Luther vs. Lenin

Upcoming anniversaries display two distinct ways to bring about change | Marvin Olasky

The 490th anniversary of Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation arrives on Oct. 31. The 90th anniversary of Vladimir Lenin's Communist revolution comes up on Nov 7. That numeral 4 indicates a key difference between the two: The 490 glorified God, the 90 attempted to deify Man, and some men in particular.

Luther was a theological revolutionary but not a political one. He wrote, in 1521, A Sincere Admonition by Martin Luther to All Christians to Guard Against Insurrection and Rebellion. The following year, as political unrest intensified, Luther preached about effecting change through patience, charity, and reliance on God's Word rather than violence. He portrayed the devil enjoying religiously based class warfare: "He sits with folded arms behind the fire of hell, and says with malignant looks and frightful grin: 'Ah, how wise these madmen are to play my game! Let them go on; I shall reap the benefit.'"