and others recently, though it is an ongoing topic that never seems to be settled no matter how many facts are presented. Now if anyone is REALLY interested in something more than polemics and out-of-context quotes and positions of the man, there are numerous sites to go to to get a true and unbiased look at the man, Luther. A few I suggest that speak to the Roman Catholic perspective, good and bad, are: http://tquid.sharpens.org/catlut1.htm and http://tquid.sharpens.org/catlut2.htm
Rather than condemn all "Protestants" as "Anti-Catholic Protestant liars" who dare participate on these threads, why not get out of the middle ages and talk about right now, today? We could go on and on with recriminations about who did what to whom and when, but why? What is the benefit of that? Can we not discuss in a respectful and loving manner the doctrines that divide us? Cannot iron sharpen iron or must it always be nastiness over issues none of us can go back and do anything about? Doesn't it get tiresome after awhile? Is this how fellow Christians are supposed to talk to each other? I expect to be pounded now - though I hope I am wrong - but at least I said what I feel needed to be said. Free Republic's Religion Forum is too good of a place to be turned into a battlefield all the time. We have REAL battles to fight this election year.