"Per se" ideas of Luther & Protestants / REALLY??? LUTHER DID NOT TEACH HERESY, EH??? WE SHALL SEE...THE EVIDENCE!!!

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THE TRUTH ABOUT MARTIN LUTHER And Why So Few Read His Works By Raymond Taouk

In their ongoing debate with Catholics, Protestants are constantly winnowing the Church's teachings with increasingly finer-gauge sieves. Initial objections that are fairly easily set aside by referring to the appropriate Scripture -- issues like purgatory, graven images, "call no man father," and the veneration of relics -- inevitably give way to much finer points regarding conciliar teachings, translations and past sins of Church officials. Which is fine. If the Catholic Church is the one true Church founded by Jesus Christ, and if it is truly his Mystical Body -- which we Catholics believe it certainly is -- then it can stand close scrutiny, especially by those whose questions are posed in the spirit of integrity, goodwill and an honest search for truth.

Unfortunately, while they subject some of the Catholic Church's most arcane theological writings to the closest, most minute inquiry, few of the protestant faithful seem willing to apply the same rigorous analysis to the teachings of their own denominations' founders. Indeed, many seem virtually unaware of the tenets their founders pronounced, apart from the vaguest maxims or generalities.

In fact, it has long seemed to me that the conviction of many Protestant believers is animated more by their own -- mistaken -- impression of what the Catholic Church teaches than by their own theologies.

This is unfortunate. Because it allows some extremely tenuous -- and even destructive -- idea to go unchallenged. The best example might be the polemics of the father of the Reformation himself, Martin Luther.

Martin Luther: The man who is celebrated for calling into question the authority of a corrupt Church, for initiating religious freedom in an age of spiritual feudalism, for initiating free universal education, for freeing the Scriptures from the bondage of a dead language, for... Well, you get the idea.

But how much Luther has the average Protestant read? Or even the average Protestant clergyman?

Little, if any, I submit. Because if Protestants held Luther and his contemporaries to the same standard of proof they apply to the Church's teachings, they would be appalled at the size of the boulders their sieves would be working to strain.

As you may judge for yourself below, Luther was a troubled, surly, intemperate -- and occasionally even blasphemous -- man. Hardly the picture of a Spirit-led leader of the faith.

Does this sound outrageous to you? Inconceivable? I'm not surprised. In fact, I myself was surprised to discover Luther's true nature. But once you read his own words, his nature is undeniable.

In this document, you can review some of Luther's more surprising utterances for yourself. And don't think you can find them in any neighborhood Protestant bookstore, either. I had terrible trouble finding anything besides the great man's 'Small Catechism.' Even the highly sanitized anthologies of his work are not easy to locate -- if you can find them at all, it's usually in secular bookstores.

Why the scarcity of Luther's writings in mainstream Protestant bookstores? I cannot speak from first-hand knowledge. But if you read the passages below, you may suspect -- as I do -- that Luther has been silenced because his true theology is an embarrassment to his followers. They would much rather propagate the image of the benevolent bombast, the passionate leader, the enlightened patriarch -- because if people really know what Luther thought and taught, they would be appalled.

I can only conclude that his own 20th century followers have succeeded where the 16th century Catholic Church failed -- in the silencing of Martin Luther.

Since his work extends to more than 50 volumes, we won't even try to give an overview here. Instead, we'll be selecting some of his more surprising -- and, yes, inflammatory -- ideas. For the strength of a chain is determined by its weakest links.

Now, an objection by those who have not read Luther first-hand will be, "These passages are taken out of context, and therefore they cannot be trusted as accurate representations of Luther's thought." However I will give citations for each excerpt. Go to the source and see for yourself. You'll find that not one of these passages means anything apart from what appears here; indeed, I challenge you to try to imagine any context that could possibly change the meaning of these words. Luther's meanings are all too clear.

A further objection is that other of Luther's writings can be cited that contradict some of what you find here. We would reply that self-contradiction does not make an individual more reliable, but less.

