I want to believe (in the sense of "belief"). I don't contradict truth — Gregory
And I am saying that this
"tolerant" belief where everyone can believe what they want, does not endure, and only weakens. At some point
- in the near or distant future - a new religion will be strong enough to turn itself hegemonic, and with it, new virtues and values will be created
- the most probable candidate is Islam, but who knows if the west will not create a peudo-christian marxist belief and eventually synthetize that as a religion. -.
Luther had created the fragmentation that would eventually become the main symptom of the eventual secularization of Christianity - individual interpretation of the gospels -. And it is obvious that Christianity - as it was hegemonic until the end of the 15th century - would reach the Enlightenment anyway, with Protestant reform or without. Luther with his religious dogmas of "trying to return to a more "pure" and "faithful" church" was nothing more than individual resentment of someone who did not have what others achieved in the institution of the church. Contrary to what some say, where "the Catholic church was anti-Semitic during the Middle Ages", Luther was one of the first Christians - not to be confused with the term "Catholic", as Luther was already calling himself a Protestant - to advocate a real and conscious seek to problematize and criticize european jews. Quoting Luther:
"What shall we Christians do with this rejected and condemned people, the Jews":
"First, to set fire to their synagogues or schools … This is to be done in honor of our Lord and of Christendom, so that God might see that we are Christians ... Second, I advise that their houses also be razed and destroyed. Third, I advise that all their prayer books and Talmudic writings, in which such idolatry, lies, cursing, and blasphemy are taught, be taken from them. Fourth, I advise that their rabbis be forbidden to teach henceforth on pain of loss of life and limb … Fifth, I advise that safe-conduct on the highways be abolished completely for the Jews. For they have no business in the countryside ... Sixth, I advise that usury be prohibited to them, and that all cash and treasure of silver and gold be taken from them … Seventh, I recommend putting a flail, an ax, a hoe, a spade, a distaff, or a spindle into the hands of young, strong Jews and Jewesses and letting them earn their bread in the sweat of their brow … But if we are afraid that they might harm us or our wives, children, servants, cattle, etc., … then let us emulate the common sense of other nations such as France, Spain, Bohemia, etc., … then eject them forever from the country ..."
Luther was neither a Christian nor a scholar, but a simple resentful who had been given the power to communicate to the world
- until then, Europe - through the mass printing of his writings. Thanks to him, we live in a period where a
"pantheon of interpretations of God" exists. For these and other reasons, it is logical that the Pope
- being a strong and charismatic leader - Leo X, would act fast against this heretic. Not only was the stability of the church at stake, but the entire structure that kept its values and morals intact.
What about Leo X's decree against Luther? Are we to burn heretics to death like it suggests? — Gregory
Are you talking about the papal bull
"Exsurge Domine" - Arise, O Lord -? If so, let's analyse it:
Leo X & Exsurge Domine.
"With the advice and consent of these our venerable brothers, with mature deliberation on each and every one of the above theses, and by the authority of almighty God, the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and our own authority, we condemn, reprobate, and reject completely each of these theses or errors as either heretical, scandalous, false, offensive to pious ears or seductive of simple minds, and against Catholic truth. By listing them, we decree and declare that all the faithful of both sexes must regard them as condemned, reprobated, and rejected . . . We restrain all in the virtue of holy obedience and under the penalty of an automatic major excommunication...."
"...we likewise condemn, reprobate, and reject completely the books and all the writings and sermons of the said Martin, whether in Latin or any other language, containing the said errors or any one of them; and we wish them to be regarded as utterly condemned, reprobated, and rejected. We forbid each and every one of the faithful of either sex, in virtue of holy obedience and under the above penalties to be incurred automatically, to read, assert, preach, praise, print, publish, or defend them. ... Indeed immediately after the publication of this letter these works, wherever they may be, shall be sought out carefully by the ordinaries and others [ecclesiastics and regulars], and under each and every one of the above penalties shall be burned publicly and solemnly in the presence of the clerics and people."
At no point do I see an ambiguity in favor of
"burning the heretics" as you said. What Pope Leo X wanted to convey with this papal bull was the message that the interception of Luther's biblical scriptures
- and his followers - was tainted by his personal views on the scriptures, and that this would harm the european institution as a whole
- I agree that the burning of the books only gave more arguments in favor of Luther, and that the Pope Leo X could have been more pragmatic in this regard, however, he tried to act as quickly as possible -. Luther was not doing the church and its followers a favor, but unconsciously, doing it for his own self-realization to the detriment of all.