Michael Steudle

Advanced Placement World History

Sokol
4 February 2010

Opposing Catholicism: Martin Luther’s Fight for Religion

Imagine being at a church and their beliefs were completely different, and the Priests also

thought that a person should have to pay for a relationship with God. Starting in 1512, a German

monk, Martin Luther, wanted to change the established religion. Martin Luther opposed the

Catholic Church when he posted his “95 theses” on the door of the church in Würzburg,

Germany. Martin Luther then created a new religion, which was based on the idea that anyone

could have a personal relationship with God without paying for it. The idea, established by

Martin Luther, that one could have a personal relationship with God, was innovative given that it

enabled many reformers to leave the Catholic Religion. Reformers created a new religion based

on Martin Luther’s ideas. Their new religion has lasted since the start and will continue to have

future influences.

During the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther and many other reformers protested the

sale of indulgences. The sale of indulgences in the Catholic Church including the selling of one’s

place in heaven, the ability to listen to a sermon in Church or the ability to read the Bible. During

the 16th Century, the Catholic hierarchy was determined to keep religion in their own hands. By

translating the bible into Latin, the Catholic Church was able to deceive their followers into

believing what they alleged for the reason that no common person could understand Latin. This

all changed when Martin Luther, during the Protestant Reformation, translated the Bible from

Latin to German, which was more commonly spoken. The Edict of Worms, the law banning all
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works of Martin Luther as well as declaring him as an enemy of state, stated by Charles V and

the pope in 1521, proclaims “…which a certain Martin Luther of the Augustinian Order, has

sought violently to introduce and dicentrate within the Christian religion…” (1521). Martin

Luther had been looked down upon by the Roman Catholic Church because he believed in a

widely down spoken idea; individualism. Individualism to Martin Luther was an idea that one

had a spot with God in heaven as long as the accepted him as their Savior, which allowed the

common person to do what they felt was the right thing whether it was with the Catholic Church

or not; no longer did a person rely on what the Catholic Church told them was truth. However,

Martin Luther was able to defend himself. Martin Luther knew that the Catholic Hierarchy was

controlling all their followers, and he sought to change that by allowing common people to seek

God. This was seen as offensive to the Catholic Hierarchy and Catholic Leaders even wanted to

kill Martin Luther. In order to become a leader, and lead a revolt, Martin Luther had to be

depicted as a strong man holding all the values of a leader. In 16th Century portraits of Martin

Luther, he reflects a man who could lead a protest against a very large powerful religion and stay

firm. No one else had been able to accomplish this feat. (Luther 1520). This picture points out

that Martin Luther was able to do what others could not do, lead a protest against a very large

religion and stay firm. Without being a stern man, Luther who was fed up with the sale of

indulgences by the Catholic Church protested against what he believed was wrong with the

Catholic Church. Martin Luther, at the Diet of Worms, an assembly of the Holy Roman Empire,

the place Martin Luther defended his words, would not defend himself for the reason that he was

not God and the only reason he gave to back up his writings were the words of the bible because

those words were his beliefs (Luther 1520). Martin Luther had offended the Church with his 95

theses and would not defend himself. By not backing up his words, Martin Luther opposed the
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Catholic Church effectively, proving that he did not need the church, and did not believe in their

teachings. Therefore, Martin Luther used his work to show that religion mattered to him and that

he could effectively go against the established and widely accepted beliefs.

During the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther and his followers were able to

successfully create a new religion based on his beliefs. The Peace of Augsburg, a document

declaring the creation of the Lutheran or Protestant religion, proclaimed by the Holy Roman

Empire, it states “let neither his Imperial Majesty nor the electors, princes, etc. do any violence

or harm to any estate of the empire on account of the Augsburg Confession” (1555). Martin

Luther’s reforms were progressing given that he was able to ensure safety, that there would be no

violence against the Protestants. Martin Luther began to achieve victory by creating his new

religion based on having a personal relationship with God. Martin Luther in his 95 theses, or the

statements against the Catholic Religion, protested the practice of selling a relationship with God

through the indulgences and offerings required by the Catholic Church to become closer to God

and earn a spot in Heaven (Luther 1521). This document illustrates that in protesting the sale of

God to the people, Luther was able to base his new religion on something more in accordance

with his beliefs. In a response letter written by Martin Luther to Philipp Melanchthon, a German

reformer, who worked alongside Martin Luther, he replies that “God does not save those who are

only imaginary sinners. Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong, but let your trust in Christ be

stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world. We will commit

sins while we are here, for this life is not a place where justice resides. We, however, says Peter

(2. Peter 3:13) are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth where justice will reign."

(Luther 1521). This letter claims that no human is perfect and therefore, while we are on Earth,

we cannot be the most perfect person. We will all have faults. Martin Luther believed that a
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person could have a relationship with God no matter the situation. Not only should that

relationship with Christ be personal but also, the believer should be able to worship God strong

and with a lot of passion, not as if he were imaginary. That belief formed the foundation of

Luther’s beliefs. In general, after Martin Luther established his religion, he was able to

perpetuate it and gain followers by informing his congregation that each person could have a

relationship with God, no matter their circumstances and no matter what another previous

religion taught.

The major ideas that Martin Luther fought for during the Protestant Reformation have

lived and will continue to have future influences, not only in religion but also in government.

The Constitution of the United States of America, declares” Congress shall make now law

respecting an establishment of religion or the free practice thereof…” (1776). After the

Protestant Reformation, many nations took action to allow free religious practice and to allow

future “Martin Luther’s” to establish new religions. For example, due to the Protestant

Reformation, the United States allowed free religious practice, protected by law. The Missouri

Synod Lutheran Church believes in the bible based teachings during the Protestant Reformation

in the 16th Century (MSLC 2009). As time went on, Lutherans changed some aspects of their

religions denomination yet remained faithful to the fundamental beliefs of Martin Luther. As

time passed after the Protestant Reformation, the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church changed their

beliefs more in accordance with modern, changing times. The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran

Synod Church still turns to Martin Luther’s teachings as well because they believe that they are

the biblical truths (WELS 2009). The WELS Church broke off from traditional Lutheranism

when The Lutheran Church allowed all Christians to commune. With Communion in the

Lutheran church, come confessions, confessions are a key foundation to Lutheranism, which
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have remained much the same as they did when Luther first established the confessions.

According to James Pautz II, “The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and the Evangelical

Lutheran Church in America need to reevaluate their doctrine and their practices to more closely

follow the Lutheran Confessions and, in turn, the Bible” (Pautz 1). The Missouri Synod Lutheran

Church has obviously changed what they believe through changing their doctrine. According to

Pautz, the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church have strayed to far from traditional Lutheranism and

should change their foundation. The traditional beliefs of Martin Luther were one of the reasons

for religious freedoms granted in other nations such as the United States and have continued to

have future influences.

During the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther opposed the Catholic religion

proving that he believed different from the Catholic teachings of the 16th century. Martin

Luther’s nailing of the “95 Theses” to the church door was the beginnings of the first successful

protest against the established and powerful, Catholic Church. After the protest, Martin Luther

established Lutheranism, a religion which emphasized his core teachings and beliefs. The

Lutheran religion has lasted but reformed in many ways to reflect a changing world. It will

continue to have massive future implications. Without the Protestant Reformation, it would have

been almost impossible for any person to choose a religion that reflects personal beliefs and

ideals. It is hard to imagine life without the Protestant Reformation.

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