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Luther argues intensely that the Bible is the number one influence in guiding a Christian man or woman through their lives, not the clergy here on Earth, but the words and voice of God in the book. It is the literal word of God, and as such, should be regarded as the ultimate authority in all issues concerning its rule and all issues in the realm of man. Luther also belives that the catholic church obscures the word of God and tries to add its own ideas to the mix, diluting the message and leaving readers unfamiliar with the messages of the bible. Luther mentions good works and actions that follow suit, which are what he believes what are done to benefit those around you and not just yourself. They are acts that are selfless, done for the benefit of the community. However, he does not believe that they are a necessity for getting into heavan, unlike the catholic church, and instead preachs htat it is adherence to scripture and faith that will get you to heaven. Luther believes that faith is the most important aspect of any Chrsitians life because it is the true reflection of the individuals spiritual belief and religious adherence, and it is soemthgin that comes from the heart of the individual. It is the one thing that cannot be faked, for it is internal, and so is the deciding factor for who gets in and who is kept from heaven. Luther Criticizes the lergy and the papacy of the catholic church, claiming that they were motivated not by faith but by greed and the pursuit of monetary gain. He supports this with the act of indulgence selling. He feels that the rhuch is bastardizing the message of god to fit their own message and meet their own secular needs, turning it into a political tool when the word of god should be a tool of faith. Luther greatly values the role of women and the sanctity of marriage in the church, even and especially for those most pious in the clergy, a key difference between Protestantism and Catholicism. He bleives that marriage and all it entails is a natural part of the human experience, and that it shouldnt be shamed or abstained from predicated upon antiquated rulings. Luther especially calls out religious monks in his criticisms because of how wealthy their lifesyles were ,especially considering their vow of poverty. He also critiques their adherence to material wealth. He feels as though the monks, who should be role models for the rest of the church, weren;t holding up their end of the line and instead were models of gluttony and indulgence and virtues contrary to true Catholicism. Galileo makes the claim that those who oppose him may have simply been opposing him because of their closemindedness not letting them perceive his truth. They dont want to change and wish to adhere to the past, rejecting his claims not on their merits, but on their reluctance to change and adapt to the times. He feels that religion is a key part of tricking the populace into hating him, and a key part of making them reject him as well. Galileo believed that applying scripture and the bible to science was dangerous because the bible is a metaphor with meaning underneath the surface, and though on the surface it may seem initially contrary to the sciences, it may actually support it instead. He feels as though science and religion need not be intrinsically against one another, but rather, work in conjunction to better one another. Galilleo understands the bible to be written so that it can accomadate all that may wish to read it and understand what lies within, so its language is initially simplistic with meaning lying deeper than the text, underlying meanings that change the message enriely from what is

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explicitly stated in the texts themselves. He feels that the bible is an important source of information, but he feels that the natural world and the sciences are equally as important as well. Galileo also explains that science and religion can and should exist together with one another because they offer the individual important tools in perceiving the world and all aspects of it purely. He feels that gGod and religious truths are revealed to those who look for them through the sciences and for those who pursue the truth. Voltaire does not seem to single out Christianity out of spite, but ratheras an example for all faiths during the time period who were guilty of intolerance or adherence to ideas stuck in the past. He recognizes this to be a part of most religious organizations, not just Christianity. Referencing the various dialects of the Italian language reveals that though people may speak different sounding tongues, they are still of the same people. He then uses this as evidence to the fact that though different people have different images of God and ides of faith, they are not intrinsically right or wrong, but rather, simply different, and can and should coexist peaceful and prosperously. Voltaire holds true to the belief that a very religious person, one who is truly faithful, is one who is tolerant towards other peoples of different beliefs, and one who cares about others just as much as they care about themselves. He feels tha faith and religion shouldn carry a terrible amount of weight in the dialyl ives of men, who they are, how they act, and what they do. Voltaire feels a bit disgusted and disappointed towards humanity and European society as a whole. He seems here to be criticizing those belifs that they hold so dear without critiquing them, and belieces that since people are, in the grand scale of things, and insignificant speck, ad that all disagreements over religious doctrine are silly and to an extent totally futile. Voltaire seems to see God not as a parent or helicopter mom, but a sort of supervisor for the earth and its people. It is he who created mankind, but he doesnt interfere or interact iwht them a terrible amount. He just kind of takes a steps back, chills out, and watches as we kill each other in his name, suffer, thrive, and succeed without his input, but in his name.