How does Martin Luther continue to affect our lives today?

The primary way
Martin Luther continues to affect our lives today is by starting the Protestant Reformation,
which has altered the form of Christianity in many countries. When Martin Luther lived during
the 15-16th centuries, the only Christian denomination in western Europe was the Roman Catholic
Church (the global church had split in to the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches in
1054). By challenging the Catholic Church's status as the sole interpreter of Scripture, Luther
and other Reformers opened the door for a wide variety of orthodox Christian interpretations of
Scripture. Unlike the Catholic Church, Protestantism has diverged into hundreds of denominations
due to both major and minor doctrinal disputes. Thus the most visible result of this challenge
is the diversity of Protestant denominations.