D*****r
发帖数: 6791 | 1 Voltaire began to think, to doubt, to inquire. He studied the history of the
church, of the creed. He found that the religion of his time rested on the
inspiration of the Scriptures -- the infallibility of the church -- the
dreams of insane hermits -- the absurdities of the Fathers -- the mistakes
and falsehoods of saints -- the hysteria of nuns -- the cunning of priests
and the stupidity of the people. He found that the Emperor Constantine, who
lifted Christianity into power, murdered his wife Fausta and his eldest son
Crispus, the same year that he convened the Council of Nice, to decide
whether Christ was a man or the Son of God. The Council decided, in the year
325, that Christ was consubstantial with the Father. He found that the
church was indebted to a husband who assassinated his wife -- a father who
murdered his son, for settling the vexed question of the divinity of the
Savior. He found that Theodosius called a council at Constantinople in 381,
by which it was decided that the Holy Ghost proceeded from the Father --
that Theodosius, the younger, assembled a council at Ephesus in 431, that
declared the Virgin Mary to be the mother of God -- that the Emperor Marcian
called another council at Chalcedon in 451, that decided that Christ had
two wills -- that Pognatius called another in 680, that declared that Christ
had two natures to go with his two wills -- and that in 1274, at the
council of Lyons, the important fact was found that the Holy Ghost "
proceeded," not only from the Father, but also from the Son at the same time.
So, it took about 1,300 years to find out a few things that had been
revealed by an infinite God to his infallible church.
Voltaire found that this insane creed had filled the world with cruelty and
fear. He found that vestments were more sacred than virtues -- that images
and crosses -- pieces of old bones and bits of wood were more precious than
the rights and lives of men, and that the keepers of these relics were the
enemies of the human race.
With all the energy of his nature -- with every faculty of his mind -- he
attacked this "Triumphant Beast."
======
from “Voltaire” 1894
（The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll，New Dresden Edition, III, 177） | l*****a
发帖数: 38403 | 2 Voltaire began to think, to doubt, to inquire.
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【在 D*****r 的大作中提到】
: Voltaire began to think, to doubt, to inquire. He studied the history of the
: church, of the creed. He found that the religion of his time rested on the
: inspiration of the Scriptures -- the infallibility of the church -- the
: dreams of insane hermits -- the absurdities of the Fathers -- the mistakes
: and falsehoods of saints -- the hysteria of nuns -- the cunning of priests
: and the stupidity of the people. He found that the Emperor Constantine, who
: lifted Christianity into power, murdered his wife Fausta and his eldest son
: Crispus, the same year that he convened the Council of Nice, to decide
: whether Christ was a man or the Son of God. The Council decided, in the year
: 325, that Christ was consubstantial with the Father. He found that the
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