Salaam
format_quote Originally Posted by
fschmidt
The Reformation was the best thing that ever happened to Christianity, and Islam needs a reformation now. To understand the Reformation, go to original sources, not to Catholic lies or modern liberal lies. I recommend this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Reformation-R...dp/0800663101/
The Reformation was not liberalizing at all. It was the opposite, a return to basic Christianity. The Catholic Church had become very corrupt.
This is completely absurd. To argue this is like arguing against someone who says that the sky is green, it is hopeless because it is so obviously false.
That Islam needs a Reformation should be obvious by comparing Islam today to early Islam. Early Islam was so much more moral and (therefore) powerful than Islam is today. A reformation would simply mean going back to the morals of early Islam. Such a reformtion would allow Islam to dominate the world, just as the Christian reformation resulted in Christianity dominating the world.
Ah the Catholic vs Protestant debate on the legacy of the reformation, to this day 500 years later still arouses strong emotions, understandably so.
The protesters' pamphlet stated in French
Our Cathedral of St Michael and St Gudula is a Catholic building built by our fathers to be a House of God for the celebration of the holy Mass, for the praise of God and the saints.
The occupation of our cathedral by Protestants to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation is therefore a profanation.
In fact, the supposed Reformation was really a revolt: under the pretext of combatting abuses, Luther rebelled against the divine authority of the Catholic Church, denied numerous truths of the Faith, abolished the Sacrifice of the Mass and the sacraments, rejected the necessity of good works and the practice of Christian virtues. Finally, he attacked the veneration of the Virgin Mary and the saints, the religious life and monastic vows.
This terrible revolution was a great tragedy for Christian society and for the salvation of souls. And the Lutheran errors are still heresies today because the Truth is eternal.
I'm no expert on this subject but Ill give my take on it.
I don't deny (and I'm sure many Catholics) the Catholic Church had serous internal problems and corruption, in response they did try to reform themselves. Also we have to factor in the rise of nationalism, rise of reading, decline of feudalism, the rise of centralised state power and a new oligarchy (Usury, bankers, lawyers, capitalist classes) among many other causes.
but overall (whether it was intended or not) led to the breakdown, fragmentation and eventual collapse of the whole notion Christendom, (Protestants splitting into 40000+ different sects) and paved the way for the rise of secularism, modernity, materialism and the slow decline of Christianity as a force in society (in Europe at least).
Christianity has had its problems before (the schism between Eastern Orthodox and Catholics during medieval times) but there was something about this split that was catastrophic. From a Muslim perspective we have to study this period carefully and learn the lessons.
Some more books
Blurb
This work offers a unique perspective on the rise of capitalism and socialism and the effect of the Reformation. Specific topics include consequences of belief in the private judgment of scriptures; separation of spiritual and secular life; difference between Lutheran and Calvinist teachings on economics; the Calvinist concept of vocation; its perception of material success as a sign of divine election; its praise of frugality and disdain for beauty. Also covered is socialism as a reaction to excesses of capitalism; the manner in which Protestantism had strengthened secular authority; diminution of charity toward the poor following Reformation; materialism underlying socialism abetted by Protestant emphasis on earthly prosperity; egalitarian ideas traceable to Protestantism; and the ease with which socialism blended into Protestant thought. This is a unique work of economic philosophy in that it examines the ideological causes of the economic changes of the period, thus offering a refreshing philosophical perspective rather than merely the mathematical or statistical sides of the question.
Blurb
In the department of human affairs concerned with the economic activities of man, the old universally accepted code of justice fell into disregard, if not into ridicule; and its place was taken, on the one hand, by the theory that only safe guide for man to follow in these affairs is his own personal interest, and, on the other hand, and partly as a reaction against this repulsive theory, that the individual has no right of initiative at all, but that his whole being must be subordinated to the welfare of the community. Both these theories would be equally disapproved by the old, despised ethical authority of the Middle Ages, under whose regime they could not have flourished and developed; but at the time when they arose, the old authrority was no longer universally accepted, and there was no power in Europe strong enough to withstand the march of these two dangerous doctrines. the path of both Capitalism and Socialism had been opened by the Reformation.
A review from amazon (UK)
Gabriel Jones
5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent Book!
What this book is not:
For anyone looking for hard data, graphs, numbers, and definitive economic information, this book does not contain anything of the sort. It is not a collection of boring charts, graphs, and models. As such, it does not conform to the prevailing modern interpretation of "economics." Neither is it a ardent defense of capitalism.
What this book is:
Far from boring, this book/essay is an excellent treatise on how the Protestant mindset stemming from the Reformation changed society's worldview of the economy and its operation. The content is closely aligned with the Austrian school's preference for philosophy, ethics, and the motivations behind human action. At times it is more of a Catholic moral theology text than an economics book - although the two are not mutually exclusive (which is more-or-less the point of the essay). At times it also becomes a sharp critique of Protestantism, especially the "Protestant Ethic" so often heralded in our modern world. As a contrast, it presents Catholic ethical teaching as the model from which economics should be considered. That being said, it posits both capitalism and communism as stemming from the same erroneous genesis (i.e., a focus on the material world), and in doing so offers profound and thought-provoking ideas for how the shallow paradigm of the modern world of business and economics might be changed for the better. Additionally, although it can be slightly heady, this book (when read with patience and some basic understanding of philosophy, theology, and economics) makes sense of basic economic theories without resorting to confusing graphs and charts.
Thank you for your book recommendation Fschmidt, Ill try and get it.