Showing posts with label martin luther. Show all posts
Showing posts with label martin luther. Show all posts

Thursday, 2 November 2017

A special anniversary for the Church where Catholics and Protestants find common ground

Luther Before the Diet of Worms, photogravure ...
Luther Before the Diet of Worms, photogravure after the historicist painting by Anton von Werner (1843-1915) in the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
500 years ago 95 theses where posted at the door of the cloister church of Wittenberg, which became to serve as the catalyst for one of the world’s largest religious splits, as thousands broke off from the Roman Catholic Church.
Martin Luther his legacy, 500 years later, is 560 million Protestants across the globe, making up more than a third of the world’s Christians.

Religiously speaking, the Reformation led to the translation of the Bible into languages other than Latin, allowing many people to engage with scripture for the first time. It also brought an end to the controversial sale of "indulgences" — payments the Church said reduced punishment for sins after death, which Luther regarded as corrupt.

Universal education for girls and boys is one of the legacy which is not wiped out, but some of the early protestant teachings seem by many forgotten.

For the special anniversary Chancellor Angela Merkel, the daughter of a Lutheran pastor, has encouraged German churches to promote a narrative of unity over division in their celebrations. that unity which was not present 500 years ago seems to be very close.

Many protestants today are not any more exited or more interested in reading the bible than Roman Catholics. In several countries they also are not any more interested to go regularly to services. concerning doing good a big change entered in the vision of many. In Luther’s home country of Germany, 61 percent of Protestants believe good deeds are needed for salvation. In John Calvin’s Switzerland, 57 percent agree, as do 47 percent in Abraham Kuyper’s Holland.

In the united States we can find conservative protestants and fundamentalist protestants who think whatever they do wrong they shall be saved and going to heaven when they are baptised or so called 'reborn'. Half of American Protestants say that both good deeds and faith in God are needed to get into heaven (52%).

Lots of Americans are convinced they need pastors and churches. Some even believe how bigger the church how closer it is to the 'truth'. From those American protestants 52% believe that in addition to the Bible, we need guidance from church teachings and traditions, according to two studies released at the end of August by the Pew Research Center.

Pope Francis I considers this anniversary an
"opportunity to mend a critical moment of our history by moving beyond the controversies and disagreements that have often prevented us from understanding one another.”

Not long after Francis’ address, the Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury in England expressed remorse for the violence committed there in the name of the Reformation. Hundreds of churches and monasteries were demolished in the 1500s, and many people gruesomely killed, during England’s pained transition from Catholicism to Protestantism.

Since the 16th century and the tumultuous times that followed Protestant and Catholic relations have improved dramatically. At regular intervals we also can see protestants and Catholics bringing an ecumenical service. when we look at several protestant churches today we also find many which also have statues and paintings in the church depicting persons they call god or saints.

When in the 16th and 17th century so many tried to read the Bible and wanted to find the biblical Truth, today there are not many protestants really interested to examine certain dogma's or sayings by theologians. Most of them hold strongly to their denominational teachings, not giving it much thought.

Not many probably would mind if their church comes closer to other churches of the Protestant or Catholic Faith as long as they can keep to their traditions.

From that perspective the attitude of the general public has become passive not to say the least. And those who are still active in church, most often do not want to think to examine the things they are taught by their denomination.

Whilst 500 years ago many where pleased to spend a lot of time reading the Bible, today there are not so much people really interested and that reflects also in protestant services where is less given time  for the word of God and where is spend more time and attention to the entertainment factor of the service.

Today we can use some preachers who are willing to take up the task given by Jesus, to proclaim the Kingdom of God. We can use a new awakening.

