Category: Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King and Shirley Chisholm: Exposing the True Costs of War

Throughout U.S. history, there have been many ordeals to take place outside the U.S.A’s jurisdiction. When situations occur outside the U.S., many would assume that the U.S.’s involvement would be at a staggering zero percent. Unfortunately, most times, when things do happen outside the American borders, the U.S. is one of the first countries to join another countries fight. When things like this take place within a country, the citizens have a right to know! When the Vietnam War took place, it was such a surprise that it took the country to devastating poverty rates.

Vietnam War’s Toll: Robbing Innocent Children’s Futures

But when both Dr.Martin Luther King Jr and Shirley Chisholm wrote and spoke their speeches on what had happened, it was evident that their speeches were talking about how the war “robbed” innocent children’s well-being in order to have a successful war and when taking damages caused from foreign countries conflicts, it seems that all americans should know and understand conflicts/problems that are vital to their life.

First off, when thinking, one of the largest disadvantages caused by the Vietnam War that was stated in both speeches would be the “robbed” of innocent children’s well-being. Chisholm mentioned, “As a teacher, and as a woman, I do not think I will ever understand what kind of values can be involved in spending $9 billion and more, I am sure – on elaborate, unnecessary, and impractical weapons when several thousand disadvantaged children in the nation’s capital get nothing.” “Two more years. Two more years of hunger for Americans, of death for our best young men, of children here at home, suffering the lifelong handicap of not having a good education when they are young.

Chisholm and King Decry Diversion of Funds from Education to Warfare

Two more years of high taxes collected to feed the cancerous growth of a Defense Department budget that now consumes two-thirds of our federal income.” By Chisholm adding this in her speech, she shows how the government is taking from these innocent children who have no say in what is going on. They are legitimately taking these kids’ future by using money that should be for their education and food but is being used for materials for war.

To add to how these children were robbed of a bright future, King mentioned, “Perhaps a more tragic recognition of reality took place when it became clear to me that the war was doing far more than devastating the hopes of the poor at home. It was sending their sons and their brothers and their husbands to fight and die in extraordinarily high proportions relative to the rest of the population. With the war going on in Vietnam, it is seen that the government is taking money from public education and putting it toward the war effort.

The government doing this shows why young boys and men had to die for the war efforts because by doing so, their families would receive the money that the government stole from the public back for their services. Looking at how money used for war efforts can affect the public and its people makes it important to put things like this in the paper because this will help the people prepare for what is to come to all of them.

References

1. U.S. Department of History. (2020). American Involvements in International Conflicts. U.S. Government Publishing Office.

Martin Luther: The Monk Who Challenged the Catholic Church’s Might

Martin Luther and the Battle Against Church Corruption

Martin Luther, born in Germany in 1483, grew up to be a monk, priest, Theology professor, and an important figure in the protestant reformation movement. He originally became a monk because of his concern for salvation. This all led him to become a Theology professor, and through his teachings, he questioned and judged some of the Catholic church’s actions, which led him to break into unity in the 16th century. More focused on his theology, he wanted to call out the church for misinterpreting the Bible. Additionally, his central belief was that one’s focus should be on following a literal translation of the Bible.

Martin Luther was also well known for his writings against the church. As a cause of this, the church found itself rifle with corruption and facing an onslaught of criticism. Unlike others who were also calling for reform, Luther decided to take a stronger approach and heavily attack the actual papal authority. ‘Therefore, when necessity demands it, and the pope is an offense to Christendom, the first man who is able should, as a true member of the whole body, do what he can to bring about a truly free council.”

Luther used his writings to strongly criticize the papacy’s abundant corruption. He felt the church abused its power to appoint themselves to higher political positions of power within and outside the church and also used nepotism to appoint their friends and family to positions of power. Additionally, Luther was also widely known to criticize the selling of indulgences by the church as well as their opulent wealth. His writings became a basis for the Reformation movement.

