What are those crazy Protestants protesting?
On October 31st, 1517, Martin Luther called the leadership of the Catholic church to return to the original biblical foundation for their faith. They refused. In January 1521, Pope Leo X excommunicated Luther. Three months later, Luther was called to defend his beliefs before Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms, where he was famously defiant. For his refusal to recant his writings, the emperor declared him an outlaw and a heretic. He was declared an anathema and condemned to hell along with all those who believe that salvation is Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Solus Christus, Sola Scriptura, and Soli Deo Gloria (Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, by scripture alone, to the glory of God alone). The principle of salvation is not our doing for that would take away from the work of Christ. He alone saves those who believe. The beginning of salvation is by the action of God first, granting us faith in the work, sacrifice, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and then sanctification begins by repentance as a result of that belief. I encourage all who read this to make God’s word the foundation of your faith (and not that of your pastor, priest, bishop, deacon, pope, elder or the Book of Mormon, Catechism, Book of Common Prayer, Watch Tower, Pearl of Great Price, Doctrines and Covenants, etc). Just the Bible. It has all that you need to learn the most important principles of Christianity without all the additional and conflicting stuff that many religions add.
Happy Reformation Day!