Reformation Day: 7 lesser-known facts about Martin Luther
3. Didn't believe people who killed themselves went to Hell
For centuries, many churches have taught that people who die by suicide have done an unpardonable sin. Some churches refuse to grant burial rites to those who killed themselves.
Luther disagreed, as recorded in a Table Talk conversation that took place in April 1532, with the Protestant Reformation leader comparing suicide to being overpowered by a robber.
“I don’t share the opinion that suicides are certainly to be damned. My reason is that they do not wish to kill themselves but are overcome by the power of the devil. They are like a man who is murdered in the woods by a robber,” said Luther.
However, Luther was cautious about making this view too public, adding that “this ought not be taught to the common people lest Satan be given an opportunity to cause slaughter, and I recommend that the popular custom be strictly adhered to according to which the corpse is not carried over the threshold, etc.”
“However, they are examples by which our Lord God wishes to show that the devil is powerful and also that we should be diligent in prayer,” he added. “But for these examples, we would not fear God. Hence he must teach us in this way.”