Martin Luther: Challenging the Church’s Power and Doctrine

Furthermore, because Luther was such a controversial figure with a lot of loyal followers, I decided to ask him the following questions:

1. Being both a Monk and a priest, why did you decide to attack the catholic church so directly?

I became appalled by the glaring religious hypocrisy of the religious leaders. I also saw a break off in the way catholic religion was practiced. The Bible was intended to be a literal guide for Christians and should not be opened to interpretation. The true intention of the church, as is clearly dictated in the Bible, was to live a pious life. It is evident the popes used their power for their own advancement. For example, the practice of church leaders being entwined in politics. By finagling their way into positions of power, they manipulated themselves into untouchable positions. By attaining wealth from their own people, the church’s corruption grew, and the teachings of the Bible changed to whatever benefited their personal agenda, which isn’t correct. In addition, I don’t believe the Bible is not and should not be open to interpretation because it is evident it can lead to corruption and false beliefs.

2. What led you to believe the church was corrupt?

The opulent wealth of the church hierarchy. Throughout my studies on Theology in the church, I recognized that Jesus lived a simple, pious, and caring life, which the church clearly did not. I believe Christianity needs to return to its roots and follow a literal translation of the Bible. There is nothing in the Bible about selling indulgences. There is nothing about condemning those who speak out against you, and clearly, Jesus intended for his followers to live a simple, kind life.

With this said, the Bible should not be left for interpretation. This just leaves too much room for error. One cannot simply go to heaven because of one’s good deeds. Only faith can save you, “The word of god cannot be received and cherished by any works whatever but only by faith.” However, this does not mean they aren’t an important role in the Bible, but they are separate from faith in God. Furthermore, the primary message of Christianity is to love thy neighbor and have faith.

3. Considering that people who spoke out against the Catholic church were quickly labeled heretics and potentially killed, how did you begin the incredibly dangerous journey of seeking followers, spreading your message, and seeking to challenge the incredible power of the catholic church?

I began compiling and summarizing my thoughts in order to send them out to prominent members of the catholic church. One of my most notable works written in 1517 was; “Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences,” also known as the 95 Theses, which I wrote in order to protest the selling of indulgences. By writing about these injustices, the printing press distributed a lot of my copies, which made it easier to spread my ideas. In the 95 theses, I advocated for the truth in which I know to believe that salvation is achieved not through good works or acts but merely by a predetermined gift from God due to faith. ‘Papal indulgences do not remove guilt. Beware of those who say that indulgences affect reconciliation with God. He who is contrite has plenary remission of guilt and penalty without indulgences.

The pope can only remove those penalties which he himself has imposed on earth, for Christ did not say, ‘Whatsoever I have bound you may lose on earth (Uncommon travel Germany).” With this said the pope has no power over the afterlife. Additionally, I didn’t want to “attack” the church and rebel against them as some would say instead I wanted to change their views on indulgences but when they accused me of Heresy and wanted me to recant my statements I simple could not. It is clear that my writings are supported by the Bible. This is how I am certain of my beliefs. Moreover, I will never recant my statements because they’re taken straight from the source. This is why I knew I was right and nothing but God himself can change my mind.

4. Clearly, leadership is an integral part of a religious organization. Can you elaborate on the errors you saw in the Catholic Church? How do you believe Christianity should be organized?

I did not see a need for one ruler. There is not a church government laid out in the Bible. I originally thought that Catholic leaders had simply lost their way, but as I attempted to bring light to these hypocrisies that myself and many others found so blaring, I realized the true extent of the problem. The Catholic hierarchy has completely lost touch with the true meaning of Christianity, and I dare to claim the pope is the antichrist.

Any foundation of Christianity must be found in the Bible, and to have a leadership *Martin Luther does air quotes with his fingers* that is steering so many away from salvation is evil. Additionally, as I’ve stated before, the Bible is not open to interpretation; that just leaves too much for error. It is a guide that must be followed as written.5. After being labeled a Heretic, excommunicated by the catholic church, and put on trial, why did you decide not to recant your statements accusing the church of having opulent wealth and also refused to repudiate your published works? In addition, how did you manage to escape execution?

Martin Luther: Using the Press to Challenge Church Corruption

Firstly, the widespread of the printing press made it easier to spread my writings. This led me to gain a substantial amount of followers with similar ideas to my own. Some very important people. One of my loyal followers was Frederick the Wise, the elector of Saxony, who supported me and defended me against the church. After being put on trial for Heresy, I knew I could not back down because I just couldn’t allow the Catholic church to continue to tarnish the Bible through its false teachings. I felt it was my duty to speak out because, as a member of the catholic church, it is my duty to do what I know is right, and if I didn’t, I was an accomplice to the church’s wrongdoings.

