Da Bauz's Take: PROTESTANTISM, ‘TO BE, OR NOT TO BE’

Protestantism, ‘To Be, or Not To Be’

When is a Protestant, not a Protestant? Let’s look at two (2) non-Roman Catholic Churches that many, even members of Protestant Congregations, call “Protestant Churches” today, the Lutheran Church and the Church of England, the Anglican Church.

First, let us begin with a brief exploration of the Lutheran Church. Martin Luther was according to the Church of Rome and Pope Leo X a heretic ^[1], as were the followers of Martin Luther, for his writing of his “95 Theses” ^[1] in PROTEST of the Papacy; thus enter the name “Protestant”. Even the origin of the name “Lutheran” is a gift from the Roman Catholic Church. “The term Lutheran first originated as a derogatory term used against Luther by Roman Catholics who traditionally named the practice of heresy after its leader, thus labeling the theology teachings of Martin Luther as Lutherans.” ^[2] Even the term Protestant is hardly a flattering term, as the term is as noted above, a derivative of protesting the Church in Rome.

Martin Luther’s Reformation ^[3] began in 1517, and “The Augsburg Confession in 1530 is the first formal Lutheran statement of faith”^[2] according to the “Lutheran Church History, Beliefs, Changes” website. And Martin Luther’s classic proclamation “This one and firm rock, which we call the doctrine of justification, is the chief article of the whole Christian doctrine, which comprehends the understanding of all godliness.” ^[4] was a brazen departure from the traditions, teachings and customs of the Church in Rome of the day. Contrast this with the Church of England, the Anglican (or Episcopalian for our American friends) Church.

The Anglican Church ^[5] seceded from the Papal rule in 1534 when “King Henry VIII was declared head of the Church of England” ^[5] and began in 1532 when “All Bishops were forced to sign a document stating that they would make no new laws without the consent of the King”. ^[6] And the King’s “MO” (modus operandi), if you will, was far less “righteous” (and in fact much more sinister and selfish), than was Martin Luther’s. Interestingly King Henry VIII ^[7] in as early as 1527 was noted for not being an avid supporter of Luther: “In 1527 Henry VIII wrote a book entitled Fidei Defensor. The book criticised Martin Luther and confirmed the status of the Pope.” ^[6] But of course that did not last very long, supporting the status of the Pope that is.

Just six (6) years later in 1533, a year after ‘All Bishops were forced to sign (the above noted) document’, King Henry VIII ^[7] “…passed legislation that removed the Pope's influence in England and had made himself the Head of the Church of England.” ^[6] This of course still begs the question, “WHY” did King Henry VIII ^[7]make such an unabashed proclamation? Was it for the same “noble” reasons and rationale as that of his Contemporary Martin Luther? Did the two work together in collaboration with each other? Let’s first explore very simply the “WHY”, in its absolutely simplest form.

King Henry VIII ^[7]was still married to Catherine of Aragon ^[8]in the late 1520’s when he began to “carry on” (Okay, spade a spade, have an AFFAIR) with Anne Boleyn ^[9]. And the King really really wanted a divorce from Catherine. Of course the Church in Rome, under Pope Leo X, was unwilling to grant King Henry either an annulment or a divorce. Faced with this dilemma, King Henry VIII ^[7]decided to take matters into his own hands, first by way of his self-proclaimed status as Head of the Church of England, and second the Church of England’s subsequent cessation from the Papal rule. Exceedingly selfish, and hardly righteous by any measuring stick, was King Henry VIII’s ^[7] “MO”. So I suppose that also addresses the “Was it for the same “noble” reasons and rationale as that of his Contemporary Martin Luther?” question, with a simple “NO!” Now concerning whether or not the two worked in some sort of collaboration, I would speculate that King Henry VIII’s ^[7] book “Fidei Defensor” ^[6] pretty much clears that one up too, as in “NOPE”.

Thus, as noted above, this “Anglican ^[5]” cessation was vastly different from and radically dissimilar to the Reformation ^[3] of Luther in both raw methodology and function. Yet, although they are both the result of “Protesting Rome’s authority” Protestant the two (2) individual branches of Christendom are radically different.

Where one (1) group, Martin Luther and his followers, seceded from the Church of Rome for theological reasons in Protest to and of Papal ‘sovereignty’, the other one (1) seceded from the Pope’s authority, in Protest over the subjects of marriage, annulments and divorce. Even without exploring the rituals, practices and edicts of each of the two break-away churches, one can readily see (or should be able to see) that, Not All Protestants are or were created equal.

Whether “Protestant” ^[10], “Catholic” ^[11] (a person who belongs to the universal Christian church), but not necessarily “Roman Catholic”, or “Roman Catholic” ^[11], this Christian cares NOT

Would you like to know the one true God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua Ha Mashiach? Please read on.

“Know Jesus, know peace whereas no Jesus, no peace”

How does one get to “know” Jesus? Simple, invite Him into your heart, as Jesus says: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” [Revelations 3:20 NIV] How can we be assured that this Jesus stuff means anything, anything at all? Well because the Bible tells us so, as the Apostle Paul wrote:

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” [Romans 10:9-10 NIV]

And for those of you who say to me, I can’t be bothered reading the Bible, “it’s confusing” or “it’s a waste of my time”, may I draw your attention to what the Bible says about wisdom: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” [Proverbs 9:10 NIV]

If nothing else, PLEASE read two chapters from the Bible – (don’t own one, sorry NO excuse, if you’re reading this, you can access this: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%203:16&version=NIV) John 3 and John 14!

John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

And John 14:6 says: “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

~~~

[1] Martin Luther

http://www.christian-religion-history.com/MartinLuther.html

[2] Lutheran Church History, Beliefs, Changes

http://www.christian-religion-history.com/lutheran-church.html

[3] Protestantism, The Protestant Reformation

http://www.christian-religion-history.com/Protestantism.html

[4] Herbert J. A. Bouman, "The Doctrine of Justification in the Lutheran Confessions," Concordia Theological Monthly 26 (November 1955) No. 11:801.