Threat of Lutheranism to the Catholic Church Essay Example for Free

Threat of Lutheranism to the Catholic Church Essay The end of the fifteenth century had left Christendom with a Church in great need of reform. The Church had been greatly weakened by the events of the past few centuries. The fourteenth century’s Great Famine and Black Death had battered the public’s trust in the Church, as had the Papal Schism spanning from 1378-1417. When the ideas of Martin Luther began to spread in the early 1500s, the Church became afraid for its power, its reputation, and its finances. Luther was promising people that they would be saved through their faith alone—what place did that leave for the Church and its teachings? In any other time in human history, Luther’s ideas likely would have been quietly beaten down and buried, but a very unique set of circumstances allowed the ideas of a small-town monk and professor to take on the immense power of the Catholic Church. While others’ ideas could be ignored, the Church was intensely threatened by Luther because his ideas questioned the role and necessity of their already-weakened institution, called for an end to indulgences, endangered social stability, and exposed the failings of the Church by returning to the Bible as the only source of God’s truth. Two hundred years before Luther came onto the Church’s radar, the Catholic Church was enjoying great power and success. The Church leaders wielded considerable influence on all matters in Christendom. Even those who felt discontent with the Church were too afraid to rebel against its order, fearing the loss of their salvation. The despair of the Great Famine and Black Death, however, greatly destabilized the Church’s position. The people of Europe had placed so much faith in the Church, yet what could they think when their priests and monks proved susceptible to the plague, dying in higher numbers than the common people? Should not the Pope, with his power bestowed by God, be able to stop this famine and disease from ravaging the continent? Should God not save His people? The doubts of the people caused the first real murmurings of religious upheaval, made even worse by the Papal Schism. The schism caused people to not only question the power of the Church, but to wonde r who was really in charge and from what source his authority came. The weakness of the Church in the wake of the famine and plague led to the prominence of potential reformers in the late 1300s and early 1400s. John Wycliffe and Jan Hus preached the desire for the Church to return to a humbler form, one bereft of extreme wealth and grandeur. Both men hailed the importance of putting the Vulgate into the vernacular so the common man could understand it. Though they both lived many years before Luther, their teachings caused great anxiety in the Church, and their actions helped to lay the groundwork for the Protestant Reformation. One of the greatest reasons the Church was already feeling so threatened and vulnerable when Luther started preaching was because of the discoveries of Lorenzo Valla. Valla, a student of Petrarch’s humanist schools, had spent time studying the Donation of Constantine, the document from the Emperor Constantine giving the Catholic Church authority over the entire Roman Empire. After examining the document, Valla came to the conclusion that it was a forgery and, thus, completely voided. His essay revealing the forgery was circulated for many years and finally officially published in 1517. The Church, having using the Donation of Constantine for centuries to validate its power over Christendom, flatly rejected Valla’s logic. After the blows of the last century, the delicate Church could not afford for people to start questioning its authority. The combination of the effects of the Great Famine, the Black Death, the teachings of Wycliffe and Hus, and the discovery of Valla left the Church in a very vulnerable position. When Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses up on the door of a Wittenberg Church, the Church leaders were understandably threatened. The last thing they needed were more attacks on their teachings and influence. By challenging the people of Wittenberg to a debate on his theses, Luther made himself even more of a threat because he was forcing the people to think. People who had complacently followed church teachings all their lives were now being told to question the things they had taken for granted. The Church had even more reasons to be threatened by Luther. The availability of the printing press at this time allowed for Luther and his friends to disseminate his teachings throughout all of Germany. Once Luther’s ideas had spread, the Church ran into even more problems with Luther. Luther refused to back down from his ideas, even after Pope Leo X sent a cardinal to reason with him. Despite their frustration, the Church was unable to put Luther to death because of protection from Friedrich the Wise, the ruler of Luther’s district. Friedrich, quite pleased with the attention that is coming to his district, refuses to hand over Luther to church authorities. The Church leaders were always threatened by voices of dissent against them, but could, under