Faith is the highest passion in a human being. Many in every generation may not come that far, but none comes further.
Soren KierkegaardRead
The human race in the course of time has taken the liberty of softening and softening Christianity until at last we have contrived to make it exactly the opposite of what it is in the New Testament.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Kierkegaard argues that Christianity has been watered down over time, losing its original essence.
In this quote, Soren Kierkegaard critiques the way Christianity has been diluted throughout history. He suggests that in the process of adapting and softening its teachings to fit societal norms and comforts, the essence of Christianity has been fundamentally altered, straying from the stark and challenging messages found in the New Testament. This observation encourages a reevaluation of religious beliefs and practices, pressing for a return to the core values that define Christianity.
Themes
ChristianityFaithPhilosophyEssenceBelief
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a religious discussion about the importance of adhering to original teachings.
More from Soren Kierkegaard
All quotes →Men think that it is impossible for a human being to love his enemies, for enemies are hardly able to endure the sight of one another. Well, then, shut your eyes--and your enemy looks just like your neighbor.
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How did I get into the world? Why was I not asked about it and why was I not informed of the rules and regulations but just thrust into the ranks as if I had been bought by a peddling shanghaier of human beings? How did I get involved in this big enterprise called actuality? Why should I be involved? Isn't it a matter of choice? And if I am compelled to be involved, where is the manager—I have something to say about this. Is there no manager? To whom shall I make my complaint?
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A possibility is a hint from God. One must follow it.
Soren KierkegaardRead
And when the hourglass has run out, the hourglass of temporality, when the noise of secular life has grown silent and its restless or ineffectual activism has come to an end, when everything around you is still, as it is in eternity, then eternity asks you and every individual in these millions and millions about only one thing: whether you have lived in despair or not.
Soren KierkegaardRead
I am so stupid that I cannot understand philosophy; the antithesis of this is that philosophy is so clever that it cannot comprehend my stupidity. These antitheses are mediated in a higher unity; in our common stupidity.
Soren KierkegaardRead
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