As we move beyond the five-hundred-year anniversary of the Protestant reformulation on October 31, 2017, it is good for us to look back and examine how that all worked out for them. For, how are we to judge the fruit of a tree over the last 500 years unless we first examine the roots of that tree? Therefore, let us start from the beginning and blink our eyes at the 38 Most Ridiculous things that Martin Luther, the illustrious Father of Protestantism and the Bible-Only (sola-scriptura) movement, said. It is still hard to believe how we allowed and still allow this very plain instrument of Satan to divide God’s people . . .
Martin Luther on the Dignity and Majesty of God
- “I look upon God no better than a scoundrel” (ref. Weimar, Vol. 1, Pg. 487. Cf. Table Talk, No. 963).
- “Christ committed adultery first of all with the women at the well about whom St. John tell’s us. Was not everybody about Him saying: ‘Whatever has He been doing with her?’ Secondly, with Mary Magdalen, and thirdly with the women taken in adultery whom He dismissed so lightly. Thus even, Christ who was so righteous, must have been guilty of fornication before He died.” (ref. Trishreden, Weimer Edition, Vol. 2, Pg. 107. – What a great blasphemy from a man who is regarded as “great reformer”!).
- “I have greater confidence in my wife and my pupils than I have in Christ” (ref. Table Talk, 2397b).
- “It does not matter how Christ behaved – what He taught is all that matters” (ref. Erlangen Vol. 29, Pg. 126).
Martin Luther on the 10 Commandments
- “[The commandments] only purpose is to show man his impotence to do good and to teach him to despair of himself” (ref: Denifle’s Luther et Lutheranisme, Etude Faite d’apres les sources. Translation by J. Paquier (Paris, A. Picard, 1912-13), Volume III, p. 364).
- “We must remove the Decalogue out of sight and heart” (ref. De Wette 4, 188)
- “If we allow them – the Commandments – any influence in our conscience, they become the cloak of all evil, heresies and blasphemies” (ref. Comm. ad Galat, p.310).
- “It is more important to guard against good works than against sin.” (ref. Trischreden, Wittenberg Edition, Vol. VI., p. 160).
Martin Luther on the Material Necessity of Good Works
- “Good works are bad and are sin like the rest.” (ref. Denifle’s Luther et Lutheranisme, Etude Faite d’apres les sources. Translation by J. Paquier (Paris, A. Picard, 1912-13), VOl. III, pg. 47).
- “There is no scandal greater, more dangerous, more venomous, than a good outward life, manifested by good works and a pious mode of life. That is the grand portal, the highway that leads to damnation.” (ref. Denifle’s Luther et Lutheranisme, Etude Faite d’apres les sources. Translation by J. Paquier (Paris, A. Picard, 1912-13), VOl. II, pg. 128).
Martin Luther on the Importance of Free-Will
- “…with regard to God, and in all that bears on salvation or damnation, (man) has no ‘free-will’, but is a captive, prisoner and bond slave, either to the will of God, or to the will of Satan.” (ref. From the essay, ‘Bondage of the Will,’ ‘Martin Luther: Selections From His Writings, ed. by Dillenberger, Anchor Books, 1962 p. 190).
- “Man is like a horse. Does God leap into the saddle? The horse is obedient and accommodates itself to every movement of the rider and goes whither he wills it. Does God throw down the reins? Then Satan leaps upon the back of the animal, which bends, goes and submits to the spurs and caprices of its new rider… Therefore, necessity, not free will, is the controlling principle of our conduct. God is the author of what is evil as well as of what is good, and, as He bestows happiness on those who merit it not, so also does He damn others who deserve not their fate.” (ref. ‘De Servo Arbitrio’, 7, 113 seq., quoted by O’Hare, in ‘The Facts About Luther, TAN Books, 1987, pp. 266-267).
- “His (Judas) will was the work of God; God by His almighty power moved his will as He does all that is in this world.” (ref. De servo Arbitrio, against man’s free will).
- “No good work happens as the result of one’s own wisdom; but everything must happen in a stupor . . . Reason must be left behind for it is the enemy of faith.” (ref. Trischreden, Weimer VI, 143, 25-35).
