The Infamous Luther?

I have heard from various sources, though haven't done much research myself, some very intriguing things about Luther. Three things come to mind that I would like clarification on. One, that in reference to the devil, Luther said "I pass gas in his direction."Two, that he considered the book of James to be "a book of straw" and that it should be taken out of the Bible.Three, he was anti-Semitic.Any insight would be appreciated. What would be most highly appreciated would be primary source quotations.

The bit about James is correct. He rejected the apostolicity of Hebrews, James, Jude, and Revelation. If I remember correctly, he also had a very low opinion of Esther.The quote about James goes like this: "St. James' Epistle is really an epistle of straw, compared to them; for it has nothing of the nature of the Gospel about it." (Works of Martin Luther, "Preface for the New Testament").

One, that in reference to the devil, Luther said "I pass gas in his direction."I almost wanted to apologize and even if he didn't say it......But that's FUNNY!Thanks Todd, I needed that! :-D

Thanks Jason. Do you have any more thoughts about the topic you would like to share? Crsschk, glad you enjoyed that one. I thought I would share another with you that I just found. "Did I not tell you earlier that a Jew is such a noble, precious jewel that God and all the angels dance when he farts?"Do I sense a little sarcasm? I got that quotation from this web address, which I just found, that discusses the anti-Semitism I referred to in my first post:http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/anti-semitism/Luther_on_Jews.htmlI am making no claim to the integrity of the scholarship on the site. But at least it provides a reference source. I might look into it further.

http://www.cdn-friends-icej.ca/antiholo/naziluth.htmlThis site talks about Luther and his negative rantings towards the Jewish people. Also: do a search on Luther's tract "Concerning the Jews and their lies."Remember Paul's admonition to Gentile believers concerning the Jewish people, Boast not against the branches for God is able to graft them in again." Read Romans Chapter 11.Luther had difficulty with the book of James because He struggled with being saved by faith and works instead of faith alone. James said,"I will show you my faith by my works." James does not contradict Paul as some might misinterpret.