Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation

Martin Luther, the creator of the Protestant religion, was a very interesting man. He took his beliefs and shared them with the World, despite opposition from all of his rulers. He challenged the teachings of the Catholic church in the 16th century, even when threatened with excommunication by the Pope and Emperor Charles V. I find it very inspirational that Martin Luther stood up for what he believed in and refused to back down, no matter what the consequences would be. Someone had to make a change in the way that the Catholic church was being ran, and Martin Luther took it upon himself to do so. He faced the consequences of his actions, excommunication, so that the entire nation could practice religion, without having to give their money to the church. Martin Luther succeeded in changing the way the church was ran and started his own church of Lutheranism. Today, close to 40% of Germans belong to the Lutheran church as well as many other people from many other countries in Europe. This makes me wonder, if Martin Luther had never wrote the 95 Thesis, what would Germany be like today? Would the Pope still be collecting money from his people, would Catholics still think that they can pay to have their sins forgiven? Had he not been so set on his ideals, Germany could be a very different place than what it actually is today. I do not feel that people in the World today would do what Martin Luther did in his time. He opposed authority in order to fight for what he believes, with no fear of the consequences. Most people would back down, would avoid excommunication, would give up, but he never did. I think many people can learn from Martin Luther. If you believe that something is wrong in our society and that it needs to be fixed, fight for what you believe. Too many people are afraid of the consequences that may come if they stand up for what they believe in. But maybe, acting upon your beliefs like Martin Luther did, could cause a revolution in our day.
Good job, Jordan. Try to make specific references to the book. How does Schulze raise questions about Luther. How did society--and not just religion -- change because of Luther?
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