Several years ago I taught world history to junior high school students and the textbook had a modest amount devoted to Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation.
When dealing with students who are 12, 13, and 14 years old, you sometimes have to explain things clearly and carefully from the very beginning.
"Don't get Martin Luther confused with Martin Luther King Jr.," I told them. "Martin Luther was a German who lived in the 1500s. Martin Luther King Jr. was an American who lived in the 1900s."
"Both were Christians and both were great men," I continued. "But they lived on two different continents and were separated by more than four centuries."
Then I pointed out that there was an interesting connection between the two men, in that the American got his name from the German.
Michael King originally named his son Michael King Jr. but the elder King was so impressed by the impact of Martin Luther that he changed his name and the name of his son.
From that point on, it was Martin Luther King and Martin Luther King Jr.
As history tells us, both Martin Luther and Martin Luther King Jr. were courageous men who stood up for what they believed was right. And, as a result, both brought about great change in their respective countries, and in the world.
On Oct. 31, it will be exactly 500 years since Martin Luther is credited with posting his famous 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany.
Luther had been studying his Bible intently for years, and he felt that there were beliefs and practices within the church that were wrong and should be openly debated. Placing debate topics on the church door was customary in Germany 500 years ago.
The fact that he followed the protocol in posting the debate topics on the door on Oct. 31, 1517, is not what is significant. What is important is that it marked the beginning of a major movement within all of Christianity, a movement that called for a simpler faith, a firm reliance upon the Bible, and a more independent Christian pilgrimage for each believer.
Luther had come to believe, based upon his understanding of scripture, that popes and priests and church indulgences were actually keeping people away from God and keeping them in spiritual
Editorial on 10/25/2017