Luther's 95 Theses
Posted on 06/08/2014 1:59:17 PM PDT by matthewrobertolson
In 2017, we will witness the 500th anniversary of one of the most important, influential and regrettable events in Church history: the Protestant Reformation, or the Protestant Rebellion, as some prefer to call it. Indeed, the latter term would suit me better, too. But, being German, I am used to the former expression and should I ever refer to said event as die protestantische Rebellion, people would think me some sort of radical. On that thought, perhaps it is worth noting that rebels are often quite radical themselves, which is one thing we can definitely say of the so-called "Reformers". To mark this anniversary, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has planned a number of events, beginning with a "Lutheran Decade" from 2008 to 2017. Each year has it’s own theme in the form of "The Reformation and…", i.e. Education, Freedom, Music, Tolerance, Politics and others.
The decade will culminate in the celebratory year of 2017, to which the President of the Evangelical "Church" in Germany (EKD), Nikolaus Schneider, has even invited Pope Francis. But, really, how likely is it His Holiness will hop on a plane and join in the celebration of someone his predecessor excommunicated? One might ask, is there any room for Catholics to take part in some sort of event? This is the question that is circulating in the mother country of the Reformation: Germany. The Most Reverend Gerhard Feige, Bishop of Magdeburg, is the Bishops' Conference's representative for ecumenical affairs. He has dedicated a lot of thought and time to the question how Catholics should view this event.
It begins with the name: Do we call it an anniversary, something that could imply happiness, or a commemoration of an event that has wrought such great damage upon the Body of Christ, His holy Bride, the Catholic Church? The German bishops have chosen the latter term. There is still confusion on the whole thing, though: The EKD is not being very clear on what exactly they want to celebrate. One hears catchy words such as "diversity", "conscience", and the like stuck onto the Reformation in their talk, but never do we hear of heresy, schism or even the antisemitism of Luther and his ilk. Indeed, who in his right mind would celebrate the chaos and harm inflicted on the Church by the so-called "Reformers"? Not even the Protestants organizing the event dare to say thus. Yet, one gets the impression that the whole event is not actually interested in critically evaluating the past, or their theology for that matter, but rather praising it as the dawn of an era of "tolerance" and "liberty".
Could this be any further from the truth? Professor Heinz Schilling of Berlin, a member of the advisory board for the anniversary, stated in an interview that Luther was "everything but tolerant" and criticized the EKD as "quite understandably not interested in any of the research’s findings". He went even further and said that the organizers made themselves appear "laughable among scholars" by claiming what they do. Margot Käßmann, who is the anniversary’s ambassador and a former Lutheran "bishop", once claimed that it was thanks to Luther that her sect had female "bishops". The professor criticizes this as yet another inaccuracy and something that Luther certainly did not envision. Is it any wonder, then, that the EKD has not come out clearly and said what the entire occasion is about for them, as the bishops have repeatedly bewailed, if even their own board members see through their catchy slogans?
What about us Catholics? Is there any way in which we can join our separated brethren in their commemoration? I argue: no. Some will disagree, but to me, the Reformation is intrinsically connected to fracture in the Body of Christ, heresy and the resulting total chaos. I could never join any such "commemoration", even if one doesn't call it an "anniversary" for the sake of appeasing Catholics. When have we ever "commemorated" the schism of 1054, or any heresy, for that matter? I believe we would do great harm to the effort of achieving Christian unity by taking part in any way. It obscures the borders between Catholicism and Protestantism, confuses people, and may even cause scandal.
The aforementioned Margot Käßmann suggested the following kind of participation of Catholics and Protestants: Each group could begin a pilgrimage on their own route, and reach one common destination. She would also like the program to achieve that all people learn "that 31 October is Reformation Day and not Halloween", to which Bishop Feige of Magdeburg replied "and the eve of All Saints". But the problem I see with Käßmann’s proposal is this: Although the idea might seem nice, it suggests that Protestantism and Catholicism are somehow equals. They most definitely are not. And certainly not according to Luther himself! Catholics know that their Church is the Church Christ the Lord founded on St. Peter, and Protestantism's very name already suggests otherwise. The Reformers made that point very clear. From a Catholic point of view, a heretical movement that splits the Church cannot be of equal worth as the One True Faith. Just think how we would have fought Arianism if such had been our position! This is not to say that Protestants aren't Christians, of course, but we must realize that Protestantism is not what our Lord willed us to have or believe: Catholicism is. Thus, two equal pilgrimages reaching one destination à la Käßmann would cause scandal and confusion. I assume she does not want it to symbolize the way we might some day find unity, but rather the common destination means Christ. But that is precisely the point: The Catholic Church is the ark of salvation, the Body and Bride of Christ, and She alone has "the words of eternal life" (John 6:68). She is Christ in this world apart from Whom "no one comes to the Father" (John 14:6). Protestantism has distorted those words of eternal life fundamentally, and thus cannot be on equal footing with Holy Mother Church. If Christ is "the Way, the Truth and the Life" apart from Whom there is no salvation, then so is the Catholic Church, for She is His Body (Ephesians 1:22-23, Colossians 1:24).
Thus, let me emphasize again: Celebrating the Reformation, or even commemorating it with Protestants, will blur the sharp line between the One True Church and those communities that came from the Protestant Reformation. It will scandalize and, actually, almost certainly make Christian unity harder to achieve. For in pretending Protestantism is somehow equally valid or of the same dignity as Catholicism, we take away the very reason for Christian unity: to be united in the one Church that our Lord left us, founded on Peter in the person of the Roman Pontiff.
