50 POINTS. Please help Based on your research about the Catholic Church, what impact do you think the Reformation had on Enlightenment thinkers and their developing ideas? (4 sentences minimum)

In the mid-18th century, Europe witnessed an explosion of philosophic and scientific activity that challenged traditional doctrines and dogmas. The philosophic movement was led by Voltaire and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who argued for a society based upon reason rather than faith and Catholic doctrine, for a new civil order based on natural law, and for science based on experiments and observation. The political philosopher Montesquieu introduced the idea of a separation of powers in a government, a concept which was enthusiastically adopted by the authors of the United States Constitution. While the philosophers of the French Enlightenment were not revolutionaries, and many were members of the nobility, their ideas played an important part in undermining the legitimacy of the Old Regime and shaping the French Revolution.

During the Reformation, the Catholic Church were having a difficult time controlling the thoughts and daily lives of the commoners and wealthy. So when the "Enlightenment thinkers" came about the Catholic church saw such thoughts or beliefs as a danger to their power over the people. Martin Luther was a very key influencer during this time period creating the Lutheran religion during his lifetime.

d) the constitution rights of native americans and their right to self-government on reservations