normal circumstances, quickly put the dissenter to death for heresy. Luther proved a great threat because Friedrich’s protection allowed him to remain unharmed and able to write and distribute his teachings. While the circumstances leading to Luther’s rise to prominence had already put the Church on high alert, it was also the content of Luther’s teachings that caused them great panic. The cornerstone of Luther’s teachings was that â€Å"whoever has faith will have everything† (Luther 13). He preached that faith in God was the only thing required for salvation. Luther’s teachings stood in stark contrast to those of the Church, which emphasized ceremonies, indulgences, and the seven Sacraments. The followers of the Church had been told that money and good works could get them into heaven, only now to be told that â€Å"if a man were not first a believer and a Christian, all his works would amount to nothing and would be truly wicked and damnable sins† (Luther 39). If people were to believe that salvation were to only be gained through their own personal faith, then what role would the Church play? According to Luther, they no longer needed the Church to administer the Sacraments, to intercede on their behalf, or to use indulgences to free themselves and loved ones from Purgatory. The Church, for so many centuries in a position of political and religious authority, could not stand for these teachings, teachings that devalued them to nothing. While the Church was greatly threatened by the effect of Luther’s ideas on its own power, there was also concern for their effect on social stability. At this time period, politics and religion were intricately linked. Political leaders and church leaders all came from wealthy families. High-ranking parents were able to pay church leaders to secure their sons a role such as bishop or pope. People who were born peasants were peasants for their whole lives. The stability of this system was deeply rooted in religion. Traditional church teachings were needed because they â€Å"legitimized social hierarchies and political authority† (Diefendorf 4). To avoid discontent among the peasants and to retain their positions, Church leaders taught that people were born into the roles that God desired for them. Peasants were meant to be peasants, and kings were meant to be kings. People were taught that trying to change their station in life was akin to rebelling against God and would surely warrant eternal damnation. When Luther began teaching the idea of â€Å"justification by faith alone,† it called this system into question. How would social mobility forfeit salvation if faith was all that was required to be saved? The teachings of Luther alarmed all political leaders, not just those affiliated with the Church, because of the fear that these new ideas would disrupt the social order and their place within it. Despite the panic of the religious and political leaders, Luther’s ideas continued to spread throughout Christendom, gaining followers and driving people away from the Church. The Church would have had nothing to fear from Luther if they had not strayed so far from the Bible and its teachings. They viewed Luther as the threat, but his ideas were largely based in their own wrongdoing. The Church had become arrogant, greedy, and manipulative. In their desire to build grand basilicas and seize political power, they became consumed by the â€Å"completely depraved, hopeless, and notorious godlessness† that Luther detected (Luther 79). They were using fear to motivate their followers and had sunk so low as to sell salvation. I think the biggest reason the Church was so fearful of Luther’s teachings was because they sensed how much truth they contained, and they knew that the common people sensed it too. The Church had chosen to ignore its fallibility and had started writing rules in God’s place. They were out of line, and Luther drew attention to it. I think the Church knew how much they had strayed, knew they had wandered down a dark and evil path, but felt they were too far-gone. The Church was a powerful entity, and its leaders knew they had to keep being viewed that way. They could not be seen as weak or indecisive, or the common people would seize on that failing. When Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses onto a Wittenberg church door in 1517, no one could have predicted the enormous effect his ideas would have. His ideas were thrown into the world at the exact right time and were heard by the exact right ears. His idea of â€Å"justification of faith alone† was enough to rouse a whole continent, enough to provoke battles and bloodshed in town after town. Despite being a single man, his ideas were enough to draw the interest, and ire, of the Pope and the Emperor. The Church was so intensely threatened by Luther because of their already-weakened state, his promise of salvation through faith alone, his insistence on the end of indulgences, his danger to social stability, and their own possible realizations that there was truth in his words. The truth of it is, though, that the Church was threatened not by a common monk in a small town, but by the strength of an idea that was strong enough to move millions.