Therefore, I hope the German bishops decide not to participate – however unlikely that is. It remains to be seen whether the ecumenical progress in achieving unity hoped for will come about. Let us pray, that 2017 will bring to many people's attention the Truth of Catholicism and the scandal that the separation of Christians is, fostering in them the desire for unity with Christ in His Bride, which is Holy Church.
Luther's 95 Theses
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I admitted an error once on these forums. Turns out I was wrong about it, however.
Credit to metmom for this delightful image.
I was not concerned about what you said to Lx, I just pinged him because you didn't understand how Christians worship Jesus, which he cleared up for you. LOL whether you want to accept that fact or not, no biggie to me.
Naturally I was pointing out to you what you stated about me in the POST OF YOURS THAT I WAS RESONDING TO.
I quoted it to you, go back and look at the mindreading that caused you to declare a denomination for me which I have never claimed.
I'm not pinging Lx this time so as not to confuse you.
I am pinging the RM so he/she can show you the error your ways (if the RM feels so inclined, I prefer you just ask to have the post removed, which, in my mind, and quoting you, a "real Christian" would do.)
Thanks for bringing the authoritative moderator into the mix.
You can go back to the post that you responded to of MINE and see where I quoted you breaking the Religion Forum rules. (Mindreading by falsely declaring I am a member of a group of which I am not and have never claimed.)
Wow, you can only read the Bible at a Catholic Church, and it takes a year to read it?
You know you can read it in about 6 weeks in your spare time.
Two weeks for the NT, and 4 weeks for the OT.
(I think you will be OK, it's been centuries since Catholicism forbade their members [and anyone else!] from reading the Bible on their own)
It's quite interesting to do it that way, very uplifting to Christians believers.
Now a real Christian would have checked to verify before he falsely accused, or would admit his error and apologize.You obviously are not-so-subtly saying I falsely accused, which I did not.
You should be ashamed for twisting and contorting so boldly in your accusation towards me.
Perhaps you can show that you are a "real Christian" and "would admit his (your) error and apologize."
[When you go back and read my post that your responded to, do so slowly and with deep comprehension, for clarity, please.]
I believe the TRUTH that the "gates of hell" have not, nor will they ever, prevail against those who are members of Christ's body. Gates, BTW, don't DO anything but keep out or keep in something. These gates cannot come and drag someone out of Christ's body and they cannot prevent one who they are keeping in from being taken out to believe the Gospel and become part of Christ's body. The Catholic church, on the other hand, is not that body of Christ - it can't be because not everyone within it is saved, whereas, those who are IN Christ ARE saved and will never be cast away back into hell.
Catholic theology has misapplied Jesus' words to claim they are THE church that the gates of hell cannot prevail against even though history has shown time and again that they HAVE done wrong, taught error, been led by depraved men and entertained hell within the very walls of the Vatican. Once you understand Jesus' point, you will see this is the right way to apply that passage. There was no need to "re-form" the true church because the true church (God's spiritual building) is going to ALWAYS be the buttress and support of the truth - no matter what organizational names they may use. The truth will NEVER be lost, forgotten or revised.
Prots like to say these ridiculous things and then they get upset when we tell them that words actually mean things. Worship is worship, adoration is adoration, “Is” means “is”, not “represents”, and a “mediator” is different than an “intercessor”
And that quote of verga's is seeped in irony as it is pretty much projection...
And again, like many Catholics, he apparently assumes every non-Catholic is a protestant and has no problem mindreading it into any one he responds to if he feels like getting a little dig in.
(Many Catholics seem to hate Protestants)
I asked him to report himself, but he missed the point altogether.
No biggie on that, but I just love the phrase "real Christian," heh
I will pray for you.
Come on, don't embarrass yourself by making me quote it to you AGAIN!
Oh, and you NEVER asked me if I was that denomination.
Are you familiar with "the rule of holes?"
Yeah, but did she make it rain??? ;o)
Some are still there, but most were handled after Luther died. But the Popes were typically more concerned with what the Hapsburgs were going to do by that time
Why did He speak directly to Moses? God knows why He did what he did. I’m not going to question His actions.
Here is part of it:
...he apparently assumes every non-Catholic is a protestant and has no problem mindreading it into any one he responds to...And here is your quote from post #382:
Heck I teach woodworking down here at one of the local schools and I want to be on record as offering to build a shrine for him to use in his Bible worship. Heck and of the rest of YOU protestants that want me to I will build one for you.That, including the bolded area, was posted from you to me. That was not "asking" me my denomination, it was stating that I was a protestant.
That aside, don't you think it's a little personal to flippantly offer to build shrines for posters that are not of your faith to worship the Bible? (it's all been 'splained to you)
Christians don't need shrines, we worship Jesus. He is the Word.
I think there has been a bit of a misunderstanding about that...
Hey, I liked it; thanks.
As far personal or flippant, I was making a kind generous offer of my talents to those that might not posses the same skills I have.
If Mary is the mother of God and the Father is God, then Mary is the mother of God the Father.
If Mary is the mother of God and the Holy Spirit is God, then Mary is the mother of God the Holy Spirit.
That puts Mary above the Godhead, makes Mary deity, makes her the mother of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, making them created, finite beings with beginning.
It totally messes up all kinds of theology.
Do Catholics EVER think through what they have been spoon fed for their entire lives, cause it sure doesn't look that way with the arguments they use.
I'll stick with agreeing with the Holy Spirit in what He inspired in Scripture: *Mary, the mother of Jesus*.
That way, I KNOW I can't be wrong.
In Scripture, the Holy Spirit calls her *mother of Jesus*.
John 2:1 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
John 2:3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”
Acts 1:14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
Scripture is clear in calling Mary *the mother of Jesus*.
By your reasoning then Jesus is not God, because basic logic dictates that if a=b and b=c then a must also equal c.
AMDG
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