Martin Luther Questions the Catholic Church
Luther is credited as having begun the Protestant Reformation.
The Roman Catholic Church more or less came to full power by the 7th century and totally dominated Europe up until the 16th century when the Reformation movement came about. This church had so polluted the New Testament that its teachings had completely gotten away from New Testament teaching by its scriptures.
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 page thesis to the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg Saxony now Germany.
The main accusation of the thesis was the sale of indulgences. The Theses rejected the validity of indulgences, Christians were being falsely told that they could find absolution through the purchase of indulgences, which have already been forgiven). This sale represented a financial transaction rather than genuine contrition.
Luther’s Theses put forth the disagreement that the sale of indulgences was a violation of the original intention of confession and penance. Christians were being falsely told that they could have sin forgiven through the purchase of indulgences.
In the position of a Catholic priest he challenged the Catholic authorities to debate 95 contested beliefs and practices.
Incorporating his 95 thesis into print by means of the printing press Thousands of Germans readers rallied to his cause
The Pope at that time Pope Leo X issued a papal (public decree) that concluded that Luther’s thesis was heretical and gave Luther 120 days to recant on July 1520. Refusing to recant on January 3, 1521 Martin Luther was excommunicated from the Catholic Church by the Pope.