In any case, you be the judge... as we allow Luther to speak for himself. Luther Said: 'Be A Sinner'

"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." ('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.) Luther is actually saying that our actions -- even the most sinful actions imaginable -- don't matter! He is saying we can commit any sin we want -- willfully, presumptiously, purposefully -- and we will not separate ourselves from God! After all, we require nothing more than "faith" to be saved. What we do is incidental. Of course anyone familiar with Scripture will point out that this is not a Christian teaching. For throughout the Bible we are told that sin can and does separate us from God -- remember how he will separate the sheep from the goats, (Mt. 25:32) and the wheat from the tares, (Mt. 13:30), and the bearing trees from the barren (Mt. 3:10.)

The writer of Hebrews is clear: We will be judged on how we live out our faith. And sin will ensure our judgment is harsh: "If we sin deliberately after receiving knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains sacrifice for sins but a fearful prospect of judgment and a flaming fire that is going to consume the adversaries." (Heb. 10:26-29.) For the redemption that Jesus earned for us -- a free gift -- is not imposed on the unwilling. We must choose it and embrace it and , very often, suffer for it. "'Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.'" (Mt. 16:24.) Luther Said: Doing Good Is More Dangerous Than Sinning

"Those pious souls who do good to gain the Kingdom of Heaven not only will never succeed, but they must even be reckoned among the impious; and it is more important to guard them against good works than against sin." (Wittenberg, VI, 160, quoted by O'Hare, in 'The Facts About Luther, TAN Books, 1987, p. 122.) You must be thinking, "What? Could he possibly have written what I thought I just read? 'It is more important to guard them against good works than against sin.'" Well okay, read it again, just to make sure. We'll wait.

See? You were right the first time. Luther cautions us against good and upright actions. He says, don't worry about sin -- Jesus will take care of it. But doing good -- that you'd better watch out for. Especially if you think being kind and generous and loving will affect your outcome at the final judgment.

In his hubris, he ignores verse after verse of Scripture -- New Testament and Old -- where we are told that the way we live out our faith will be the criterion upon which we will be judged. As Paul makes eminently clear in Rom. 2: 5-11, "...the just judgment of God, who will repay everyone according to his works." And again in 2 Cor. 5:10, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat... so that each one may receive recompense , according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil."

Luther was utterly and monumentally wrong -- wrong for the ages. Where does it say in Scripture that we can wreak unprovoked havoc on our brothers and sisters and cynically murder a thousand people a day and expect -- poof! -- to be saved? Nowhere, obviously.

Only true repentance can heal the rift that sin creates between the individual and God -- the kind of true repentance one evidences through facing one's sins squarely and honestly and saying them out loud in the sacrament of Reconciliation. And it is highly doubtful that a person like, say, Adolph Hitler -- the only man I can think of who ever came anywhere near the thousand-a-day murder quota that Luther stipulates -- would ever muster true repentance, even at the point of death. If he did, of course, he would be saved. But imagine how big that 'if' would have to be. And Luther doesn't mention repentance, even in passing, anywhere in the passage. Luther Said: There Is No 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 bondslave, either to the will of God, or to the will of Satan." (From the essay, 'Bondage of the Will,' 'Martin Luther: Selections From His Writings, ed. by Dillenberger, Anchor Books, 1962 p. 190.)

"...we do everything of necessity, and nothing by 'free-will'; for the power of 'free-will' is nil..." (Ibid., p. 188.)

"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." ('De Servo Arbitrio', 7, 113 seq., quoted by O'Hare, in 'The Facts About Luther, TAN Books, 1987, pp. 266-267.) All these passages come from a tract Luther penned, titled, 'De Servo Arbitrio ,' or 'Bondage of the Will,' in which the great reformer works hard to present the case that free will does not exist.

Scripture, of course, disagrees, in both word and spirit. In Sirach 15:11-20, we find: "Say not: 'It was God's doing that I fell away': for what he hates he does not do. Say not: 'It was he who set me astray'; For he has no need of wicked men... When God, in the beginning, created man, he made him subject to his own free choice. If you choose you can keep the commandments... There are set before you fire and water; to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand."

