Response to the Reluctant Revolutionary

In the beginning of the film, it is mentioned that Martin Luther's views were greatly opposed by the Pope, especially since they were so popular among many other people.  This strikes me as ironic.  Why, if so many people agreed that a change needed to be made, and many people agreed with Martin Luther’s ideas, was his 95 theses so outrageous?  Yes, it opposed the church and the Pope, but it appealed to the greater population at that time, including some princes even.  Not only does Luther face many threats following his posting of the 95 theses, he takes this negativity and uses it in a positive way to further pursue his ideas about reform.  He could have easily backed down, recanted his ideas, and gone back to his quiet life as a priest.  But instead, he uses the attacks against him as fuel for his fire, realizing that he struck some nerves and must be on to something extraordinary.  He stuck to his ideals to the extent that he was willing to die for them, before ever giving up.  With the newly popular printing press, Luther was able to share his ideas with a greater population and spread his 95 theses throughout Germany.  This allowed him to gain more and more support from others who also believes the Catholic church needed reform.  Without the printing press, Luther’s ideas would have remained short-lived and he would have been sentenced to excommunication before his ideas had been spread.  After realizing the power of the printing press, Luther uses it to spread further ideas that everyone should play a part in the church, not just feed the church money that will then be used solely by the Pope.  It seems that Luther happened to be, with his ideals, in the right place at the right time.  Years earlier and he would not have had a printing press to spread his thoughts, or the attention of the young Roman Emperor.  Luther really took a risk and made a mockery of the Pope.  In that day and age, this alone was highly punishable, but he took the risk to really exaggerate what his ideas where about the Pope and the church.  Luther did everything he could in order to change the Catholic church and take power away from the Pope.  He wasn’t in it for the popularity, but because he really fought for what he believed in, no matter the consequences.  Martin Luther was a role model to those after his, his courage and unwillingness to back down proved to be successful.