This Day in History December 10, 1520

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I thought I would throw in something a little different today.  Has anyone reading this heard of Martin Luther?  He is the one who is credited with beginning the Reformation (but others were actually doing it before him).  He is the founder of the Lutheran church, and he is the one who said that salvation is by grace alone.  He completely broke with the Catholic church.

It was on this date in 1520 that he did something quite momentous.  He had already posted his 95 theses--the "official" start of the Reformation by some counts.  You can imagine all the controversy he stirred up, but that was only the beginning.

He took what was called the Papal Bull (the books of church law and others) and burned them.  He is rumored to have said, "Because you, godless book, have grieved or shamed the holiness of the Father, be saddened and consumed by the eternal flames of Hell.".


He had been pronounced a heretic, and he was excommunicated from the Catholic church the following month.  In spite of anything untoward written about Martin Luther, I have to say that I probably would not be the Christian I am today without him.  While he may not have been the first of the Reformers, his views actually brought the Reformation to the notice of the world as a whole.  Or at least the Western world.  I have to say that I respect that he was willing to take some incredible chances for his faith.  I can only hope and pray that if faced with a time when I have to take a stand for my faith that I would be at least as bold as Luther.


For more information, check out:
http://www.cojs.org/cojswiki/Martin_Luther_Burns_the_Papal_Bull%2C_Dec._10%2C_1520
http://www.luther.de/en/bann.html