They both changed the church by limiting its power over land and many followers of the church ran from the church joining either the Church of England or joining the protestant reformation. They both gave the people a choice from just being a catholic they could be a part of the Church of England or become a protestant. Their choices affected everyone that came after them day we are affected by these men’s choices. Although these men are alike in some ways they are very different. Luther wrote the “95 Theses” because he saw that the church was doing wrong and he decided that it should be changed.
In the 16th century the church played a huge role in the lives of people in Europe, however, in some parts and Germany in particular, the Church was seen as not responding to the appetite for spiritual fulfillment and failing in some of its duties. The Church was involved not just spiritually but economically, politically and educationally; therefore, any corruption within the Church had consequences all over Christendom. The role of the Church was to perform the seven sacraments in order for Catholics to reach their goal – salvation. Firstly, the Church was resented because it was corrupt. This was resented in Germany because it seemed hard to obtain salvation and live a spiritual life when the representatives of Christianity were dishonest.
Reformation of the Church Despite the similarities of scripture and the beliefs of followers during the Lutheran and Catholic reformation their differences kept the two sides apart as enemies. During the start of the sixteenth century, people were displeased with the corruption and specials favors the church offered to few individuals which started a great Reformation. People from all social classes began to resent the power behind the church and question their authority to decide who gets into heaven. While the starting point of the Lutheran Reformation was when Martin Luther posted his theses, that caused the beginning of a long needed Reformation across Europe. The ideas of the Reforms came from the side of Martin Luther and the common people of the Catholic church who had started to question the clergy of the Catholic Church such as the pope.
Christians are split on their views and are varied on opinions on this particular subject. Some Christians agree with saviour siblings and others do not. Firstly, many Christians would agree with the statement, “Christians should never support the idea of saviour siblings.” This is mainly because to get a saviour sibling many other embryos are discarded and destroyed. Christians who believe in the sanctity of life will opposes saviour siblings because it is against Gods Law. In the bible it says, “You shall not murder.” (Deuteronomy 5:17) This clearly states that.
9- The common masses were also unhappy with the Pope and church: not only unhappy with the prevailing corrupt practices in church and the flimsy grounds- on which the church collected funds from innocent people- but also disliked its interference in the secular affairs; some clergymen took keen interest in politics. 10- The rulers were eagerly looking for someone to provide them a lead for a
This could suggest that, however authoritative and invincible Henry may have presumed himself to be, the people still both feared and respected God more, and were not willing to chance accepting him as the ‘Head of the Church of England’. For those people who had spent their lives upholding the values and traditions of the Catholic church, it must have seemed highly insulting to be told that the religious figures to whom they looked for guidance were greedy and corrupt. Since the people were generally quite opposed to Henry’s choice of bride- Catherine was a friend to them, and as a devoted Catholic, many believed they would be betraying her in her time of need and driving her from the English throne, should they comply with new practices- although Anne’s beliefs that every man should be able to read the words of God in his own language should have been popular with the lower classes, this proved not to be the case. The Pilgrimage of Grace is another example of evidence to suggest popular views towards the church. Lead by barrister Robert Aske, the Pilgrimage was in response to Cromwell’s disillusionment of the monasteries.
Luther and Henry VIII’s motives for reform sprung from entirely different sources. Luther disagreed with the Catholic church over the doctrine that allowed the selling of indulgences to lay people. After study of the Scriptures, Luther decided that salvation was achieved not by indulgences or even good works, but only by faith alone. Henry VIII’s reasons for his break with the church came from his desire to divorce his wife at the time, Catherine, and marry Anne Boleyn. He asked Pope Clement VII to announce that the king’s previous marriage to Catherine of Aragon was invalid.
The King was a keen theologian, and was prepared to incorporate evangelical ideas into his new Church where he saw fit. But he wasn't comfortable with the alterations, and from 1539 onwards he reversed most of his previous policies. In 1539 the Act of Six Articles returned the Church to unambiguous Catholic orthodoxy apart from papal supremacy. Amongst other things, transubstantiation and auricular confession were reaffirmed. Clerical marriage, which had crept in, was condemned, and vows of chastity were now held to be unbreakable.
However one fact remains, both individuals went against the church by defying both it's legitimacy and power as well as it’s power, but as aforementioned, for very different purposes, but in both cases resulted in earning the title of heretic. Another area in which contrast could be seen between the two “heretics” was what one could call the outcome of their heretic practices against the church. In the case of Martin Luther he was excommunicated and sought after, but even more significantly he never recanted for his work nor apologized for it or for his clear contradiction against the Church. While on the other hand, Galileo recanted all his works, and suffered only a sentence of house arrest as a result. Each man although both suffered the burden of the title of being a heretic, each earned the infamous title through different manners, and each suffered contrasting consequences as a result of what was regarded as heretical practices.
Question 1: Anne Hutchinson was a threat to Puritan society in a combination of ways that other dissenters were not, which is the reason she was banished. The Puritan society in Massachusetts was established not so that people can exercise freedom of religion, but only so the Puritans can freely exercise their religion. These were a very intolerant people of any one else’s religious belief; and, their leaders did everything possible to keep other religions from prospering. Their main belief was that the entire community had to follow God’s laws as interpreted by their leaders and if they did then God would reward them. However, if the entire community did not follow God’s laws then the entire community would be punished.