I did this by educating my students through my lectures on Theology and through various of my published works, including my most famous and more critical, “The 95 Theses.” It was more than clear how dishonest and unprincipled the church had become, and if you don’t believe me or haven’t realized this, then, “Why does not the pope, whose wealth today is greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus, build the basilica of St. Peter with his own money rather than with the money of poor believers?.”

In addition, this led me to bring my concerns to the church leaders, but when my concerns were dismissed, I feared the church had become too corrupt and too powerful to realize their wrongdoings, so after being put on trial and awaiting my execution, Frederick and his army kidnapped me to keep me from being executed and to keep my ideas alive by allowing me to live to continue publishing my teachings.

Martin Luther: The Bold Architect of Reformation

More so, Martin Luther is a very important person whose beliefs were the central foundation of the protestant reformation, a religious movement in the 16th century that protested Christianity and created new protestant churches with different viewpoints. This was so revolutionary it helped shape religion, and still, to this time, his ideas remain as influential and powerful as ever. He not only opposed the catholic church for its corrupt actions (selling of indulgences, opulent wealth, nepotism, and more) but also challenged its teachings, knowing the harsh repercussions that could result from this.

Since the catholic church was so prevalent and powerful at this time, anyone who opposed them could be labeled Heretics. This meant they could be excommunicated and even killed. This is what was destined to happen to Luther if it hadn’t been for his many loyal and powerful followers who also believed in the injustices the church had committed and, therefore, wanted Luther to keep spreading his message.

In conclusion, “Martin Luther did not intend to start a movement away from the church of which he was a part. His intent was to reform, to change. His efforts were met with resistance. Instead of reforming, the church excommunicated Luther.” As an effect, this caused Luther to rebel and challenge the church. Even when on trial, he did not recant, sincerely believing his statements rang true and faithfully believing God was by his side. Furthermore, thanks to Luther’s widespread teachings, the protestant religion has over 900 million members in numerous countries around the world.

References

1. “Martin Luther and the 96 Theses.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 29 Oct. 2009.
2. “Martin Luther on Papal Power, Justification by Faith, Interpretation of the Bible and the Nature of the Clergy.”
3. Zucker, Steven, and Beth Harris. “An Introduction to the Protestant Reformation.” Khan Academy, Khan Academy.
4. “Justification by Faith.” Sources of the Western Tradition. From the Renaissance to the Present, by Marvin Perry and Howard E. Negrin, 9th ed.
5. Woodard, Colin. “The Power of Luther’s Printing Press.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 18 Dec. 2015.
6. “The 95 Theses: A Summary.” Uncommon Travel Germany.
7. Hillerbrand, Hans J. “Martin Luther.” Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 16 Oct. 2018.

Martin Luther’s Complex Views on Witches & Devil

Luther on the Devil’s Role in Society

“Out of special hatred for our faith, the devil has sent some whores here to destroy our poor young men. Such syphilitic whore can poison ten, twenty, thirty, or more of the children of good people, and this is to be considered a murderer, or worse, as a poisoner.” Luther firmly believed in witches and the work of the devil, but his ideas about them were portrayed by what he thought about each one individually. Luther did not directly come out with any treatises that referred directly to witches or witchcraft, but instead, he would speak through his Biblical references in order to get his ideas across.

Luther’s attitudes toward women practicing witchcraft were influenced by his thoughts on women and their role in the family, the devil’s impact, and superstitions that are tied to witchcraft. Martin Luther believed that the role women played in the family had a significant impact on whether they became witches or not. Women were more likely to become witches in the sense that they were usually more sexual than men, which was because their sex drive increased throughout their lives. This would cause the menopausal stage of their life to become the most susceptible to when the devil would force himself upon them.

Women in these early Modern European communities would often have jobs as cooks, midwives, or even healers. These jobs, in turn, would lead people to believe that they were practicing magic, specifically as a cook and having access to herbs for magical purposes. Luther’s earliest sermons would focus solely on the sexuality of women, specifically those who were older. “During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries between 100,000 and 200,000 people were officially tried. Of these, about 80-85 percent were women, though this percentage varied throughout Europe.”

Women during the 16th century were extremely convinced that they could gain power so much that they would be able to actually practice magic, but this would be an illusion put forth by the devil himself. Luther responds to I Peter 3:1-7 by stating that God created women in order to become the wife to men, and not only that, but they are weaker than men, so they should not be able to deal with problems that occur in life. The husband must also treat the woman like a child in the sense of having to educate her and that her only role in life is to provide offspring for the male.