So you see, the scripture is quite clear on the matter: "When God, in the beginning, created man, he made him subject to his own free choice."

But, you object, Sirach is 'apocryphal' -- Luther discarded it, questioning its canonicity. And no wonder, we respond, considering how directly it confutes his teachings. But we can also point to Deut. 30:19-20, in which God tells us: "I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the Lord, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him." So we see that man is more than simply free to choose; he is obliged to choose.

And earlier yet, in Gen. 4:7, God speaks to Cain: "Why are you so resentful and crestfallen? If you do well, you can hold up your head; but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master."

And, finally, in John 15:15, our Lord pronounces his love for us, his followers: "I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends..." Hardly sounds like the words of a rider to his horse.

As often happens, Paul has the final word: "But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves are found to be sinners, is Christ then a minister of Sin? Of course not!" (Gal. 2:17.) A more direct contradiction of Luther's pronouncement, "God is the author of what is evil as well as of what is good," is difficult to imagine.

Luther's position includes no accountability. No responsibility. No sense of learning or of being perfected through the course of our lives. No dignity even. Just the bleakest, most oppressive coercion which robs human life of any meaning whatsoever. What you do in your life -- even the love you evidence toward your neighbors -- means nothing, according to Luther. Your struggles, your suffering, your perseverance -- none of it amounts to anything. Your will is not even in your own hands. Luther Said: The Individual Christian Is Subject To No Authority

"...every Christian is by faith so exalted above all things that, by virtue of a spiritual power, he is lord of all things without exception, so that nothing can do him any harm. As a matter of fact, all things are made subject to him and are compelled to serve him in obtaining salvation." (From the essay,'Freedom of a Christian,' 'Martin Luther: Selections From His Writings, ed. by Dillenberger, Anchor Books, 1962 p. 63.)

"Injustice is done those words 'priest,''cleric,' 'spiritual,' 'ecclesiastic,' when they are transferred from all Christians to those few who are now by a mischievous usage called 'ecclesiastics.'" (Ibid., p. 65.) Luther teaches that we don't need anyone between us, the community of believers, and our Savior. So he objects to ecclesiastical authority -- and the hierarchy which exercises it. God is with the entire congregation, he says, so why should we bother with a priest.

Sounds great. Until you realize that this position echoes that of Moses' sister, the prophetess Miriam, who protests in Numbers Chapter 12, "Is it through Moses alone that the Lord speaks? Does he not speak through us also?" For her rebellion against the authority established by God, she contracts leprosy. Thanks to Moses' intercessory prayer, she is cleansed.

And she is followed just a few chapters later by Korah, who incites the people against Moses and Aaron in the most disturbing words of all. They say, "Enough from you! The whole community, all of them, are holy; the Lord is in their midst. Why then should you set yourselves over the Lord's congregation?" Whereupon Korah and his followers were consumed by fire sent by the Lord. (Numbers 16.) Luther Said: Peasants Deserve Their Harsh Treatment

"Like the mules who will not move unless you perpetually whip them with rods, so the civil powers must drive the common people, whip, choke, hang, burn, behead and torture them, that they may learn to fear the powers that be." (El. ed. 15, 276, quoted by O'Hare, in 'The Facts About Luther, TAN Books, 1987, p. 235.)

"A peasant is a hog, for when a hog is slaughtered it is dead, and in the same way the peasant does not think about the next life, for otherwise he would behave very differently." ('Schlaginhaufen,' 'Aufzeichnungen,' p. 118, quoted ibid., p. 241) Perhaps Luther's darkest hour was his betrayal of the long-abused serfs during Münzer's Peasants' War of 1525. First, he naively fomented their unrest by publishing tracts such as 'On Authority,' in which he castigated the princely classes with invective such as, "People cannot, people will not, put up with your tyranny and caprice for any length of time." (Ibid., p. 223.) And, "...the poor man, in excitement and grief on account of the damage he has suffered in his goods, his body and his soul, has been tried too much and has been oppressed by them beyond all measure, in the most perfidious manner. Henceforth he can and will no longer put up with such a state of things, and, moreover, he has ample reason to break forth with the flail and the club as Karsthans threatens to do." (Ibid., p. 225.)