Martin Luther on Christian Living
- “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… No sin can separate us from Him, even if we were to kill or commit adultery thousands of times each day.” (ref. ‘Let Your Sins Be Strong, from ‘The Wittenberg Project;’ ‘The Wartburg Segment’, translated by Erika Flores, from Dr. Martin Luther’s Saemmtliche Schriften, Letter No. 99, 1 Aug. 1521. – Cf. Also Denifle’s Luther et Lutheranisme, Etude Faite d’apres les sources. Translation by J. Paquier (Paris, A. Picard, 1912-13), VOl. II, pg. 404))
- “Do not ask anything of your conscience; and if it speaks, do not listen to it; if it insists, stifle it, amuse yourself; if necessary, commit some good big sin, in order to drive it away. Conscience is the voice of Satan, and it is necessary always to do just the contrary of what Satan wishes.” (ref. J. Dollinger, La Reforme et les resultants qu’elle a produits. (Trans. E. Perrot, Paris, Gaume, 1848-49), Vol III, pg. 248).
Martin Luther on Capital Punishment and Charity
- “If some were to teach doctrines contradicting an article of faith clearly grounded in Scripture and believed throughout the world by all Christendom, such as the articles we teach children in the Creed — for example, if anyone were to teach that Christ is not God, but a mere man and like other prophets, as the Turks and the Anabaptists hold — such teachers shuold not be tolerated, but punished as blasphemers . . . By this procedure no one is compelled to believe, for he can still believe what he will; but he is forbidden to teach and to blaspheme.” (ref. Luther’s Works [LW], Vol. 13, 61-62)
- “That seditious articles of doctrine should be punished by the sword needed no further proof. For the rest, the Anabaptists hold tenets relating to infant baptism, original sin, and inspiration, which have no connection with the Word of God, and are indeed opposed to it . . . Secular authorities are also bound to restrain and punish avowedly false doctrine . . . For think what disaster would ensue if children were not baptized? . . . Besides this the Anabaptists separate themselves from the churches . . . and they set up a ministry and congregation of their own, which is also contrary to the command of God. From all this it becomes clear that the secular authorities are bound . . . to inflict corporal punishment on the offenders . . . Also when it is a case of only upholding some spiritual tenet, such as infant baptism, original sin, and unnecessary separation, then . . . we conclude that . . . the stubborn sectaries must be put to death.” (ref. pamphlet of 1536; in Johannes Janssen, History of the German People From the Close of the Middle Ages, 16 volumes, translated by A.M. Christie, St. Louis: B. Herder, 1910 [orig. 1891]; Vol. X, 222-223)
Martin Luther on Social Justice
- “Peasants are no better than straw. They will not hear the word and they are without sense; therefore they must be compelled to hear the crack of the whip and the whiz of bullets and it is only what they deserve.” (ref. Erlangen Vol 24, Pg. 294).
- “To kill a peasant is not murder; it is helping to extinguish the conflagration. Let there be no half measures! Crush them! Cut their throats! Transfix them. Leave no stone unturned! To kill a peasant is to destroy a mad dog!” – “If they say that I am very hard and merciless, mercy be damned. Let whoever can stab, strangle, and kill them like mad dogs” (ref. Erlangen Vol 24, Pg. 294).
- “Like the drivers of donkeys, who have to belabor the donkeys incessantly with rods and whips, or they will not obey, so must the ruler do with the people; they must drive, beat throttle, hang, burn, behead and torture, so as to make themselves feared and to keep the people in check.” (ref. Erlangen Vol 15, Pg. 276).
Adolf HitlerMartin Luther on the Love of Jews - “My advice, as I said earlier, is: First, that their synagogues be burned down, and that all who are able toss sulphur and pitch; it would be good if someone could also throw in some hellfire… Second, that all their books– their prayer books, their Talmudic writings, also the entire Bible– be taken from them, not leaving them one leaf, and that these be preserved for those who may be converted…Third, that they be forbidden on pain of death to praise God, to give thanks, to pray, and to teach publicly among us and in our country…Fourth, that they be forbidden to utter the name of God within our hearing. For we cannot with a good conscience listen to this or tolerate it… He who hears this name [God] from a Jew must inform the authorities, or else throw sow dung at him when he sees him and chase him away”. (ref. Martin Luther; On the Jews and Their Lies, translated by Martin H. Bertram, Fortress Press, 1955).
