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Quote by Reinhold Niebuhr

“All men are naturally included to obscure the morally ambiguous element in their political cause by investing it with religious sanctity.”

Quote by Reinhold Niebuhr

Book:Love and Justice: Selections from the Shorter Writings of Reinhold Niebuhr

Work

Love and Justice: Selections from the Shorter Writings of Reinhold Niebuhr

This book compiles a selection of Reinhold Niebuhr's shorter works, offering insights into his thoughts on love and justice. Niebuhr's writings delve into the complexities of these concepts from a religious and philosophical perspective, providing readers with a deeper understanding of his ideas. more

Author

Reinhold Niebuhr

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. more

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“Despotism, which we regard with abhorrence, is rather too plausible in decaying feudal, agrarian, pastoral societies. That's why we must expect to have many a defeat before we'll have an ultimate victory in this contest with Communism.”

Victory Ultimate Regard Defeat Communism Contests Despotism Plausible Abhorrence

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“I actually stopped working out because I don't want to lose my jelly.”

Want Loses Work Out Jelly

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“Freedom is necessary for two reasons. It's necessary for the individual, because the individual, no matter how good the society is, every individual has hopes, fears, ambitions, creative urges, that transcend the purposes of his society. Therefore we have a long history of freedom, where people try to extricate themselves from tyranny for the sake of art, for the sake of science, for the sake of religion, for the sake of the conscience of the individual - this freedom is necessary for the individual.”

People Trying Long Art Two Matter Reason Purpose Individual Creative Ambition Conscience Sake Tyranny Urges Having Hope

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“It is my strong conviction that a realist conception of human nature should be made a servant of an ethic of progressive justice and should not be made into a bastion of conservatism, particularly a conservatism which defends unjust privileges.”

Should Humans Made Strong Justice Human Nature Ethics Privilege Conviction Servant Progressive Conception Unjust Conservatism Realist

Book:Man's Nature and His Communities: Essays on the Dynamics and Enigmas of Man's Personal and Social Existence

Source: Man's Nature and His Communities: Essays on the Dynamics and Enigmas of Man's Personal and Social Existence

“My personal attitude toward atheists is the same attitude that I have toward Christians, and would be governed by a very orthodox text: "By their fruits shall ye know them." I wouldn't judge a man by the presuppositions of his life, but only by the fruits of his life. And the fruits - the relevant fruits - are, I'd say, a sense of charity, a sense of proportion, a sense of justice. And whether the man is an atheist or a Christian, I would judge him by his fruits, and I have therefore many agnostic friends.”

Knows Men Would Be Christian Justice Attitude He Man Judging Charity Fruit Atheist Proportion Orthodox Relevant Agnostic

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“One of the fundamental points about religious humility is you say you don't know about the ultimate judgment. It's beyond your judgment. And if you equate God's judgment with your judgment, you have a wrong religion.”

Ifs Knows Religious Humility Judgment Ultimate Fundamentals

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“The more complex the world situation becomes, the more scientific and rational analysis you have to have, the less you can do with simple good will and sentiment.”

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“The recalcitrant forces in the historical drama have a power and persistence beyond our reckoning.”

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Book:The Irony of American History

Source: The Irony of American History

“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 stupidity of the average man will permit the oligarch, whether economic or political, to hide his real purposes from the scrutiny of his fellows and to withdraw his activities from effective control. Since it is impossible to count on enough moral goodwill among those who possess irresponsible power to sacrifice it for the good of the whole, it must be destroyed by coercive methods and these will always run the peril of introducing new forms of injustice in place of those abolished.”

Source: Moral Man and Immoral Society: A Study in Ethics and Politics