Read more about it:
  1. Followers, protestors and reformers
  2. A New Reformation
  3. Trying to Get Rid of Holy Days for a Long Time
  4. 8 Reasons Christian Holidays Should Not Be Observed
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  1. Hoogdag voor vele protestanten
  2. Zijn Beelden een Gevaar of de Redding voor het Geloof?
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Friday, 31 July 2015

Preachers should know and continue the task Jesus has given his followers

English: Carving on the marble pulpit of St St...
Carving on the marble pulpit of St Stephen's Church in Bournemouth. Hampshire. The work of Nathaniel Hitch. The carvings represent three scenes from the New Testament. In the central panel Jesus is seen preaching the sermon on the mount. On each side we have St Peter preaching on the first Whitsunday(Pentecost) and St Paul preaching in Athens. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Primarily through the preached Word of God people can hear about God and His works. By all this preaching work all over the world Christ is present with his people.

Preachers, be it layman, priests, pastors may be attacked, but they should know and continue the task Jesus has given his followers.

The Word of God must occupy a central place in the life of every Christian. Luther very well knew this and therefore placed the utmost emphasis on the necessity of the preaching of the gospel for the Christian life.
Without the preaching of the Word of God, the Christian’s spiritual life will be sapped. He or she will become spiritually malnourished and waste away. It can be said without exaggeration that to be removed from the preaching of the Gospel is to be removed from Christ’s presence.

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You may find to read:


Luther on the Christian Life (3)

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Thursday, 7 November 2013

American atheists most religiously literate Americans

While it’s unknown how many atheists use YouVersion or other Bible apps, polls show atheists are among the most religiously literate Americans, topping Jews, Mormons and other Christians in a 2010 Pew Research Center poll.

Atheists seem to use a Bible App containing the Christian Scriptures which they can quote to have the Christians “tripped up”. Christians seemed to be sitting at the bottom of the knowledge rung, having been topped not only by atheists but by Jews and Mormons as well.

The Pew Forum gives that on average, Americans correctly answer 16 of the 32 religious knowledge questions. Atheists and agnostics average 20.9 correct answers. Jews and Mormons do about as well, averaging 20.5 and 20.3 correct answers, respectively. Protestants as a whole average 16 correct answers; Catholics as a whole, 14.7. Atheists and agnostics, Jews and Mormons perform better than other groups on the survey even after controlling for differing levels of education.

On questions about Christianity – including a battery of questions about the Bible – Mormons (7.9 out of 12 right on average) and white evangelical Protestants (7.3 correct on average) show the highest levels of knowledge. Jews and atheists/agnostics stand out for their knowledge of other world religions, including Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism; out of 11 such questions on the survey, Jews answer 7.9 correctly (nearly three better than the national average) and atheists/agnostics answer 7.5 correctly (2.5 better than the national average). Atheists/agnostics and Jews also do particularly well on questions about the role of religion in public life, including a question about what the U.S. Constitution says about religion.

More than four-in-ten Catholics in the United States (45%) do not know that their church teaches that the bread and wine used in Communion do not merely symbolize but actually become the body and blood of Christ. About half of Protestants (53%) cannot correctly identify Martin Luther as the person whose writings and actions inspired the Protestant Reformation, which made their religion a separate branch of Christianity. Roughly four-in-ten Jews (43%) do not recognize that Maimonides, one of the most venerated rabbis in history, was Jewish.

In addition, fewer than half of Americans (47%) know that the Dalai Lama is Buddhist. Fewer than four-in-ten (38%) correctly associate Vishnu and Shiva with Hinduism. And only about a quarter of all Americans (27%) correctly answer that most people in Indonesia – the country with the world’s largest Muslim population – are Muslims.