- “Burn their synagogues. Forbid them all that I have mentioned above. Force them to work and treat them with every kind of severity, as Moses did in the desert and slew three thousand… If that is no use, we must drive them away like mad dogs, in order that we may not be partakers of their abominable blasphemy and of all their vices, and in order that we may not deserve the anger of God and be damned with them. I have done my duty. Let everyone see how he does his. I am excused.” (ref. About the Jews and Their Lies,’ quoted by O’Hare, in ‘The Facts About Luther, TAN Books, 1987, p. 290).
- “If I had to baptize a Jew, I would take him to the bridge of the Elbe, hang a stone round his neck and push him over with the words I baptize thee in the name of Abraham” (ref. Grisar, “Luther”, Vol. V. pg. 413).
- “The Jews deserve to be hanged on gallows seven times higher than ordinary thieves.” (ref. Weimar, Vol. 53, Pg. 502).
Martin Luther on the Sanctity and Dignity of Marriage
- “If the husband is unwilling, there is another who is; if the wife is unwilling, then let the maid come.” (ref. Of Married Life).
- “Suppose I should counsel the wife of an impotent man, with his consent, to giver herself to another, say her husband’s brother, but to keep this marriage secret and to ascribe the children to the so-called putative father. The question is: Is such a women in a saved state? I answer, certainly.” (ref. On Marriage).
- “It is not in opposition to the Holy Scriptures for a man to have several wives.” (ref. De Wette, Vol. 2, p. 459).
- “The word and work of God is quite clear, viz., that women are made to be either wives or prostitutes.” (ref. On Married Life).
- “In spite of all the good I say of married life, I will not grant so much to nature as to admit that there is no sin in it. .. no conjugal due is ever rendered without sin. The matrimonial duty is never performed without sin.” (ref. Weimar, Vol 8. Pg. 654. In other words for Luther the matrimonial act is “a sin differing in nothing from adultery and fornication.” ibid. What then is the purpose of marriage for Luther you may ask? Luther affirms that it’s simply to satisfy one’s sexual cravings “The body asks for a women and must have it” or again “To marry is a remedy for fornication” – Grisar, “Luther”, vol. iv, pg. 145).
Martin Luther on the Quality of Edifying Speech
- “What harm could it do if a man told a good lusty lie in a worthy cause and for the sake of the Christian Churches?” (ref. Lenz: Briefwechsel, Vol. 1. Pg. 373).
- “To lie in a case of necessity or for convenience or in excuse – such lying would not be against God; He was ready to take such lies on Himself” (ref. Lenz: Briefwechsel, Vol. 1. Pg. 375).
Martin Luther on Humility
- “St. Augustine or St. Ambrosius cannot be compared with me.” (ref. Erlangen, Vol. 61, pg. 422).
- “What I teach and write remains true even though the whole world should fall to pieces over it” (ref. Weimar, Vol. 18, Pg. 401).
Martin Luther on the value of Sacred Scripture
- “To my mind it (the book of the Apocalypse) bears upon it no marks of an apostolic or prophetic character… Everyone may form his own judgment of this book; as for myself, I feel an aversion to it, and to me this is sufficient reason for rejecting it.” (ref. ammtliche Werke, 63, pp. 169-170, ‘The Facts About Luther,’ O’Hare, TAN Books, 1987, p. 203).
- “If your Papist annoys you with the word (‘alone’ – Rom. 3:28), tell him straightway, Dr. Martin Luther will have it so: Papist and ass are one and the same thing. Whoever will not have my translation, let him give it the go-by: the devil’s thanks to him who censures it without my will and knowledge. Luther will have it so, and he is a doctor above all the doctors in Popedom.” (ref. Amic. Discussion, 1, 127,’The Facts About Luther,’ O’Hare, TAN Books, 1987, p. 201. Cf. Also J. Dollinger, La Reforme et les resultants qu’elle a produits. (Trans. E. Perrot, Paris, Gaume, 1848-49), Vol III, pg. 138).
- “The history of Jonah is so monstrous that it is absolutely incredible.” (ref. The Facts About Luther, O’Hare, TAN Books, 1987, p. 202).
- “…the epistle of St. James is an epistle full of straw, because it contains nothing evangelical.” (ref. ‘Preface to the New Testament,’ ed. Dillenberger, p. 19. – Cf. Also Jean Janssen, L’Allemagne et la Reforme. (Trans. E. Paris, Plon, 1887-1911). Vol II, Pg. 218).
