Lamenting the Loss of Catholic Indulgences
Lamenting the Loss of Catholic Indulgences By Robert Korczynski The History of Indulgences Martin Luther objected to the Catholic system of buying your way out of purgatory because he claimed it unfairly taxed the poor to fund the construction of church buildings like St. Peter's Basilica (it didn't), because he questioned the Church's authority to declare the destination of a human soul based on money paid (which was heresy), and because he said the practice discouraged people from truly repenting. Protestants generally view the doctrine of purgatory as unbiblical and, historically, have often characterized the indulgence system as a cynical marketing tool used to exploit the fear of the afterlife for financial gain. This skepticism is bolstered by the fact that the Eastern Orthodox Church, which shares roots with the early Church, does not hold to the Roman Catholic doctrine of purgatory, nor did it utilize the Western system of indulgences. Because of Luther's atta...