Martin Luther Rebellion Research Paper

Did Martin Luther help change Europe or did he start a rebellion? Martin Luther was one of the most controversial men during his time. His thoughts and actions caused a tremendous uproar in the European society and Catholic Church. Martin Luther definitely did more harm than good to the church and European society as a whole by ordering the peasants to be killed, criticizing the Jews harshly, and challenging the traditions of the Catholic Church.

Martin Luther ordered for the peasants participating in the rebellion to be killed. “Luther reacted sternly, urging the princes to repress the rebels with every power at their command” (Against The Peasants). It is ironic how he is asking people to kill the peasants when he was the one who basically

“His attacks on the abuses of ruling nobles and the clergy coincided with the growing anger and resentment among knights, peasants, and lower-class townspeople” (Against The Peasants). His thoughts and ideas added more strength to the lower class people giving them an opportunity to revolt. It inspired various groups to raise arms in the revolution. Martin Luther criticizes the peasants for taking action on what he said but how could you blame them? Luther attacked the church and tried to reform it by writing the 95 theses, therefore, claiming he wants something to be changed. So when the peasants attack for a cause because they want a change, they are ordered to be killed by Martin Luther. “They are starting a rebellion, and are violently robbing and plundering monasteries and castles which are not theirs; by this they have doubly deserved death in body and soul as highwaymen and murderers” (Against The Peasants). Not only did Martin Luther start the peasants’

But when the Jews did not abandon their faith, Martin Luther criticized the Jews very harshly. “Martin Luther accepted at face value medieval prejudices against the Jews: that they engaged in sorcery and magic, poisoned the wells of Christians, desecrated the Eucharistic host, and ritually murdered Christian children” (Luther and the Jews). Many could say that Martin Luther was anti-semitic, one who was hostile and discriminated the Jews. Luther felt sympathy for the Jewish sufferings and accused Catholics of being unfair to them. Luther thought he would be able to convince them to convert to Christianity. When they didn’t, Luther launched a diatribe against them advising civil and clerical authorities to treat the Jews harshly. “Then find a better one so that you and we may be free of this insufferable devilish burden-the Jews” (Luther and the Jews). Luther advocated steps to reduce the role of the Jews in the German society in which be did by proposing seven measures. It has been debated if these ideas contributed to the development of anti-Semitism in Germany, providing a foundation for the Nazis to build on. Anyone should be allowed to choose what religion to practice and not have one chose for them. But when the Jews refused to convert to Christianity, Martin Luther furiously attacks them. As well as criticizing the Jews, he also challenged Catholic Church’s traditions. Martin Luther