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Reinhold Niebuhr

Reinhold Niebuhr Quotes

Theologian

Reinhold Niebuhr was a prominent American theologian whose work on Christian ethics and social ethics had a profound impact on the 20th century. He was a key figure in theological discourse, particularly for his exploration of the nature of sin and the church's role in society. Niebuhr's theological thought has influenced various Christian denominations and has had a lasting effect on political and social thought.

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Famous Reinhold Niebuhr Quotes

“A church has the right to set its own standards within its community. I don't think it has a right to prohibit birth control or to enforce upon a secular society its conception of divorce and the indissolubility of the marriage tie.”

Thinking Community Church Birth Standards Divorce Ties Conception Secular Birth Control Secular Society

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“The separation of church and state is necessary partly because if religion is good then the state shouldn't interfere with the religious vision or with the religious prophet. There must be a realm of truth beyond political competence, that's why there must be a separation of churches, but if religion is bad and a bad religion is one that gives an ultimate sanctity to some particular cause. Then religion mustn't interfere with the state - so one of the basic Democratic principles as we know it in America is the separation of church and state.”

“The separation of church and state is necessary partly because if religion is good then the state shouldn't interfere with the religious vision or with the religious prophet.”

Ifs States Church Religious Vision Separation Prophet Interfere Church And State Separation Of Church And State

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“There must be a realm of truth beyond political competence, that's why there must be a separation of churches, but if religion is bad and a bad religion is one that gives an ultimate sanctity to some particular cause.”

Ifs Giving Political Causes Church Particular Truth Is Ultimate Separation Realms Competence Sanctity

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“Religion mustn't interfere with the state - so one of the basic Democratic principles as we know it in America is the separation of church and state.”

Knows States America Church Principles Democratic Separation Interfere Church And State Separation Of Church And State

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“Whenever a church does anything for its own group, it has that right.”

Doe Church Groups

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“When a church reaches up beyond its group and tries to enforce its standards upon a society that doesn't accept these standards, and perhaps for good reason, perhaps for bad reason, but anyway this is the problem we face in pluralistic society, that not necessarily every standard that every church tries to enforce upon the society is from the society's standpoint a good standard.”

Trying Reason Problem Faces Church Accepting Groups Standards Standpoint

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“The churches that are most obviously democratic are most obviously given to race prejudice. I mean the churches that have absolute congregational control.”

Mean Given Church Race Prejudice Absolutes Democratic

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“You might get rid of the Bishop and get to the local Ku Klux Klan leader. That, on the whole, has been the fate of certain types of Protestantism. They get under the control of a White Citizens Council while the Catholic Church has an authoritarian system, yes, in which the Bishop expresses the conscience of the whole Christian community and they say there are some things that you can't do on this matter.”

“We Protestants ought to humbly confess that the theater and the sports have done more for race amity, for race understanding than, on the whole, the Protestant Church in certain type, in certain parts of the nation.”

Done Whole Certain Nations Sports Understanding Church Race Type Ought Theater Protestants Amity

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. This prayer was first printed in a monthly bulletin of the Federal Council of Churches and has become enormously popular. It has been circulated in millions of copies.”

Giving Should Firsts Has Beens Wisdom Change Church Prayer Accepting Millions Grace Changed Copies Serenity Popularity Council Printed Courage To Change

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr