Martin Luther
...han himself and his personal faith and relationship with God. This conflict caused Luther’s beliefs to be construed as heresy and his public statements as rebellion against the church. Martin Luther felt unable to express his values under the constraints of “ecclesiastical laws,” resulting in his targeting the structure of the church that he viewed as un-Christian. His main grievances concerned the selling of indulgences and the misuse of the Catholic sacraments. Luther believed in confession, but he felt the best penance was strengthening one’s faith in God rather than compensating for past iniquity. He disliked the allowances that the papacy made for priests and those who were wealthy enough to buy the church’s favor, yet he thought of himself as more of a progressive Catholic than a dissenter. He outlined in his ninety five theses as well as numerous other writings on the distortions that had occurred as a result of the power distribution in the church. He mainly took issue with priests who elevated themselves as closer to God’s place in society, as he believed that no human was truly deserving of salvation and good works had little to do with spiritual piety. Luther’s values were based on human equality as children of God and a sense of inclusion to strengthen faith. He believed greatly in the teachings of Paul on the construction of the early church, especially that it should function as “one body, though each member does its own work to serve the others.” Luther effectively conveys his grievances with support from the Bible and undisputable discrepancies within the priesthood’s practices. He makes the argument that the church lacks unity although they have “one baptism, one gospel, one faith, and are all Christians alike; for baptism, gospel, and faith, these alone make spiritual and Christian people.” He emphasizes the necessity of faith above works, stating that Catholicism had become a set of unchanging rituals governed by the unquestionable reign of the papacy. He believes that sacraments are merely symbols of a much deeper meaning, and must be accompanied by understanding of the word of God to gain full significance. One of his most salient points is his raw contrast of priests and laymen, stating that “the only real difference is one of office and function, and not of estate…” He writes of his Christian ideals versus the focus on structure and standing as gau...