May 29

What's So Wrong with the Church? Corrupt leadership. Renaissance- era popes spent on personal pleasure. Pope Alexander VI said he fathered several children. Many priests and monks were poorly educated. How can you teach if you can barely read? Some priests broke their vows, they got married/had children. Some priests drank to excess, many gambled. But mostly, indulgences. The selling of indulgences (pardons) "releases a sinner from performing the penalty a priest imposed for sins". Johann Tetzer was a monk who sold indulgences to help rebuild St. Peter's Cathedral. A monk named Martin Luther objected to this practice. So, who is this "Martin Luther"? Formative Years. Martin Luther was born in Germany in 1483. He attends the University of Erfurt (he called it a beerhouse and a whorehouse). After getting his degree he enrolls in law school (his father's wish). As people are dying of the plague (which they "deserve"). ZAP! Everything changes with a bolt of lightning. Martin was on his way back to school after a visit home (he was 21). He got struck by lightning and knocked off his horse. He then decided to become a monk. Monk-y Business. Two weeks later, Martin drops out of law school. 1504- he joins an Augustinian monastery. 1507- ordained a priest. 1508- teaching theology at the University of Wittenberg. 1512- he becomes a Doctor of Theology. Martin Luther gets mad at the Church. Luther thinks Tetzer is a "pardon-merchant". Martin came up with 95 objections to the Church of "doing business". He nails them to the church door in Wittenburg on Halloween. Known as the "95 Theses". The Church is Going to need Aloe for this Burn. The "95 Theses" document was copied and taken to a printer. Luther says the Church needs to be Reformed. "Reformed"="Reformation". People win salvation by faith in God's gift of forgiveness. All Church teachings should be clearly based on the words of the Bible. All people with faith is equal. People do not need priests to interpret the Bible for them. Those were all the notes that I had written down in my book based on the slideshow. That is all we did today in Western Civilization.