Yet when the rebellion came, he turned coat, publishing the tract, 'Against the Murderous and Rapacious Hordes of Peasants,' which urged the ruling lords to "stab them secretly and openly, as they can, as one would kill a mad dog." (Ibid., p. 235.)

To underscore the coldness of the man, Luther was married on the heels of the tragic massacre that resulted. Erasmus, a contemporary, estimated that a hundred thousand peasants lost their lives. (Ibid., p. 237.) Luther Said: Polygamy Is Permissible

"I confess that I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict the Scripture. If a man wishes to marry more than one wife he should be asked whether he is satisfied in his conscience that he may do so in accordance with the word of God. In such a case the civil authority has nothing to do in the matter." (De Wette II, 459, ibid., pp. 329-330.) 'Sola scriptura' has its consequences. Luther Said: The Bible Could Use Some Improvement

"The history of Jonah is so monstrous that it is absolutely incredible." ('The Facts About Luther, O'Hare, TAN Books, 1987, p. 202.)

"The book of Esther I toss into the Elbe. I am such an enemy to the book of Esther that I wish it did not exist, for it Judaizes too much and has in it a great deal of heathenish foolishness." (Ibid.)

"Of very little worth is the Book of Baruch, whoever the worthy Baruch might be." (Ibid.)

"...the epistle of St. James is an epistle full of straw, because, it contains nothing evangelical." ('Preface to the New Testament,' ed. Dillenberger, p. 19.)

"If nonsense is spoken anywhere, this is the very place. I pass over the fact that many have maintained, with much probability, that this epistle was not written by the apostle James, and is not worthy of the spirit of the apostle." ('Pagan Servitude of the Church,' ed. Dillenberger, p. 352.) Reading these words of Luther, it's hard to imagine that he is the same man who so often claimed that he looked upon the Bible "as if God Himself spoke therein." How could he have claimed to believe in the inspired Word of God as the ultimate authority on religious matters if he placed himself in judgment of Scripture? In doing so, he quite clearly set himself up as judge over God himself.

Believe it or not, in his hubris Luther even presumed to rank the gospels: "John records but few of the works of Christ, but a great deal of his preaching, whereas the other three evangelists record many of His works, but few of His words. It follows that the gospel of John is unique in loveliness, and of a truth the principal gospel, far, far superior to the other three, and St. Paul and St. Peter are far in advance of the three gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke." ('Preface to Romans,' ed. Dillenberger, pp. 18-19.)

And he complained about the Book of Revelation: "to my mind it 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." (Sammtliche Werke, 63, pp. 169-170, 'The Facts About Luther,' O'Hare, TAN Books, 1987, p. 203.)

And finally, he admitted adding the word 'alone' to Rom. 3:28 of his own volition: "If your Papist annoys you with the word ('alone'), 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." (Amic. Discussion, 1, 127,'The Facts About Luther,' O'Hare, TAN Books, 1987, p. 201.)

Here he is condemned by his own mouth. For John, in Rev. 22: 18-19, declares anathema anyone who presumes to change even a single word of Scripture: "I warn everyone who hears the prophetic words of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words in this prophetic book, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city described in this book." Luther, of course, didn't add or take away mere words, but entire passages and books. Luther Said: Persecute The Jewish People

"Jews are young devils damned to hell." ('Luther's Works,' Pelikan, Vol. XX, pp. 2230.)

