Really stupid question for Christians

[nt250]

I was just reading the Catholics are Christians thead and I have what is probably a really stupid question:

I thought the Reformation began because Henry VIII wanted to get laid and Anne Boyleyn wouldn't sleep with him until he got a divorce.

Seriously. No sarcasm. I thought that was why the Protestant Church was formed.

What was the Reformation?

 

[Abbey Normal]

Martin Luther began the Reformation, in Germany.

 

[Abbey Normal]

To add to my short statement above, here is Wikipedia's blurb on it:

The Protestant Reformation, also referred to as the Protestant Revolution, was a movement in the 16th century to reform the Catholic Church in Western Europe. The Reformation was started by Martin Luther with his 95 Theses on the practice of indulgences. In late October of 1517 he posted these theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg (Germany), commonly used to post notices to the University community. In November he mailed them to various religious authorities of the day. The reformation ended in division and the establishment of new institutions. The four most important traditions to emerge directly from the reformation were the Lutheran tradition, the Reformed/Calvinist/Presbyterian tradition, the Anabaptist tradition, and the Anglican tradition. Subsequent protestant traditions generally trace their roots back to these initial four schools of the reformation. It also led to the Catholic or Counter Reformation within the Roman Catholic Church through a variety of new spiritual movements, reforms of religious communities, the founding of seminaries, the clarification of Catholic theology as well as structural changes in the institution of the Church.

 

[nt250]

Martin Luther began the Reformation, in Germany.

So Henry VIII basically just used it as an excuse? The movement had already started so it gave him a way to start his own?

I've gotten all this from movies. I'll check out the Wikipedia link. Thanks.

 

[Said1]

So Henry VIII basically just used it as an excuse? The movement had already started so it gave him a way to start his own?

I've gotten all this from movies. I'll check out the Wikipedia link. Thanks.

Try this link too. More from wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_VIII_of_England

 

[Nuc]

When Hank 8 broke off from the Catholic Church and started the Church of England the main difference was to cease being accountable to the Pope and Rome. This was because of the divorce issue.

Luther's movement was different in many important ways and was religiously oriented, not self motivated for sexual purposes.

 

[Kagom]

I was just reading the Catholics are Christians thead and I have what is probably a really stupid question:

I thought the Reformation began because Henry VIII wanted to get laid and Anne Boyleyn wouldn't sleep with him until he got a divorce.

Seriously. No sarcasm. I thought that was why the Protestant Church was formed.

What was the Reformation?

It's already been said, but Martin Luther started the Reformation with his posting of the 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenburg church.

 

[Eightball]

Martin Luther: Here's what spawned the reformation via Martin Luther.
Martin Luther, Commentary on Romans(Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1976), xiii.

He was a pios, earnest monk--an apparent Christian. But Luther had no peace of soul. He wanted to please God, to be accepted by Him. But the harder he worked the more elusive the salvation of his soul became. Instead of growing closer to God, he found himself moving away from Him. Instead of coming to love God, which Luther knew he should do, he found himself hating God for requiring an apparently impossible standard of righteousness of human beings. In desperation Luther turned to a study of Paul's great letter to the Romans where, as early as the seventeenth verse of chapter 1, he found the solution: :In the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

As God opened the meaning of this verse to Luther, he realized that the righteousness he needed was not his own righteousness but God's righteousness freely given to all who would receive it. Moreover, this was to be had, not through any works of his own but by faith only. It was by taking God at His word, by believing Him. Luther did this and felt himself to be reborn.

Here is how he put it: "I had no love for the holy and just God who punishes sinners. I was filled with secret anger against Him: I hated Him, because, not content with the frightening by the law and the miseries of life us wretched sinners, already ruined by original sin, He still further increased our tortures by the glospell...But when, by the Spirit of God, I understood the words, --when I learned how the justification of the sinner proceeds from the free mercy of our Lord through faith...then I felt born again like a new man...In very truth, this language of St. Paul was to me the true gate of Paradise."

 

[Annie]

So Henry VIII basically just used it as an excuse? The movement had already started so it gave him a way to start his own?

I've gotten all this from movies. I'll check out the Wikipedia link. Thanks.

Martin Luther started, England was appalled, (it was the most Catholic). Yet, Henry had a problem, only females which didn't cut it, then he fell in love. Unfortunately for the Church, the bishop couldn't give him the dispensation, because Spain would have declared war. Thus, the English break.

 

[Annie]

Martin Luther: Here's what spawned the reformation via Martin Luther.
Martin Luther, Commentary on Romans(Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1976), xiii.

