Angie, sorry to correct you, but Martin Luther was the first Protestant and started the Protestant Reformation. Most churches that aren't Catholic are often called Protestant, but the Lutheran church was the first Protestant church. Martin Luther was the first to put the Bible into the language of the German people, and this also helped standardize the language, which often varied village to village. The Latin Bible was often chained to the pulpit at that time in the Catholic church. He didn't believe that we needed a priest to interpret the Bible for us, but that it should be in the hands of the people, and that the Holy Spirit would guide them. Luther is the one that is famous for saying Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura, and Sola Gratia. That means faith alone, Bible alone and God's grace alone. Methodists and other churches may also be Protestants, but they followed Lutherans in time. He knew we couldn't get to heaven by doing works, and he detested the selling of indulgences. You can read a lot that he wrote online. Galatians was his favorite book of the Bible (I used to think it was Romans), and he wrote a huge commentary on it. He also wrote hymns such as "A Mighty Fortress", or as it is called in German, "Ein Feste Burg ist Unser Gott". susan

And Evangelisch is different from Lutheran, more like the Reformed churches. I have a taped in record in one of my church records that said a Lutheran pastor refused to baptise a child of Evangelisch parents until they threatened to take the child back to their home community to be baptised. Father was doing masonery repair on the Lutheran Church. Carol SV wrote: >Angie, sorry to correct you, but Martin Luther was the first Protestant and >started the Protestant Reformation. Most churches that aren't Catholic are >often called Protestant, but the Lutheran church was the first Protestant >church. Martin Luther was the first to put the Bible into the language of >the German people, and this also helped standardize the language, which >often varied village to village. The Latin Bible was often chained to the >pulpit at that time in the Catholic church. He didn't believe that we needed >a priest to interpret the Bible for us, but that it should be in the hands >of the people, and that the Holy Spirit would guide them. > > > >Luther is the one that is famous for saying Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura, and >Sola Gratia. That means faith alone, Bible alone and God's grace alone. >Methodists and other churches may also be Protestants, but they followed >Lutherans in time. He knew we couldn't get to heaven by doing works, and he >detested the selling of indulgences. You can read a lot that he wrote >online. Galatians was his favorite book of the Bible (I used to think it was >Romans), and he wrote a huge commentary on it. He also wrote hymns such as >"A Mighty Fortress", or as it is called in German, "Ein Feste Burg ist Unser >Gott". > > > >susan > > >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to PRUSSIA-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > >

HI Susan You are mainly correct except that Luther did not wish to start the Protestant movement!  He simply wished the Catholic church to make some changes that they actually did just a few years ago, finally.  Luther was ousted from the Catholic church for his 95 thesis, NOT for starting a new religion.  This was never his intent and Lutherans were only known as such after his death. Germans during this time period after Luther were either Lutheran (Evangelisch) or Catholic.  Methodists, Presbyterians and all the others came later.  My parents were married in 1960 in Germany and were considered a "mixed marriage".  My father is Lutheran and my mother is Catholic.  If you are doing research before the 18th or 19th century, you many consider your ancestors to be either of the two to narrow it down. A former Lutheran Christian Education Director who was raised Catholic, Brigitte -----Original Message----- From: SV <davesusanv@hotmail.com> To: PRUSSIA-ROOTS@rootsweb.com Sent: Tue, 12 Jun 2007 11:35 pm Subject: [PRUSSIA-ROOTS] Luther started the Protestant Reformation! Angie, sorry to correct you, but Martin Luther was the first Protestant and tarted the Protestant Reformation. Most churches that aren't Catholic are ften called Protestant, but the Lutheran church was the first Protestant hurch. Martin Luther was the first to put the Bible into the language of he German people, and this also helped standardize the language, which ften varied village to village. The Latin Bible was often chained to the ulpit at that time in the Catholic church. He didn't believe that we needed priest to interpret the Bible for us, but that it should be in the hands f the people, and that the Holy Spirit would guide them. Luther is the one that is famous for saying Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura, and ola Gratia. That means faith alone, Bible alone and God's grace alone. ethodists and other churches may also be Protestants, but they followed utherans in time. He knew we couldn't get to heaven by doing works, and he etested the selling of indulgences. You can read a lot that he wrote nline. Galatians was his favorite book of the Bible (I used to think it was omans), and he wrote a huge commentary on it. He also wrote hymns such as A Mighty Fortress", or as it is called in German, "Ein Feste Burg ist Unser ott". susan ------------------------------ o unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to PRUSSIA-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com ith the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of he message ________________________________________________________________________ AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com.

I hesitate to correct a correction, Susan, since, as soon of one of us listers goes away from family history to an off-topic subject, a whole string of messages results. A much more accurate definition of all these variants of the Christian religion can best be found elsewhere on the Internet [Wikipedia being a good start]. However, I have to mention that Methodism and other forms of Protestantism - in its broadest definition - do not merge towards Lutheranism, as you suggest. It is perhaps closer to Dutch Calvinism in its Presbyterian-style management - and yes, one might call John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, an evangelist. This latter classification is, however, different from being a member of a Lutheran or an Evangelical Church - each of which has its own definitions depending upon too many individual beliefs and variables to discuss on this Prussia FH message board. And this is probably already more than I should have said, so . . . back to FH. Yours respectfully David -----Original Message----- From: prussia-roots-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:prussia-roots-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of SV Sent: 13 June 2007 04:35 To: PRUSSIA-ROOTS@rootsweb.com Subject: [PRUSSIA-ROOTS] Luther started the Protestant Reformation! . . . Methodists and other churches may also be Protestants, but they followed Lutherans in time. susan ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to PRUSSIA-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.472 / Virus Database: 269.8.13/844 - Release Date: 11/06/2007 17:10 No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.472 / Virus Database: 269.8.13/844 - Release Date: 11/06/2007 17:10