For 1500 years of Christianity, there was nothing like different denominations. Being a Christian was simply being Catholic. Remember I said one thousand five hundred years.
In 1517, everything changed. The key player to this change was a Catholic priest from Augustinian congregation by name Martin Luther.
Most of us may have heard or read about the Protestant Reformation. Some people have praised Martin Luther for breaking out from the Catholic Church. Some have praised him for his boldness to confront an organization that had stood for 1500 years before him. Some have also accused him of biting the fingers that fed him.
Depending on who is telling the version of the story of what happened during the reformation, at least, everyone agrees that the reformation was the starting point to the proliferation of churches that has continued till date.
But, there is something, something very important, something that is not often mentioned whenever people talk about Martin Luther and why he left the Catholic Church. Yet, that something is the major reason behind the reformation. That something is one of the arguments supporting the reformation that is still valid till today.
That something is the fact that the church at that time was accused of SELLING INDULGENCE.
I will explain but just so that we are clear. . .
Martin Luther’s criticism of the church was not about whether Mary had sex with Joseph or not and still remained virgin. It was not about Peter’s statue in Rome whether he had beard or not or is it about Jesus’ cross whether it was a tree or a plywood.
The issue was centered around abuse carried out in the church by church leaders, the abuse was hinge on the sells of indulgence. Or let me put it in ways we will understand it today: selling of forgiveness, selling salvation, selling of God’s mercy etc.
In the time of Luther, people could buy indulgence for sins committed by donating money. The more the money the more the indulgence you could buy. It was even pushed further in ways that people can even buy indulgence for sins yet to be committed or for friends or families. No doubt, there were abuses. Whether Luther’s approach in calling things to order and subsequently founding his own Church was the best or not is a topic for another day.
But for now, we just have to acknowledge that we are repeating History in the way we preach Christianity today.
It is heartbreaking that the same Protestants and the Christian churches that are called Pentecostals who praise Martin Luther for the reformation are still the ones telling people that without paying tithes they won’t receive God’s blessings and they will die. Thus, they tie God’s blessings to money. That is the modern way of selling indulgence.
It is funny how in churches these days, those with 500k donations collect the “biggest” blessings from ministers with laying of hands. Those with 1k are asked to run to the altar to throw it on the floor. Those that have none are doomed.
Even in our harvest and bazaars, church committee in their bid to be creative to make parishioners to bring out money, they will sell apples, handkerchiefs, candles. They will tell people, if you buy the apple and eat, you will have fruit of the womb. One apple goes for 100k. If you light the candle and pray, all your problems will be over. One candle goes for 50k. If you use the handkerchief to clean your face, no devil will recognize you. One handkerchief 30k.
Let us even assume that the above is true even though it is not. Picture this: if a poor barren woman or impotent man who is seeking for the fruit of the womb is in that church, and they have not seen how 100k looks like for a year, will she/he not conclude that God’s blessings is only for the rich?
Let us think about these things. Many people are leaving the faith because of some of these abuses.
Fr Kelvin Ugwu
