October 31st has biblical significance that many people are unaware of. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed a list of 95 arguments on a church door. This would begin the era known as the Protestant Reformation. Here is a link to a brief overview of why what Martin Luther did was so very significant. And this is a link to all 95 theses. In a nutshell, the list of 95 statements were written out of Luther's frustration concerning the corruption within the Catholic Church.
"One of the major issues that concerned Luther pertained to the matter of church officials selling “indulgences” to the people as a means of releasing them from having to exact penitence for their misdeeds. Indulgences were also claimed by the Church to limit the amount of time the purchaser’s loved one would have to spend in Purgatory. “As soon as the penny jingles into the money-box, the soul flies out [of purgatory].” Luther felt that these church officials were teaching people that they could literally buy their way into the kingdom of God or buy God’s favor. His belief was that the papacy had deteriorated to the point that the people were being led to believe in man-made doctrines. The Pope had the power to limit or do away with penances imposed by the clergy, but he did not have the power to bring about the interior contrition that leads to salvation. Only God could do that. Indulgences are positively harmful, according to the Theses, since they induce a false assurance of peace, and cause the recipients to neglect true repentance."
To read the rest of this article click here.
Here is a great movie on Martin Luther.
Happy Reformation Day 2015!!
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