Most people catch their presuppositions from their family and surrounding society the way a child catches measles.
Francis SchaefferRead
We should not view men with a cynical eye, seeing them only as meaningless products of chance, but, on the other hand, we should not go to the opposite extreme of seeing them romantically. To do either is to fail to understand who men really are--creatures made in the image of God but fallen.
Interpretation
What this quote means
We should balance our view of humanity, recognizing both its flaws and intrinsic value.
This quote by Francis Schaeffer emphasizes the importance of understanding human nature without falling into extremes. On one hand, viewing people cynically reduces them to mere products of randomness, stripping away their dignity and worth. On the other hand, romanticizing humanity overlooks the reality of human fallibility. Instead, we should perceive individuals as complex beings, created in the image of God, yet imperfect and in need of redemption.
Themes
Human NaturePhilosophyMoralityUnderstandingRedemption
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the nature of humanity, one might quote this to underscore the balance required in our perspectives.
More from Francis Schaeffer
All quotes →In two areas above all others the Christian demonstration of love and communication stands clear: in the area of the Christian couple and their children; and in the personal relationships of Christians in the church. If there is no demonstration in these two places, on the personal level, the world can conclude that orthodox Christian doctrine is nothing but dead, cold words.
Francis SchaefferRead
Christian art is the expression of the whole life of the whole person as a Christian. What a Christian portrays in his art is the totality of life. Art is not to be solely a vehicle for some sort of self-conscious evangelism.
Francis SchaefferRead
There are two main reasons why we may not be bringing forth the fruit we should. It may be because of ignorance, because we may never have been taught the meaning of the work of Christ for our present lives.
Francis SchaefferRead
You must not lose confidence in God because you lost confidence in your pastor. If our confidence in God had to depend upon our confidence in any human person, we would be on shifting sand.
Francis SchaefferRead
We must realize that the Reformation world view leads in the direction of government freedom. But the humanist world view with inevitable certainty leads in the direction of statism. This is so because humanists, having no god, must put something at the center, and it is inevitably society, government, or the state.
Francis SchaefferRead
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