– For more great quotes from the Father of Protestantism, visit Luther, Exposing the Myth. Also, check out my book Dead on Arrival: The Seven Fatal Errors of Sola-Scriptura.
9/16/13 – Addendum:
Even though you can find all of these quotes online, this compilation, ever since its publication, has received a lot of attention from our brothers and sisters in the protesting community. I have read all the comments on the blogs and message boards linked to this article, and here are some of their conclusions. (1) The book Table Talk is not a reliable reference for Martin Luther’s work (ONLY TWO quotes above come from Table Talk). (2) There is a problem with translating some of the quotes because some are from German or Latin to French to English rather than from German or Latin to English. (4) Luther’s violent comments against the peasants are to be contextualized in light of the Peasant Revolt in which he sided with the German Princes. (5) Luther’s violent comments against the Jews are to be contextualized in light of his disappointment that they didn’t receive his reformulation of the Gospel. (6) Luther’s comments against Scripture are true. (7) Luther’s comments against monogamous marriage are true (probably). (8) Luther’s violent comments against the Anabaptists are true, (9) Luther’s comments against the Catholic understanding of Freewill are true, and (10) The only writings of Luther that conservative Lutheran pastors are required to subscribe to (because they strictly reflect biblical doctrine) are the Small Catechism, the Large Catechism, and the Smalkald Articles.
Regarding one of the sources of this compilation (Luther, Exposing the Myth), Reformed protester and Martin Luther Apologist James Swan of William Paterson University has written a detailed critique. In crafting this compilation, I considered Swan’s response and ended up not including many of the quotes he had a good case against. In some cases, Swan was spot on, but in other cases, he would have been much better off not trying to contextualize or excuse Luther. In those cases, Swan’s intellectual honesty is betrayed by his passion for Luther.
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317 Comments
Kan Nee
Martin Luther the father of Protestantism!
Beth Solis
Shocking! Do protestants know about this blasphemous and heretic things he said or wrote?
Beth Solis
Shocking! Do protestants know about this blasphemous and heretic things he said or wrote?
Kan Nee
Martin Luther the father of Protestantism!
Russel Bangot
Protestantism is founded by one man's MENTAL ILLNESS above. He is their hero 🙂
Russel Bangot
Protestantism is founded by one man’s MENTAL ILLNESS above. He is their hero 🙂
Tony Say Yarealsoon
My guess is that 99% of Protestants do Not have a Clue at what Luther wrote or did. I would also guess that 90% don't even know what the word "Protestant" means or what they are protesting.
Tony Say Yarealsoon
My guess is that 99% of Protestants do Not have a Clue at what Luther wrote or did. I would also guess that 90% don’t even know what the word “Protestant” means or what they are protesting.
Aj Gavino Schp
It was never Bible Alone, Faith Alone, Grace Alone. It was LUTHER ALONE.
Aj Gavino Schp
It was never Bible Alone, Faith Alone, Grace Alone. It was LUTHER ALONE.
Terrye Benghazi Newkirk
I'd love to repost this, but it could stand a careful proofreading to make it really compelling. The "news" about Luther really does need to get out.
Terrye Benghazi Newkirk
I’d love to repost this, but it could stand a careful proofreading to make it really compelling. The “news” about Luther really does need to get out.
Stephen Dalton
I'm a former Lutheran, and when I found out about the real Luther, I realized the Lutheran Church lied to me about the founder.
Stephen Dalton
I’m a former Lutheran, and when I found out about the real Luther, I realized the Lutheran Church lied to me about the founder.
Adrian Vincent Yañez
Now do an articla on all the other nutty things protestants have said since then.
Adrian Vincent Yanez
Now do an articla on all the other nutty things protestants have said since then.
Farai
Like allow people to have bibles?
The SEED
now this article has made it clear to me that protestantism is the root of all that is happening in society today: legalization of prostitution and abortion. he promoted lies and the breaking of the ten commandments. he is that one step towards atheism. and i pray that our protestant brothers see this before it's too late. thank you, david! praise God! may He bless you with more wisdom to share.
The SEED
now this article has made it clear to me that protestantism is the root of all that is happening in society today: legalization of prostitution and abortion. he promoted lies and the breaking of the ten commandments. he is that one step towards atheism. and i pray that our protestant brothers see this before it’s too late. thank you, david! praise God! may He bless you with more wisdom to share.
Et Verbum
Great, more like Martin Lucifer!