Cold War Essay :: essays research papers

THE COLD WAR The Cold War was a very complex war. Many ideas, conflicts and emotions were going on. This was a major turning point for the word war. War became a much more powerful word. However, this war did bring the people together to work at solutions like none other. We have learned from this experience. The Cold War could have been prevented. Franklin Roosevelt gave Eastern Europe to the Russians at Yalta. When Roosevelt negotiated at Yalta, he was not feeling the pain and needs of the people in Nazi concentration camps and the fire bombings. However the rest of Europe wanted revenge for this. They wanted reparations and a guarantee that this would never happen again. Roosevelt did not give them what they wanted. It could have been prevented if Roosevelt had taken advantage of his negotiating position in Yalta, the Soviets would not have created the buffer zones. If these were not created Russia would be much more vulnerable. Also Russia would have been isolated from Europe by a distance. With its advancements in technology the Soviet Union was fast connecting with Europe. No more was it isolated, it became the center of attention. Had Russia not been invalid with the political struggles of Europe, its power and interest after WW2 would have declined. Even with its nuclear capabilities, Russia would have been far less likely to use such a devastating device, had the country’s political involvement declined to pre-war levels. It was the Iron curtain which brought Russia to the limelight, and it was also Roosevelt who sold the land to Stalin for which he could build his buffer zone. Its somewhat ironic that a buffer zone brought Russia closer to the west. The arms race could have been prevented, but not stopped. It can be explained like this: There are two obvious options to build weapons or to not build. If no power was building then there would be an incentive to build. Once this power starts to build the other powers have no choice but to build (or be completely â€Å"powerless†). There are a way to solve this however. I suggest either there is some policy to not start an arms race. Of course this is difficult to monitor but is better than nothing.

Controversial issues of traditional arts Essay

â€Å"Ulek Mayang† could be haunted. – it is a Malay traditional dance from the state of Terengganu in Malaysia accompanied by a unique song called Ulek Mayang – the lyrics were changed (no one knows the real lyrics) – the song remains popular and there are several contemporary interpretations of the song – the original dance is to honor the spirit of the sea. The modern dance has no elements of worship, it’s more to music and dance. – After the arrival of Islam, such practice has been stopped and the Ulek Mayang dance is only preserved to be part of the Malay culture. – Even now, Ulek Mayang is nicknamed the ‘Most Haunted Culture in Malaysia’.- However, some fishermen still practice this ritual. Agree: – Some people claim that the song is haunted because it gives goosebumps and creepy feelings especially when it is performed at sunset by the beach – People tend to avoid practising it nearby any beaches around the world, as according to the ancients’ beliefs; those 7 Sea-Princesses shall always guard the 7 Seas. Whoever that breaks certain rules, no matter where they are, will pay the price. There has been cases of tourists jumping into the sea for no reason after they performed Ulek Mayang along the north-eastern beaches of Peninsular Malaysia. Some cases happen on land too. Going missing and receiving ‘visits’ were the greatest fear whenever one performs Ulek Mayang. Disagree: – According to ustaz, Ulek Mayang is not a ghost or jin. It’s a popular song in Terengganu and is a type of â€Å"lagu rakyat†. – The Ulek Mayang song used nowadays has been shortened as Malays count the full song as ‘worshipping spirits’ which is syirik in Islam. – The Malaysian rock diva, Ella once sung the song in a rock version Poco poco – dance choreographed with sequence of steps. – it is a type of aerobic dance – believed to originated in Indonesia more than 20 years ago – Mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Fatwa Negeri Perak banned poco- poco because they believe it is derived from Christianity. Agree: – The dance originated from Jamaica and is actually a cult dance – There are many Christian rituals to it as the moves reflect the making of a cross and so is unacceptable in Islam Disagree: – The Malaysian Muslims are confused. – There is no any literature or practical evidence showing that poco-poco is derived from Christianity either in Indonesia, Philippine or Jamaica. – Poco poco movements with cross design can not be a sufficient justification because movement of left and right sides is a natural human movement. Even when human stretch his hands, it can be considered illegal if the method resembles the cross. Mahsuri’s curse: Myth or Legend? Summary: One day while Mahsuri’s husband was away fighting a war, Mahsuri offered shelter to a wandering minstrel. For that, Mahsuri was accused of committing adultery by the village chieftain’s wife. The village chieftain who was still smarting over Mahsuri’s rejection of his earlier marriage proposal, ordered Mahsuri to be condemned to death. It was said that at her execution Mahsuri bled white blood signifying her innocence. At her last breath, Mahsuri was said to utter a curse on Langkawi for which the island will remain barren for seven generations. Agree: – Many locals of Langkawi believe the legend to be true due to failed crops after Mahsuri’s death. – According to recorded history, the Siamese invaded Langkawi not long after Mahsuri’s death and razed the island to the ground with a scorched earth policy. And coincidentally, Langkawi did not become a major tourist hotspot until the birth of Wan Aishah bt Wan Nawawi, the seventh generation descendant of Mahsuri. Disagree: – Some people think Mahsuri’s story most likely is real and the killing of Mahsuri most likely took place, but the curse of Langkawi and her white blood must be a part of myth because there is no prove or evidence. – in this modern and science world, people think it’s logically untrue for a normal human being to have white blood