"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." ('About the Jews and Their Lies,' quoted by O'Hare, in 'The Facts About Luther, TAN Books, 1987, p. 290.) It is very disturbing to contemplate the possible fruit born of the seeds of hatred sown by this man. If he was guided by any spirit, clearly it was not holy. Conclusion

How is it so many people have followed the author of these dark, bleak teachings? There is only one explanation: They don't realize what Luther -- the real Luther -- actually taught. If they did, they'd would see that many of the ideas of the Reformation father run counter to both Scripture and good sense. And I suspect that, from the seminary onward, Protestant ministers concentrate more on the perceived errors of Catholicism than they do examining the writings of their own founders.

If you doubt these passages, I urge you to go to the source. Finding Luther's writings is not easy, but with diligence it can be done.

May God bless those whose search for truth and lead them to sift with impartiality: "Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in faith. Test yourselves." (2 Cor. 13:5.) And may the God who created us all in his image bring us closer to his heart, where all truth is found.

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Photo : LUTHER – AS HE WAS(Death Mask by Lucas Fortnagel – Leipzig, University Library)

“Among you there will be lying teachers who will bring in destructive sects . . . And many will follow their wanton conduct, and because of them the way of truth will be maligned.” - II Peter 2:1-2

Luther speaks for himself;

With the New Movie on Luther having recently come out I think it would be good to get a real insight to the true Character of Luther and expose “legend” of “Luther Reformer”. Luther is undoubtedly the father of the Protestant rebellion and spiritual father of the Modern Apostasy from God. The object of this article on Martin Luther is not to give his history, which is easily researched, but rather to give direct quotes from a man called a “great religious reformer” and to whom many non-Catholics trace back real origin of their respective churches.

Who will doubt that the best judge of Luther’s true character is Luther himself? And so from Luther’s own words we shall see him for what he really was, that is a rebellious apostate, who abandoned the faith and led many into apostasy from God under the guise of “reformation” in order to follow his perverse inclinations.[1] Keeping in mind that none of the following statements of Luther, which I will quote, were ever retracted by him, and so they may still be considered as part of his “religious thought”. This should show the aspect of Martin Luther which Protestants and all alike so conveniently overlooked in these days of false ecumenism and intellectual dishonesty.

The Commandments

Christ taught: “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.”[2]

Luther teaches: “If Moses should attempt to intimidate you with his stupid Ten Commandments, tell him right out – chase yourself to the Jews”[3]

“Thou shalt not covet,’ is a commandment which proves us all to be sinners; since it is not in man’s power not to covet, and the same is the drift of all the commandments, for they are all equally impossible to us.”[4]

“It does not matter what people do; it only matters what they believe.” [5]

FREE WILL

Christ taught: “Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” [6]

Luther teaches: "...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."[7]

"...we do everything of necessity and nothing by 'free-will'; for the power of 'free-will' is nil..."[8]

"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." [9]

“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.”[10]

On Reason

Christ taught: “ Be therefore, wise as serpents and simple as doves”[11]

“You know then how to discern the face of the sky: and can you not know the signs of the times?”[12]

Luther teaches: “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.” [13]

“Reason is the devils handmaid and does nothing but blaspheme and dishonor all that God says or does.” [14]

“Reason is directly opposed to faith, and one ought to let it be; in believers it should be killed and buried.”[15]

“One should learn Philosophy only as one learns witchcraft, that is to destroy it; as one finds out about errors, in order to refute them”[16]

On Sin

Christ taught: “He that commits sin is of the devil: for the devil sinned from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God appeared that He might destroy the works of the devil.”[17]

Luther teaches: “A person that is baptized cannot, thou he would, lose his salvation by any sins however grievous, unless he refuses to believe. For no sins can damn him but unbelief alone.”[18]

"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."[19]

Faith and Good works

Christ taught, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven.”[20]

Christ taught (in the words of St. James) “What shall it profit, my brethren, if a he has faith, but has not works? Shall faith be able to save him? So faith also, if it have not works is dead in itself.”[21]

Luther teaches: “For we account a man to be justified by faith alone, without the works o the law.” – On Translation and on the Intercession of the Saints