Alycia Hartley
Thanks for putting this together.
Alycia Hartley
Thanks for putting this together.
Jack Whritenour
Of course, all of these are taken out of context. I could have done the same thing with many a Catholic saint. I am not going to engage in polemics with Roman Catholics because I consider them by brothers and sisters in Christ. Lutheran was a faithful son of the Church who spoke out against some very
bad abuses. In truth, Roman Catholics should be thankful for his witness and his faithfulness. He was not the crackpot heretic you are trying to make him out to be.
Jack Whritenour
Of course, all of these are taken out of context. I could have done the same thing with many a Catholic saint. I am not going to engage in polemics with Roman Catholics because I consider them by brothers and sisters in Christ. Lutheran was a faithful son of the Church who spoke out against some very
bad abuses. In truth, Roman Catholics should be thankful for his witness and his faithfulness. He was not the crackpot heretic you are trying to make him out to be.
Lisa Turner
What an eye opener! Thanks for writing this.
You may wish to google these other two well written articles:
1. The Lutheran Landslide – Increasing Number of Lutherans are Coming into the Catholic Church by Tim Drake
2. Reformation Day – and What Led Me To Back to Catholicism By Francis J. Beckwith
Lisa Turner
What an eye opener! Thanks for writing this.
You may wish to google these other two well written articles:
1. The Lutheran Landslide – Increasing Number of Lutherans are Coming into the Catholic Church by Tim Drake
2. Reformation Day – and What Led Me To Back to Catholicism By Francis J. Beckwith
Marco Ramirez
Dear brother, don’t point out the speck in your brother’s eye so you can ignore the plank in your church (Mt 7:3-5).
I already knew some of these statements were true, but who has ever said Martin Luther was perfect? That’s why several progressive stages of reformism were necessary to be able to clean all heresies promoted by the church. Have you consider that your church states your leader makes no mistakes? (yes, even when they imposed torture, wars, extermination of peoples, banned the Bible, and many other worse things than the ones mentioned in this article).
If Luther had some wrong believes, it was because previously he was highly influenced by the catholic theology (in which he was an expert). The church has been obliged to hide its position in many matters because most catholics would not support it if they find out.
Marco Ramirez
Dear brother, don’t point out the speck in your brother’s eye so you can ignore the plank in your church (Mt 7:3-5).
I already knew some of these statements were true, but who has ever said Martin Luther was perfect? That’s why several progressive stages of reformism were necessary to be able to clean all heresies promoted by the church. Have you consider that your church states your leader makes no mistakes? (yes, even when they imposed torture, wars, extermination of peoples, banned the Bible, and many other worse things than the ones mentioned in this article).
If Luther had some wrong believes, it was because previously he was highly influenced by the catholic theology (in which he was an expert). The church has been obliged to hide its position in many matters because most catholics would not support it if they find out.
Jim Doyle
If anyone wants a small glimpse into the tormented and vulgar heart of "Dr. Martin Luther" should read his magnificent condemnation of the Jews and call for open persecution in his "The Jews and Their Lies" . It was the foundation Nazi anti-Jewish propaganda and Hitlers maniacal and genocidal attack on the Jews. This the man who wanted to eviscerate the bible not only of the deuterocanonical texts of the Old Testament (a full tithe) but also the 4 New Testament Antilegomena books ( James,JUde, Revelation, Hebrews) but his wealthy German Royal sponsors said "NO" as it was too radical a notion even for them. Think about all the Protestant judges who forced Catholics to put their hand on the bible that was eviscerated of a tithe of the truth for Satan then made them swear to "tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth" on that abomination that was purged of the texts that got in the way of Luther's new Christian-Lite invention. The man was living proof that inanity and scrupulosity and hysteria are highly contagious mental disorders that can inflict 100s of millions of otherwise well meaning people. We call these liberals today – the most happy in their status of invincible ignorance.