The Most Common Place Names in America

Is there a place name that exists in all 50  U.S.  states? It depends on what you count as a city, town, or village—for example, whether a township name counts as a town and whether youll count county names as well, as they also contain populations. Sources vary widely as to what is the most prolific place name throughout the United States. This piece follows World Atlass numbers for count and MSN for the largest city with that name. Washington (88) Although Springfield is commonly thought of as the most prolific place name in the United States, Washington is the most common, according to World Atlas, with 88 place names. There are even more if you count places where Washington is only a portion of the name. Springfield (41) Springfield is in second place, coming in with 41 cities and towns named it, the first being in Massachusetts, naturally, in 1636, after a city in England. Its a long-running debate among fans of the animated TV series The Simpsons as to which state the family actually lives in, because Springfields are seemingly everywhere and the TV series makes a point never to specify which state theyre in. Franklin (35) In third place is Franklin, with 35 cities and towns named after founding father Benjamin Franklin, who was integral in the Declaration of Independence, served as an ambassador to France, and helped establish the U.S. Postal Service. The most populous Franklin city is in Tennessee and has  68,549 residents as of 2017. Greenville (31) A lot of city and town founders must have enjoyed the scenery where they put down roots, as the name Greenville is next, with 31 U.S. instances. The name appears coast to coast. One of the first founded was in South Carolina,  in 1786. Bristol (29) If there are any city names that sound as if it were plucked straight out of Britain, the place name of Bristol has to be at the top of that list. It has 29 cities and towns named after it in the United States, and in Britain, its historically been a commercial center and important seaport. Clinton (29) The first tie on the list comes up here, with the moniker of Clinton also notching 29 instances in the United States. New York state alone has three Clinton place names, the village, town,  and county of. The most populous city by that name is in Maryland, with more than 39,000 inhabitants, and the city in Arkansas wasnt named after its governor turned president but after New York governor DeWitt Clinton. Fairview (27) Fairview might be popular around the country as a name, but the cities across the United States must be fairly small if the most populous is the one in New Jersey at just over 14,000 residents. Founders of these cities must have liked the scenery around their location and realized that the name Greenville was already taken. Salem (26) Of the 26 Salems in the country, the one in  Massachusetts is where the infamous 1692 witch trials were.  The city in Oregon is the largest, though, coming in at just over  160,000 in population. Madison (24) Known for his work on  US Constitution and the Bill of Rights, fourth president James Madison has 24 place names sprinkled throughout the United States that carry his surname. The largest city is the capital of Wisconsin, which has  243,122  people living there. Georgetown (23)   Being that Washington is tops, its no surprise that George towns  also make this list. The United States has 23 Georgetowns, in fact, though some could have been named for other Georges or even the former king of England. Georgetown, Texas, is the largest city, with a population of  56,102.