Martin Luther Quotes
The devil's bride, Reason, that pretty whore, comes in and thinks she's wise, and what she says, what she thinks, is from the Holy Spirit, who can help us, then? Not judges, not doctors, no king or emperor, because reason is the Devil's greatest whore.
Martin Luther, 1483-1546, German Theologian & Founder of Protestantism, Last Sermon in Wittenberg, January 17, 1546
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
This quotation, 500 years later, would be used by American anti-Catholics to justify their antipathy to the Catholic Church. This was about a most undemocratic statement about the common man and his capabilities which was completely counter to the American view. The fact that it was 500 years past or that many American Catholics did not believe it or that even if they did, it was restricted to matters of theological faith, was not considered by the Know-Nothings and others.
The Pope was justifying his earlier excommunication of Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV who in turn excommunicated Pope Gregory.
Gandhi was asked if the King had offered and encouragement for Indian Independence from England.
The anti-intellectualism of many Protestant sects has its roots in this view of Martin Luther’s. The notion of reason as practiced by scientists as a hindrance to religion is not a new notion. Religious leaders have been trying to silence and discredit philosophers and scientists as long as there has been religion. Socrates was killed long before Christianity.
Liberal has a somewhat different meaning in English politics than the word as used in America. In England, the opponents of conservatives are of the Labour Party. The Liberals are a third party who on some issues are liberal in American terms and on others, conservative. However, they are very tolerant and somewhat intellectual.
This is a very interesting quotation for it is a stark illustration of a difference between science and many religions that exists, albeit to a lesser extent. The Church fathers had decided that astrologers and alchemists were in league with the Devil and therefore were to be avoided and not heeded. But Augustine clearly tells us that this is so, even of the astrologers / alchemists were right and had the truth. To the scientist the truth trumps all else. To Augustine, avoiding contamination with the Devil—heresy—is more important than learning the truth. The same sort of logic has been a part of much political culture. When the Communists would decry American Racial discrimination, much of the society claimed that, their ideas should not be considered. Communists were evil and to be shunned—even if they were right about a particular area. To the Tea Party of the early 21st century, elite liberals were to be shunned and discounted even if they sometimes had the truth on their side. The origin of the thinking is with Saint Augustine.
Martin Luther, O.S.A. was a German professor of theology, priest, author, composer, Augustinian monk, and a seminal figure in the Reformation. Luther was ordained to the priesthood in 1507. He came to reject several teachings and practices of the Roman Catholic Church; in particular, he disputed the view on indulgences. Luther proposed an academic discussion of the practice and efficacy of indulgences in his Ninety-five Theses of 1517. His refusal to renounce all of his writings at the demand of Pope Leo X in 1520 and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms in 1521 resulted in his excommunication by the pope and condemnation as an outlaw by the Holy Roman Emperor.