Luther and the establishment of the church that bears his name (and which not even Luther would today recognize as a practitioner of his brand of neo-Christianity) was Satan's most spectacular successes…
See here On the Jews and Their Lies – shocking excerpts: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Jews_and_Their_Lies
Jim Doyle
If anyone wants a small glimpse into the tormented and vulgar heart of “Dr. Martin Luther” should read his magnificent condemnation of the Jews and call for open persecution in his “The Jews and Their Lies” . It was the foundation Nazi anti-Jewish propaganda and Hitlers maniacal and genocidal attack on the Jews. This the man who wanted to eviscerate the bible not only of the deuterocanonical texts of the Old Testament (a full tithe) but also the 4 New Testament Antilegomena books ( James,JUde, Revelation, Hebrews) but his wealthy German Royal sponsors said “NO” as it was too radical a notion even for them. Think about all the Protestant judges who forced Catholics to put their hand on the bible that was eviscerated of a tithe of the truth for Satan then made them swear to “tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth” on that abomination that was purged of the texts that got in the way of Luther’s new Christian-Lite invention. The man was living proof that inanity and scrupulosity and hysteria are highly contagious mental disorders that can inflict 100s of millions of otherwise well meaning people. We call these liberals today – the most happy in their status of invincible ignorance.
Luther and the establishment of the church that bears his name (and which not even Luther would today recognize as a practitioner of his brand of neo-Christianity) was Satan’s most spectacular successes…
See here On the Jews and Their Lies – shocking excerpts: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Jews_and_Their_Lies
Laurence Charles Ringo
Frankly, I would suggest that the rancor and misplaced enmity Luther exhibited towards the Jews more than likely had its origins in Roman Catholicism; after all, didn’t the Jews suffer horribly at the hands of”Holy Mother Church” for untold centuries? Speck, meet Beam.
James Swan
David, I have done the research on these quotes. From a cursory look over what you posted, all but two of the quotes come from the web page, "Luther Exposing the Myth." "Luther, Exposing the Myth" is one of the worst Luther web-pages I’ve ever come across: context, history, and truth don’t seem to be any sort of factor in its analysis of Luther. The hosting website is Catholic Apologetics Information, an Australian Roman Catholic website. Luther, Exposing the Myth appears to have been partially plagiarized from: Verbum the newsletter of St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary in Ridgefield, CT, Spring 1985.
I've worked through the majority of the quotes, showing their context and historical setting:
http://beggarsallreformation.blogspot.com/p/luther-exposing-myth.html
Catholic Apologetics Information knows of my review, and has never responded. You're welcome also to respond to my analysis.
James Swan
David, I have done the research on these quotes. From a cursory look over what you posted, all but two of the quotes come from the web page, “Luther Exposing the Myth.” “Luther, Exposing the Myth” is one of the worst Luther web-pages I’ve ever come across: context, history, and truth don’t seem to be any sort of factor in its analysis of Luther. The hosting website is Catholic Apologetics Information, an Australian Roman Catholic website. Luther, Exposing the Myth appears to have been partially plagiarized from: Verbum the newsletter of St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary in Ridgefield, CT, Spring 1985.
I’ve worked through the majority of the quotes, showing their context and historical setting:
http://beggarsallreformation.blogspot.com/p/luther-exposing-myth.html
Catholic Apologetics Information knows of my review, and has never responded. You’re welcome also to respond to my analysis.
Eric Ash
Thank you so much for pointing out the speck in Luther's eye. Now about that giant log in your own… Where should we begin? For brevity's sake, let's stick to just the past 100 years (ignoring, as the Church does, the Inquisition, the Crusades, etc.). You have collaboration with the Nazis and Fascists, Liberation Theologians aiding Marxist terrorists, the scandals at the Vatican bank and the associated murders and suicides, the pedophile priests and the resultant cover up… we could go on.
Stephen M. Borthwick
I’m no lover of Luther or of his many wicked heresies, but the blatant disregard for original context or accurate translation in this article is shameful and irresponsible. You have done no good service to right belief.
So much of this comes from the Table Talk – and it is taken terribly out of context. Luther was a theologian, and delighted in speculation and Devil’s Advocacy (something Aquinas also had a taste for) – but restricted it to his close circle of friends.
At least one of the quotes, by the way, is an *awful* translation. “Be a sinner and let your sins be strong” does horrific violence to Luther’s original Latin and his meaning. The context is Philipp Melanchthon writing concerned for the possibility of salvation – how can one but live in fear of sin? Luther responds with comfort, saying “Therefore, sin boldly, but believe more boldly yet and rejoice in Christ, who conquers all sin, death, and carnality” – a far more accurate translation that preserves the original sentiment to go forward without fear: we are all sinners, and if we fall into sin, we need only place our trust in Christ to save us from it. Far from being an admonition to go and sin, this is not far from contemporary Roman teaching on the matter. (It may be flawed, but it is hardly so malicious as this article makes it appear).
