picture from: http://www.valentinev.com/Prazdniki/October/ Reformation/ Martin _Luther-2.jpg
Martin Luther
    Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1483 in Eisleben, Germany.  At the age of seventeen, he entered the University of Erfurt, but when a severe thunderstorm strunk in 1501, a lightening bolt struck so close to Luther that he pledged to become a monk so his would be spared.  From then on his studies switched from a career in law to his entrance into the monestary.  As Martin Luther immersed himself in his theological studies he became obsessed with the sinfulness of the church rather than finding peace in God.  His instructors told him to engulf himself in his studies of the scriptures, but the more he delved into those passages, he believed the church had lost sight of thier true meanings towards Christianity.  As a priest, Luther became involved with the spiritual direction that those in his parish community were experiencing from the outside presences in the church.  He came to see the selling of indulgences as an abuse based on the scripture readings he believed so thoroughly in. 
    
     In response to this evil, Luther nailed the 95 Theses on the dorr of the Castle Church as an "invitation to debate them."(Wikipedia)  The thesis blasted the churches use of indulgences and the greed and corruption of the church.  The fortunate invention of Gutenberg's printing press made the document widely copied and printed throughout Europe.  Pope Leo X concluded that this Luther was "a drunken German who wrote the Theses and when sober will change his mind." (Wikipedia)  Many arguments followed and Luther eventually was threatened to be excommunicated becasue he would not recant his ideals, and on January 3,1521 he was oust from the church.  Charles V held the Diet of Worms to give Luther one more chance in renouncing the 'errors' he ahd written.  Luther prayed on the matter, and came to the conclusion that unless he was proven wrong by the Bible he would not go back on his writtings. 

     Luther's growth in faith started with a simple child like request to not be harmed.  He was raised to be a man concerned with the law, and through his knowledge of the law and how to interpret it, he became destined to use the Bible to counter the growing corruption in the church.  His faith in God was solely focused on the Bible, and evenually led to his disregard of the Pope.  Overall though, Luther's stubbornness shaped the Protestant Reformation and the Churches reformation, and led to the development of hundreds and more religions of different variations, that make up the world today.

"Martin Luther." Wikipedia. (November 2005): Online. Internet. 1 Nov 2005. Available http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_ Luther.

Bates. Laurence. "Martin Luther." (August 2, 1999): Online. Internet. 1 Nov 2005. Available http://www.educ.msu.edu/homepages/lauremce/reformation/Luther/Luther.htm

Hooker, Richard. "Martin Luther." (June 6, 1999): Online. Internet. 1 Nov 2005. Available http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/REFORM/LUTHER.HTM
picture from:  http://www.covenanter.org/Luther/luther.jpg
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