Martin Luther Would be Sparking Religious Debates on Facebook
“Martin Luther. Imagine each of the 95 theses posted as a separate status update, each one sparking a vicious religious debate.” The dreaded religious Facebook post that sparks 100 comments that are painful to read through. These days, most people don’t even want to get onto social media for fear of hearing so many opinions. And Martin Luther would probably be no exception. The Ninety-Five Theses on the Power of Indulgences were written by Martin Luther in 1517 and are widely regarded as the primary means for the Protestant Reformation. Dr. Martin Luther used these Theses to display his unhappiness with the Church’s sale of indulgences, and this eventually gave birth to Protestantism.
Luther’s stance and ideology would change the religious world forever. With monarchs like Henry VIII adopting Protestantism via the Church of England, the German ideologist really gained the traction he needed. But his work did not come without backlash in a world that was then ruled by the Catholic Church. He refused to keep silent. In 1521, Pope Leo X formally excommunicated Luther from the Catholic Church. That same year, Luther again refused to recant his writings before the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V of Germany, who issued the famous Edict of Worms declaring Luther an outlaw and a heretic and giving permission for anyone to kill him without consequence. Protected by Prince Frederick, Luther began working on a German translation of the Bible, a task that took 10 years to complete. Based on his sheer will and bold attitude, there is no doubt that he would live up to this Facebook friend theory.