“It is more important to guard against good works than against sin.”[22]

“ This is Christian Liberty . . . that we stand in need of no works for the attainment of piety and salvation.”[23]

“ The very best good works a venial sin according to God’s merciful judgment, and a mortal sin according to His strict Judgment.”[24]

“He that says the Gospel requires works for salvation, I say, flat and plain, is a liar.”[25]

Social Justice Christ taught: “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill.”[26]

Luther teaches[27]: “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.” [28]

“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”[29]

“I, Martin Luther, have during the rebellion slain al the peasants, for it was I who ordered them to be struck dead. All their blood is upon my head. But I put it all on our Lord God: for he commanded me to speak thus.”[30]

“God has given the law, and nobody observes it. He has in addition instituted rod masters, drivers and urgers; so then are rulers to drive, beat, choke, hang, burn, behead, and break upon the well of the vulgar masses.”[31]

“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”[32]

“Wherever the princes take their power from, it does not regard us. It is the will of God, irrespective whether they have stolen their power or assumed it by robbery”[33]

The Jews

Christ taught: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”[34]

Luther teaches: "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."[35]

“ 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”[36]

“The Jews deserve to be hanged on gallows seven times higher than ordinary thieves.”[37]

Marriage and Women

Christ taught: “For this reason shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be in one flesh. Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder. . . Moses by reason of the hardness of your heart permitted you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery: and he that shall marry her that is put away, commits adultery.”[38]

Luther teaches: “If the husband is unwilling, there is another who is; if the wife is unwilling, then let the maid come.”[39]

“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.”[40]

“It is not in opposition to the Holy Scriptures for a man to have several wives.”[41]

“Know that Marriage is an outward material thing like any other secular business. The body has nothing to do with God. In this respect one can never sin against God, but only against one’s neighbour.”[42]

“As to divorce, it is still a debatable question whether it is allowable. For my part I prefer bigamy to it.”[43]

“The word and work of God is quite clear, viz., that women are made to be either wives or prostitutes.”[44]

“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.”[45] Virtue and Vice

Christ taught: “You are of your father the devil: and the desires of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning: and he stood not in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof.”[46]

Luther teaches: “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?”[47]

“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”[48]

Christ taught: “You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment.”[49]

Luther teaches: “I look upon God no better than a scoundrel”[50]

Christ Taught (in the words of St. Paul): “Know you not that the unjust shall not possess the kingdom of God? Do not err: Neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers: Nor the effeminate nor liars with mankind nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards”[51]

Luther teaches: “We eat and drink to kill ourselves, we eat and rink up to our last farthing.”[52]

Christ taught: “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled” [53]

Luther teaches: “St. Augustine or St. Ambrosius cannot be compared with me.”[54]

“What I teach and write remains true even though the whole world should fall to pieces over it”[55]

On the Person of Christ

Christ taught, “Which of you shall convince Me of sin? If I say the truth to you, why do not believe Me? He that is of God, hears the words of God. Therefore you hear them not, because you are not of God.”[56]

Luther teaches: “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.”[57]

“I have greater confidence in my wife and my pupils than I have in Christ”[58]

“It does not matter how Christ behaved – what He taught is all that matters”[59]

Sacred Scripture

Christ taught: " For I testify to every one that hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If any man shall add to these things, God shall add unto him the plagues written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from these things that are written in this book.”[60]

Luther teaches: "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."[61]

"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."[62]

"The history of Jonah is so monstrous that it is absolutely incredible."[63]

"The book of Esther I toss into the Elbe. I am such an enemy to the book of Esther that I wish it did not exist, for it Judaizes too much and has in it a great deal of heathenish foolishness."[64]

"Of very little worth is the Book of Baruch, whoever the worthy Baruch might be."[65]

"...the epistle of St. James is an epistle full of straw, because it contains nothing evangelical."[66] Conclusion:

While I leave to the reader to draw his own conclusions, it suffices to say that what Luther really was; and the picture that is presented of him today by modern scholars, Lutherans and Protestants alike is far from the truth. Given this fact, it’s not difficult to see how a nation like Germany was able to blindly follow a person like Hitler if it had previously so readily embrace a person like Luther.[67] Adolf Hitler himself was indeed no doubt a true (spiritual) son of Luther and in many ways was only being logical to the principles set forth by Luther in his approach to things[68]. Hitler himself declared the reality of this point in one of his speeches saying: “I do insist on the certainty that sooner or later – once we hold power – Christianity will be overcome and the German Church established. Yes, the German church, without a Pope and without the bible, and Luther, if he could be with us, would give us his blessing.”[69]

What is more is that from Luther’s own words (which I have stated above) we are able to grasp the origin of the inversion of orders in modern society, which we see has prevailed in the modern world. Luther ushered in this new era of apostasy from God in his attempt to rationalize his own perversity and make of it the foundations for civil society. The erroneous principles upon which the modern world is based undeniably come from Luther himself and can never be reconciled to the teachings of the Gospel no matter what Luther might have thought.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

N.B. Erlangen and Weimar refer to the different editions of Luther’s works.

[1] As Luther himself stated “I am but a man prone to let himself be swept off his feet by Society, Drunkenness, the torments of the flesh.” – Weimar, Vol. 9, Pg. 215, Pg. 13. On another occasion, he states: “I burn with all the desires of my unconquered flesh” – Enders Vol. 3, Pg. 189.

[2] Matt 19:17, Cf. Matt 5:17, 1 John5:2

[3] Lecture at Wittenburg

[4] De Liv. Chris. Tom. 4:2

[5] Erlangen Vol. 29, Pg. 126

[6] “Matthew 7:21, Cf. Matt 7:24, Matt 26:24,

[7] From the essay, 'Bondage of the Will,' 'Martin Luther: Selections From His Writings, ed. by Dillenberger, Anchor Books, 1962 p. 190.

[8] Ibid., p. 188.

[9] 'De Servo Arbitrio', 7, 113 seq., quoted by O'Hare, in 'The Facts About Luther, TAN Books, 1987, pp. 266-267.

[10] De servo Arbitrio, against man’s free will.

[11] Matt 10:16

[12] Matt 16:3

[13] Trischreden, Weimer VI, 143, 25-35.

[14] Against the Heavenly Prophets, On Images and the Sacraments.

[15] Erlangen, Vol. 44, Pg. 156-157. For more quotes in this regard see: “Three Reformers”, By Jacques Maritan, Pg. 34

[16] Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, Fol. (1516). Ficker, II, 198. Cf. Three Reformers, By Jacques Maritan, Pg. 31

[17] 1 John 3:8

[18] The Babylonian Captivity. It’s worth mentioning on this point that Luther himself had early written “Pray for me I am falling into the abyss of Sin” – Enders, Vol. 3, Pg. 193.

[19] '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.

[20] Matt 5:16, Cf. Apoc 20:12, Gal 6:2, 1 Jn 3:18, Jas 4:17, I Cor 13:2, II Peter 1:10, Gal 6:9. There are also many warnings in scripture that warn against falling away from salvation (Gal 4:9, Col 1:23, 1 Tim 1:19, 4:1, Heb 3:12-14, 12:14-15, 2 Pet 2:20-21, Apoc 2:4-5).

[21] James 2:14-17

[22] Trischreden, Wittenberg Edition, Vol. VI., p. 160

[23] On Christian Liberty

[24] 32nd Article-Argument in defense of Articles of Martin Luther.

