Martin Luther
Saint or Sinner?
Saint!
Explanation
A saintly man such as Luther calls on God alone. Luther is devout in his religion and he truly trusts God. He has faith that God will answer his prayers, and he has much patience because he knows this.
From The 95 Theses
"Therefore those preachers of indulgences are in error, who say that by the pope's indulgences a man is freed from every penalty, and saved."
Luther posting The 95 Theses on a church door
Explanation
Luther states in his 95 Theses that indulgences are not right and will not free a man from his sins. He says that anyone who preaches those indulgences is wrong for doing so.
Sola Fide
"Only faith"
Explanation
Martin Luther used the term "sola fide" which means "only faith." This solidifies his belief that it is through faith alone that one can be saved. In my opinion, it is saintly of Luther to rely on and trust in his faith in such a concrete way. He was confident that this is the way to God and the only way to God.
Salvation for All
Explanation
Luther believed that there were no set "chosen people", or rather, we are all God's chosen people. He believed that every person could be saved by God's grace.
The truth of the bible
Explanation
Luther believed that the bible held the truth, not the priests. He thought that priests made up parts of what they preached. Through the bible, Luther believed that one could obtain all that they needed to guide them in their faith. This makes him saintly in that he denied what had been taught for many many years and believed what he felt was right and true.
Sinner!
Opinion on Judaism
Explanation
Luther wrote this book in 1543 that was prejudiced against the Jewish people. This is very wrong for him to think that one religion is better than another and to assume that people of another religion are lying. It is a sin to be hateful towards a group of people like Luther did here.
German Peasants Revolt
Explanation
Around 1525, German peasants took Luther's words to the next level. They claimed that serfdom was completely invented by men, and that they should be free people. And so they revolted by not paying taxes, burning churches, etc. Luther didn't like this; he said that his ideals were a spiritual concept, not a physical one. He ordered the rebels to be slaughtered, stabbed, killed, whatever it took. I believe this to be an evil act. The bible states that you shall not murder, so in a way, Luther was going against his own idea of adhering to what the bible says. This makes him a sinner, because murder is, in my opinion, one of the worst sins possible.
Explanation
Luther believed that one could sin endlessly and still be saved, so long as they believed in Christ. That belief alone makes Luther a sinner. He is saying that he can do whatever bad things that he wants, but as long as he believes in Christ, he doesn't have to worry about going to Hell. He can sin over and over and not have to worry. If I correctly understand what he is saying, a murderer who has murdered one hundred people has no worries of going to Hell as long as he has faith in God. That is not true or right
Opposition of the Muslim Faith
Explanation
Luther believed that the Muslim faith was a "tool of the devil." He raised a spiritual war against the Turks and Muslims, and thought that their religion was completely wrong and hated them for it. It is wrong to think that one religion is better than another, and to act hatefully upon another religious group is most definitely a sin.
The Bigamy of Philip of Hesse
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/52/Philip_I,_Landgrave_of_Hesse_and_Christine_of_Saxony.gif
Explanation
King Philip I wanted to marry his wife's lady-in-waiting, and Luther, among others, approved. But he suggested that Philip keep the marriage a secret, to which Philip replied that he could not. Luther then said that if he couldn't keep a secret he should tell a lie instead and deny ever wanting to marry the lady. I would consider this a sin. Intentionally telling such a large lie about an important event like marriage is wrong and sinful, as well as suggesting to do such a thing.