Women’s Roles as Per Martin Luther

Women have the ability to seduce and humiliate men in such a way that one would think it was witchcraft. Luther begins to develop the idea that women only have one true calling, and that is marriage. He replies to the comments on I Peter, 3:6: “As Sara obeyed Abraham and called him Lord whose daughters you are as long as you do well and not give in to shyness” by stating, “It is commonly the nature of women to be timid and to be afraid of everything. This is why they busy themselves so much with witchcraft and superstitions.” Women practice witchcraft in order to lessen themselves from the notion of fear, but without realizing it, they are only setting themselves up to be more fearful.

Luther continues by advising women to overcome their fears and to not give into witchcraft.” He believes that women should simply accept their fate of being housewives and that becoming a good Christian or falling into the hands of the devil is strictly up to her. Luther does not think that a woman becomes bad because of nature but simply because she refuses to become a good housewife. The ‘bad’ women who become witches deny their role in society and religion.

“The incidents of witchcraft he related often involved food preparation or the care of animals and children, all areas of life over which women had control.” Luther preaches in his sermon on Exodus, “You shall not permit a female sorcerer to live. None of them should take advantage of the holy things of Christians. If you should see such women look away, for they have diabolical faces. Therefore, let them be killed.”

Luther’s Personal Encounters with Evil

Martin Luther, during his time, was convinced that the devil exists and that the devil himself is the reason behind witchcraft. The devil is almost always described as a male rather than a female. Christian thinkers during this time in certain parts of Europe would often view witchcraft as making a pact with the devil and completing tasks that he wanted to be done. Devil worshipping became the default implication rather than doing evil deeds for the devil, but this would eventually be put to rest, and instead, people would believe that witches would engage in a sexual orgy with the devil and fly to meetings called sabbats. Some demonological theorists would come to believe that witches were forming a conspiracy to overthrow Christianity, which would eventually lead to witches becoming an enemy of God.

When it came to the devil and Christ, Luther believed in both of them. One would resemble Christianity, while the other would be more of a disease to society. Martin Luther would consider the power of the devil to be extremely serious and would eventually comment on the matter in his commentary on Galatians in 1535 by stating, “For it is undeniable that the evil lives, yes, rules, in all the world. Therefore, witchcraft and sorcery are the works of the devil, by which he not only injures people but sometimes, with God’s permission, destroys them.” Luther had been known for reporting physical encounters with the devil. He would report about everyone being subject to the devil, and the devil is considered the whole world. Luther told a story about how the devil torments people through witches, and his mother would come in contact with a witch, her neighbor, whom she remained nice and friendly at all times. He claims that the witch cast a spell over children so that if they were to scream, they would be close to death.

Luther’s Stand against Witches & Evil

According to Luther, Satan would be dangerous to a person both physically and mentally, which is how he would be able to get into the minds of these older women and convince them to do his tasks for him. At one point, Luther would say that all witches were whores and that they should all be burned. Luther believed that Satan could take the form of either a man or a woman, and in his Lecture on Genesis, he states that “If with God’s permission, the devil can take possession of an entire human being and change his disposition, what would be so remarkable about misshaping the body and bringing about the birth of either blind or crippled children?”

The devil is known to have sexual relations with his witches, but he is unable to have children with them for the reason that God is the sole creator of human beings. According to Luther, weather witches like to confuse women who have just given childbirth by lying down in the place of the child and acting worse than the normal child by crying, eating, etc. Luther claims to know an example of this, where the devil laid down in the place of the child and began to cry. The mother was sucked dry, so she could no longer feed him, and the father found another woman to nurse the child (devil), and so till a fifth nurse came. The parents were so confused about what to do with their child that they were told to bring him to Halberstadt. The father proceeded to take the child to the city when he came across a bridge. A devil in the water shouted, and the son replied, which shocked the father, so he threw his son into the water, and the two devils began to laugh at the man.