Other findings of the U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey include:
  • On world religions other than Christianity, about six-in-ten Americans (62%) know that most people in India are Hindus. About half know that Ramadan is the Islamic holy month (52%) and can name the Koran as the Muslim holy book (54%). Roughly one-third (36%) correctly associate striving for nirvana with Buddhism.
  • Two Missionaries of .
    Two Missionaries of . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
    Around four-in-ten Americans know that the Mormon religion was founded sometime after 1800 (44%) and that the Book of Mormon tells the story of Jesus appearing to people in the Americas (40%). About half (51%) correctly identify Joseph Smith, founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as a Mormon.
  • In addition to questions about religious knowledge, the survey included nine general knowledge questions (on history, politics, science and literature) for comparison purposes. These show, for example, that about six-in-ten Americans can name the vice president of the United States (59%) and understand that lasers do not work by focusing sound waves (60%). More than seven-in-ten (72%) correctly associate Susan B. Anthony with the movement to give women the right to vote, while just 42% know that Herman Melville was the author of the novel Moby Dick.
  • Overall, people who score well on the general knowledge questions also tend to do well on the religion questions. Atheists/agnostics and Jews correctly answer an average of roughly seven of the nine general knowledge questions. Among the public overall, the average respondent correctly answers 5.2 of these general knowledge questions.
  • While people with a high level of religious commitment do better than average on the religion questions, people with low levels of religious commitment do better than average on the general knowledge questions.
  • Many Americans are devoted readers of Scripture: More than a third (37%) say they read the Bible or other Holy Scriptures at least once a week, not counting worship services. But Americans as a whole are much less inclined to read other books about religion. Nearly half of Americans who are affiliated with a religion (48%) say they “seldom” or “never” read books (other than Scripture) or visit websites about their own religion, and 70% say they seldom or never read books or visit websites about other religions.

  • Mormons, black Protestants and white evangelicals are the most frequent readers of materials about religion. Fully half of all Mormons (51%) and roughly three-in-ten white evangelicals (30%) and black Protestants (29%) report that they read books or go online to learn about their own religion at least once a week. Only a small fraction of all religiously affiliated Americans – 6% of the general public and no more than 8% of any religious group – say they read books (other than Scripture) or visit websites to learn about religions other than their own at least once a week.


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Thursday, 11 November 2010

Scripture alone Sola Scriptora

Timothy Ross wrote in Scripture alone Sola Scriptora


Why do folks love this idea. Is it because we are rebel's by nature ? Who are we to think such things. Doesn't God speak to us today outside of the Bible? Isn't the Bible just a collection of what God has said to normal people like you and me garced by God in a special ...way called prophets adn Apostles and so forth?

The early church wrestled over what Books to put in the canon. Ever studied how they put it all together it might help alot of you and others out. Martin Luther wanted to reform the Institution of Rome not leave her. Many believed he was going to be a pope one day and that he was really brilliant. There was at least two cannon's proposed The common one we have today and the Eusibius cannon. Which one and why? Enoch and othe books like this were recognized by Eusibius . Also why are Protestants so agains the Apocrypha it is full of things that line up historically with scripture and is used by Paul in his writings. So when folks say scripture alone which ones ? I know this is controversial but as a student and scholar this is my question for all real folks after God. Note theApostles had there own traditions also and people say you teach traditons. Really who says? Are you your own God or not accountable to the Body? I am guilty and repent I wonder how many want to turn a new leaf and folow after the Spirit tha trose Jesus from the dead keep the good and throw out the Bad. Do you really know the origins of your theological thoughts? Somebody always is molded by somebody elses ideas. We all have a theology or a traditon but these are not apart of are dogma's . Can you really say Your Doctrine and traditon isn't your dogma. The yare different. So what are your thoughts.

Monday, 6 April 2009

Everything that is done in the world is done by hope



"Everything that is done in the world is done by hope."
- Martin Luther

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him,
so that you may overflow with hope …"
Romans 12:12; 15:13

"God cushions our hurting hearts with
soft pillows of comfort and hope."
- Judy Gordon

"Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the LORD."
Psalm 31:24

"Never talk defeat.
Use words like hope,
belief, faith, victory."
- Norman Vincent Peale

"Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy,
Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us,
Just as we hope in You."
Psalm 33:18, 22

"There are no hopeless situations;
there are only people who have grown hopeless about them."
- Clare Boothe Luce

"I have set the LORD always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope."
Psalm 16:8-9

I have set You always before me, Lord:
Because you are at my right hand, I shall not be moved
so I shall not fall.
My hope is directed to you.
People can not do anything to me, everything is in your hands.

Let my actions by my hope in You be determined and be a sign of my faith.






Psalm 27
Psalm 27 (Photo credit: TheChristianAlert.org)
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