Finally, the section “Martin Luther on the Peasants” is garbage. There is nothing redeemable about this – it is completely ignorant of context and changes the translation of “rebel” to “peasant” in order to serve a dishonest polemic. Put aside the translation issue, and you ignore that the work those quotes come from “Wider die Mordischen und Reubischen Rotten der Bawren” (originally “Wider die sturmenden Bawren” (“Against the tempestuous Peasants”), the tract was written against those peasants participating in the Peasants War, which saw such chaos and indiscriminate murder as would make some of the Mongolian Khans blush. In the midst of this blood, fire, and death, Luther calls on the nobility to act drastically to put an end to it all – which is why responsible scholars translate even the word “bawren” as “rebel” throughout this tract (not that Luther always uses the word “bawren”; he sometimes uses “knaben” or “reuber”).
Eric Ash
Thank you so much for pointing out the speck in Luther’s eye. Now about that giant log in your own… Where should we begin? For brevity’s sake, let’s stick to just the past 100 years (ignoring, as the Church does, the Inquisition, the Crusades, etc.). You have collaboration with the Nazis and Fascists, Liberation Theologians aiding Marxist terrorists, the scandals at the Vatican bank and the associated murders and suicides, the pedophile priests and the resultant cover up… we could go on.
James Swan
Let's look at the first quote:
“I look upon God no better than a scoundrel” (ref. Weimar, Vol. 1, Pg. 487. Cf. Table Talk, No. 963).
"Luther, Exposing the Myth" probably lifted this quote from Peter Wiener, "Hitler's Spiritual Ancestor." Wiener lifted the quote from Frantz Funck-Brentano's biography of Luther. Neither Wiener nor Funck-Bretano documented Luther correctly.
A translation and editorial comment of this Table Talk comment was provided by Ewald Plass in What Luther Says, Volume 1, page 456. Look for the phrase, "God is a rogue" …that's what got translated as "I look upon God no better than a scoundrel."
The Doctrine of election by the sovereign God was not central in the theology of Luther as it was in the body of Calvin's teaching. In fact, the Reformer cautioned against concerning ourselves too much with it lest we lose ourselves in its incomprehensible aspects. So, according to the report of Cordatus, he once remarked at table (September 10-28, 1532).
1348 Do Not Brood About the Mysteries Connected with Election
A dispute about predestination should be avoided entirely. Staupitz said: if you want to dispute about predestination, begin with the wounds of Christ, and it will cease. But if you continue to debate about it, you will lose Christ, the Word, the sacraments, and everything. I forget everything about Christ and God when I come upon these thoughts and actually get to the point to imagining that God is a rogue. We must stay in the word, in which God is revealed to us and salvation is offered, if we believe him. But in thinking about predestination, we forget God. Then the laudate (praise) stops, and the blasphemate (blaspheme) begins. However, in Christ are hid all the treasures (Col. 2:3); outside Him all are locked up. Therefore, we should simply refuse to argue about election. (W-T 2, No. 2654a – SL 22, 832, No. 75).
Interestingly, the quote can be read as if not being Luther's words at all, for he attributes the statement to Staupitz. Nevertheless, one would think even a Roman Catholic wouldn't find fault with these words, once placed in their context. Luther, Exposing the Myth said the statement is in opposition to Matthew 22:37. such is hardly the case.
For a complete review of this particular quote, see:
http://beggarsallreformation.blogspot.com/2010/10/luther-i-look-upon-god-no-better-than.html
James Swan
Let’s look at the first quote:
“I look upon God no better than a scoundrel” (ref. Weimar, Vol. 1, Pg. 487. Cf. Table Talk, No. 963).
“Luther, Exposing the Myth” probably lifted this quote from Peter Wiener, “Hitler’s Spiritual Ancestor.” Wiener lifted the quote from Frantz Funck-Brentano’s biography of Luther. Neither Wiener nor Funck-Bretano documented Luther correctly.
A translation and editorial comment of this Table Talk comment was provided by Ewald Plass in What Luther Says, Volume 1, page 456. Look for the phrase, “God is a rogue” …that’s what got translated as “I look upon God no better than a scoundrel.”