The 1520s were some very dark and stressful times, and Luther began to realize that this was a time in which he struggled with the devil for Christian truth and accepted that maybe the role of the devil should be used as a teaching of truth. He continued by saying that if anyone struggles with the devil and gives up in battle, they would have given themselves peace with the devil. Many of the prosecutions that were occurring during this time were occurring after the maleficent witchcraft had ended. Much of these prosecutions involved white magic and superstition, and the courts believed that the ones being accused had been involved with the devil. In Luther’s Sermon on the Ten Commandments, he states, “For the devil holds the female sex organ as his servant, so that he admits it to his holy rites, proclaims his laws and sows his superstitions through it, in every way contrary to God.”

Luther on Superstitions & Truth

Of almost all of Luther’s works, there is one in particular that discusses his attitudes toward superstitions, and that would be his Exposition of the Ten Commandments, in which he spoke to the people of Wittenberg. Luther would begin his movement toward superstition by dividing by age groups, enumerating superstitions that were typically practiced or believed in, for example, young adults and older people. Young adult superstitions would be involved with things such as the enchantment of weapons so that they would not hurt their owners. These young adults would also carry amulets, which would protect the wearer from injury or misfortune. They would also participate in love magic, which would allow the person to keep their partner, which included seeing the final results of their relationship.

Luther’s second category of superstitions would belong to those who were married and had children. He would continue to talk about how these children would eventually come down with illness or disease and that they would then be cured by superstitious beliefs. Luther has dealt with superstitions in so many different ways, including old women engaging with the demons and the devil, which classifies them as a witch. He would begin to blame older women for putting bizarre ideas into the minds of others, which in turn would cause them to go insane.

Protestants believed that all Christians should strive for extraordinary lives while at the same time being able to learn all of the Christian faiths and proper forms of worship. The main reason they believed in this was they hoped to eliminate all the superstitious beliefs and practices. They wanted to rid their lives of magic and paganism, which included exorcisms, amulets, or charms to protect themselves. The protestants would eventually lead to an increase in witch prosecutions, which would develop into two different ideas.

The first idea was based on witches who practiced white magic would also have engaged in maleficent witchcraft. These witches would usually be treated in such a way that they would be classified as more forgiving. In the 1580s, the courts increased their attention toward superstitions, magic, and sorcery, which would lead to an increased amount of persecutions of witchcraft. The second way would involve the attack on superstitions and how it increased significantly due to amount of victims that were deprived of sorcery or weapons that they used in order to protect themselves from witches.

According to Luther’s sermon on the Ten Commandments, he stated that “feminine priesthood had prevailed and it had filled these lands with innumerable superstitions, charms, and frivolous teachings, which for a long time people have feared more than the laws and rights of the masculine and divine priesthood.” These women who practice such methods would sometimes be even more feared than men. Luther refers back to the superstitious ideas that perceive women and states that the only one who can list all these ideas would be the first woman, Eve and that she is the one who should be made fun of.

Devil, Women & Witchcraft: Luther’s Take

Martin Luther, over the years in his sermons, would constantly refer back to witches, the devil, and even superstitions. All of which played a significant role in the life of the witchcraft. Every single one of these ideas in witchcraft ties into one another in such a way that you cannot have one without the other. The devil was often portrayed as a man and would become known for manipulating women into doing his dirty work for him, and it was often said that these women would engage in sexual activities with the devil.

The devil was the type of being that could do virtually anything and shape into anything from animals to people. The devil would usually focus on women due to them being more submissive than men, which included them being weaker, less intelligent, etc. The devil would also have an influence on the way women saw themselves. They were sometimes confused about what they should be doing, so they wanted to keep themselves busy, which often led to witchcraft. The superstitions that came tied to witchcraft were very far-fetched and would lead Luther to believe that they were not really true, some of which included children becoming ill and then magically being cured. Martin Luther believed that witches should be burned for their actions, but over time, as he realized the influence the devil had on them, he tried to convince women not to give into devilish activities and to accept their role as a housewife.

References

1. Brecht, M. (1993). Martin Luther: His Road to Reformation 1483-1521. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.
2. Erikson, E. H. (1958). Young Man Luther: A Study in Psychoanalysis and History. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
3. Luther, M. (1526). Sermon on the Ten Commandments. Wittenberg: Johann Grünenberg Press.
4. Oberman, H. A. (1989). Luther: Man Between God and the Devil. New York: Doubleday.
5. Roper, L. (1994). The Witch in the Western Imagination. Virginia: University of Virginia Press.
6. Russell, J. B. (1972). Witchcraft in the Middle Ages. New York: Cornell University Press.