[25] Tischreden, P. 137

[26] Matt 5:6,Cf. Matt 19:18, I John 3:15, Matt 26:52, Romans 12:21

[27] It is important to keep in mind that these peasants were actually Protestants who favored Luther and his views, yet in order to please the German princes Luther and gain influence Luther did not hesitate to have even his own followers put to death! As one writer put it “I know of no example in history ( with the exception of Hitler’s famous, or rather infamous, June 30, 1934) where a man turned in such an inhuman, brutal, low way against his own followers – merely in order to establish his own position, without any reason.” – Peter F. Winer, Martin Luther, Hitler’s Spiritual Ancestor, Pg. 57

[28] Erlangen Vol 24, Pg. 294

[29] Erlangen Vol 24, Pg. 294

[30] Tischreden; Erlanger Ed., Vol. 59. p. 284

[31] Sermon delivered by Luther in 1526. Ref. Erlanger, Vol. XV, 2p. 276

[32] Erlangen Vol 15, Pg. 276

[33] Weimar Vol. 30, Pg. 1

[34] Matt 22:39

[35] About the Jews and Their Lies,' quoted by O'Hare, in 'The Facts About Luther, TAN Books, 1987, p. 290.

[36] Grisar, “Luther”, Vol. V. pg. 413.

[37] Weimar, Vol. 53, Pg. 502.

[38] Matt 19:4,Cf. Heb 13:4

[39] Of Married Life

[40] On Marriage

[41] De Wette, Vol. 2, p. 459

[42] Weimar, Vol. 12, Pg. 131.

[43] On Marriage

[44] On Married Life

[45] 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.

[46] John 8:44

[47] Lenz: Briefwechsel, Vol. 1. Pg. 373.

[48] Lenz: Briefwechsel, Vol. 1. Pg. 375.

[49] Matt 22:37

[50] Weimar, Vol. 1, Pg. 487. Cf. Table Talk, No. 963

[51] 1 Cor 6:9

[52] Weimar, Vo. 9. pg. 215. We can also note on this point that the opinion of Luther’s contemporaries on the subject is unmistakable. They all agree that Luther “was addicted to over-drinking.” - Th. Brieger: “Aleander and Luther”, pg. 170, 307.

[53] Matt 23:12

[54] Erlangen, Vol. 61, pg. 422.

[55] Weimar, Vol. 18, Pg. 401.

[56] John 8:86 Cf. I Peter 2:22, Heb 7:26

[57] Trishreden, Weimer Edition, Vol. 2, Pg. 107. - What a great blasphemy from a man who is regarded as “great reformer”!

[58] Table Talk, 2397b

[59] Erlangen Vol. 29, Pg. 126

[60] Apoc. 22: 18-19

[61] Sammtliche Werke, 63, pp. 169-170, 'The Facts About Luther,' O'Hare, TAN Books, 1987, p. 203.

[62] Amic. Discussion, 1, 127,'The Facts About Luther,' O'Hare, TAN Books, 1987, p. 201.

[63] 'The Facts About Luther, O'Hare, TAN Books, 1987, p. 202.

[64] Ibid.

[65] Ibid.

[66] 'Preface to the New Testament,' ed. Dillenberger, p. 19.

[67] Anyone who contends this point needs simply to read views of Luther concerning the state, civil authority and war. In his writings, we find that he openly states for example “Even if the authorities are wicked and unjust, nobody is entitled to oppose them, or to riot against them.” Or again “The ass must have blows and the People must be ruled by force. God knew this well, for it was not a fox’s brush He gave to rulers, but a sword.” - Weimar, Vol 30, Pg. 1. This point is dealt with in more detail by Peter F. Wiener in his work “Martin Luther, Hitler’s Spiritual Ancestor”, Published by Marian House, Powers Lake, N.D. 58773.

[68] This was undeniably recognized by the Lutherans who welcomed and supported the regime of Hitler. A point worth mentioning in this regard is that this fact is so blatantly ignored by Protestants and the Liberal media who at the same time do not hesitate to unjustly put forward attacks against Pope Pius XII and his efforts against the Nazis.

[69] Adolf Hitler, Hitler’s speeches, edited by Prof. N.H. Baynes [oxford, 1942], pg. 369.

-- JOSEPH EMMANUEL (AGKSILVER_2@YAHOO.COM), November 20, 2003


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