The Doctrine of election by the sovereign God was not central in the theology of Luther as it was in the body of Calvin’s teaching. In fact, the Reformer cautioned against concerning ourselves too much with it lest we lose ourselves in its incomprehensible aspects. So, according to the report of Cordatus, he once remarked at table (September 10-28, 1532).
1348 Do Not Brood About the Mysteries Connected with Election
A dispute about predestination should be avoided entirely. Staupitz said: if you want to dispute about predestination, begin with the wounds of Christ, and it will cease. But if you continue to debate about it, you will lose Christ, the Word, the sacraments, and everything. I forget everything about Christ and God when I come upon these thoughts and actually get to the point to imagining that God is a rogue. We must stay in the word, in which God is revealed to us and salvation is offered, if we believe him. But in thinking about predestination, we forget God. Then the laudate (praise) stops, and the blasphemate (blaspheme) begins. However, in Christ are hid all the treasures (Col. 2:3); outside Him all are locked up. Therefore, we should simply refuse to argue about election. (W-T 2, No. 2654a – SL 22, 832, No. 75).
Interestingly, the quote can be read as if not being Luther’s words at all, for he attributes the statement to Staupitz. Nevertheless, one would think even a Roman Catholic wouldn’t find fault with these words, once placed in their context. Luther, Exposing the Myth said the statement is in opposition to Matthew 22:37. such is hardly the case.
For a complete review of this particular quote, see:
http://beggarsallreformation.blogspot.com/2010/10/luther-i-look-upon-god-no-better-than.html
Kevin Rilott
Thank God for the crusades or we would all be Muslim now! Learn your history.
James Swan
So… you don't care if the quotes you posted are accurate or not? How is it you consider yourself an "author" that has written a book on apologetics, and history isn't important to you?
The goal of going through particular quotes is not to defend Luther as a Protestant saint. I see the study of any person in church history as an exercise in the love of God and neighbor. How do I love my neighbor in the study of church history? There probably are many ways, but the one that applies here is in my words. If I bear false witness against my neighbor, even if he's been dead for hundreds of years, I am not loving him. I say let the people in church history be exactly who they were, warts and all. Luther certainly had warts and sins, but he did not "kick the cat" as well on the way to posting the 95 Theses. That is, he is not as bad as many portray him to be.
Why would you want to bear false witness? Zeal without truth= nothing.
James Swan
"The ones that I did include are the ones I felt that no matter how well put in context they were either still horrible or even worse once put in context"
I've already demonstrated the very first quote you used was bogus, and I can go down the line and demonstrate the same for many of the others. I suggest you take down your post before you further embarrass yourself and Roman Catholicism.
James Swan
So even though I can demonstrate the very first quote you posted is bogus, that just "my opinion"?
Wow. Amazing.
James Swan
David,
I am absolutely certain you have no desire "to keep going back and forth about this," because frankly, you don't appear to want to do the hard work that truth demands.
Ah well, it's the Internet. Responsibility isn't always a top priority.
Paul Blichmann
I for one am deeply amused to see the Protestant-Catholic beef reinstated. As small-minded as it may be, I don't see why more people don't indulge in sticking up for their team.
Paul Blichmann
I for one am deeply amused to see the Protestant-Catholic beef reinstated. As small-minded as it may be, I don’t see why more people don’t indulge in sticking up for their team.
Oje Giwa-Amu
David L. Gray Anyone leaving Lutheran church back to the Catholic church would be like one jumping from the frying pan back to the fire
Oje Giwa-Amu
The fact is that as a christian my faith is not built on Luther or the Roman Catholic church which is simply Satan's own pseudo church he created and disguised as the church of Christ to deceive many. Even if we assume that Martin Luther was guilty of all these things he has been accused of saying, it will still not make the Roman Catholic church a suitable alternative. The Roman Catholic church is the church of the Antichrist. Its satanic workings over the centuries speaks volumes of the Spirit which animates that church.
Folks, neither put your faith in Luther or the Roman Catholic church. Rest your faith in Christ and Christ alone.
God bless
Bruce Zittlow
Luther was not an anti semite.
Bruce Zittlow
Lutheranism combines the work of Luther, Melancthon, Chemnitz, Andrae, and a few others. It was not the work of one man. They were all godly men.
William M. Cwirla
Don't shade your eyes; plagiarize. It's the modern form of "research."
Gerard Haderlein
Rules for Radicals comes to mind.