He was a pios, earnest monk--an apparent Christian. But Luther had no peace of soul. He wanted to please God, to be accepted by Him. But the harder he worked the more elusive the salvation of his soul became. Instead of growing closer to God, he found himself moving away from Him. Instead of coming to love God, which Luther knew he should do, he found himself hating God for requiring an apparently impossible standard of righteousness of human beings. In desperation Luther turned to a study of Paul's great letter to the Romans where, as early as the seventeenth verse of chapter 1, he found the solution: :In the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

As God opened the meaning of this verse to Luther, he realized that the righteousness he needed was not his own righteousness but God's righteousness freely given to all who would receive it. Moreover, this was to be had, not through any works of his own but by faith only. It was by taking God at His word, by believing Him. Luther did this and felt himself to be reborn.

Here is how he put it: "I had no love for the holy and just God who punishes sinners. I was filled with secret anger against Him: I hated Him, because, not content with the frightening by the law and the miseries of life us wretched sinners, already ruined by original sin, He still further increased our tortures by the glospell...But when, by the Spirit of God, I understood the words, --when I learned how the justification of the sinner proceeds from the free mercy of our Lord through faith...then I felt born again like a new man...In very truth, this language of St. Paul was to me the true gate of Paradise."

Agreed, but it took love to make the break:

http://www.pbs.org/empires/martinluther/char_wife.html

 

[Eightball]

Agreed, but it took love to make the break:

http://www.pbs.org/empires/martinluther/char_wife.html

Oh........most assuredly!! Without love......things of life are like empty clanging bells.

 

[dilloduck]

Oh........most assuredly!! Without love......things of life are like empty clanging bells.

No doubt that the Reformation would have ever occurred without Martins' wife.
I love the fish barrel story tho !

 

[shepherdboy]

Martin Luther: Here's what spawned the reformation via Martin Luther.
Martin Luther, Commentary on Romans(Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1976), xiii.

He was a pios, earnest monk--an apparent Christian. But Luther had no peace of soul. He wanted to please God, to be accepted by Him. But the harder he worked the more elusive the salvation of his soul became. Instead of growing closer to God, he found himself moving away from Him. Instead of coming to love God, which Luther knew he should do, he found himself hating God for requiring an apparently impossible standard of righteousness of human beings. In desperation Luther turned to a study of Paul's great letter to the Romans where, as early as the seventeenth verse of chapter 1, he found the solution: :In the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

As God opened the meaning of this verse to Luther, he realized that the righteousness he needed was not his own righteousness but God's righteousness freely given to all who would receive it. Moreover, this was to be had, not through any works of his own but by faith only. It was by taking God at His word, by believing Him. Luther did this and felt himself to be reborn.

Here is how he put it: "I had no love for the holy and just God who punishes sinners. I was filled with secret anger against Him: I hated Him, because, not content with the frightening by the law and the miseries of life us wretched sinners, already ruined by original sin, He still further increased our tortures by the glospell...But when, by the Spirit of God, I understood the words, --when I learned how the justification of the sinner proceeds from the free mercy of our Lord through faith...then I felt born again like a new man...In very truth, this language of St. Paul was to me the true gate of Paradise."

Excellent job in breaking that down. Thats what being "Born again" means. By Mercy and Grace and not of our own actions or desires are we saved. Christ did it all at the cross. When Jesus said "It is finished" All and everything according to Gods will was completed. We are just seeing that will in motion in this time line.

 

[5stringJeff]

I was just reading the Catholics are Christians thead and I have what is probably a really stupid question:

I thought the Reformation began because Henry VIII wanted to get laid and Anne Boyleyn wouldn't sleep with him until he got a divorce.

Seriously. No sarcasm. I thought that was why the Protestant Church was formed.

What was the Reformation?

Nuc already nailed it - The Church of England was born out of Henry VIII's desire to divorce. The Reformation had already begun at that point.

 

[Nienna]

No doubt that the Reformation would have ever occurred without Martins' wife.
I love the fish barrel story tho !

Luther had some rather uncomplimentary things to say about women in general, about their lack of intellect, their need to be ruled and disciplined.

 

[dilloduck]

Luther had some rather uncomplimentary things to say about women in general, about their lack of intellect, their need to be ruled and disciplined.

Ya but he never met USMB women !

 

[Bonnie]

It's already been said, but Martin Luther started the Reformation with his posting of the 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenburg church.

Essentially saying "hang on a minute fellas, I've got a problem with the church doctirne".