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Unbelief in religion and politics
English, Dutch (translation)
87 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
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About the author
Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer
168 books4 followersDutch historian and politician for the Anti-Revolutionary Party.
From 1829 to 1833 he acted as secretary to William II of the Netherlands in Brussels. Afterwards he took a prominent part in Dutch domestic politics, and gradually became the leader of the Anti-Revolutionary Party,
Groen was ardently opposed to constitutionalist Thorbecke, the father of Dutch parliamentarism, whose principles he denounced as ungodly and revolutionary. Although Groen lived to see these principles triumph in the constitutional reforms implemented by Thorbecke, he never ceased to oppose them until his death in 1876.
From 1829 to 1833 he acted as secretary to William II of the Netherlands in Brussels. Afterwards he took a prominent part in Dutch domestic politics, and gradually became the leader of the Anti-Revolutionary Party,
Groen was ardently opposed to constitutionalist Thorbecke, the father of Dutch parliamentarism, whose principles he denounced as ungodly and revolutionary. Although Groen lived to see these principles triumph in the constitutional reforms implemented by Thorbecke, he never ceased to oppose them until his death in 1876.
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November 25, 2008
An excellent analysis of the effects of atheism on politics and society. Easy to read and pretty accessible even to someone unfamiliar with his topic (the causes of the French Revolution).
Some of the best passages:
"Let us not forget: the lie [atheism] is compelled to hate the truth and to proscribe it because it is in the nature of the truth to be exclusive, to be intolerant of the lie. The very presence of the truth is condemnation of the error. So the lie, when it is complete, embraces every remnant of the truth within the circle of its hatred. Deism, however diluted, is an offence to the atheist. Whoever believes in a God, of whatever description, is in the estimate of the atheist a bigoted proponent of childish and harmful ideas. Because atheism equalizes all religions, people believe they can rely on it to be tolerant. They are mistaken. Atheism cannot tolerate the truth, because it cannot be tolerated by the truth. It recognizes a mortal enemy in every belief. It puts up with the least hint of that religion only that keeps silent, bends its neck, that submists to the rules and regulations of unbelief. Atheism equalizes all religions all right- provided all are equally destitute of the signs of vigour and life. Its tolerance is not unlike that of a murder towards his enemy, once the victim is dead."
What happens to Christian doctrine that tolerates the beginnings of theological liberalism?
"We know how the deity of the Saviour thus becomes the divinity of the Saviour, how sin becomes weakness, and depravity imperfection, and the atoning sacrifice an act of exemplary love, and sanctification moral perfection, and the wrath of God holy displeasure, and eternal perdition from before the face of the Lord fatherly chastisement, and the God of Revelation the God of Nature, the unknown God."
Some of the best passages:
"Let us not forget: the lie [atheism] is compelled to hate the truth and to proscribe it because it is in the nature of the truth to be exclusive, to be intolerant of the lie. The very presence of the truth is condemnation of the error. So the lie, when it is complete, embraces every remnant of the truth within the circle of its hatred. Deism, however diluted, is an offence to the atheist. Whoever believes in a God, of whatever description, is in the estimate of the atheist a bigoted proponent of childish and harmful ideas. Because atheism equalizes all religions, people believe they can rely on it to be tolerant. They are mistaken. Atheism cannot tolerate the truth, because it cannot be tolerated by the truth. It recognizes a mortal enemy in every belief. It puts up with the least hint of that religion only that keeps silent, bends its neck, that submists to the rules and regulations of unbelief. Atheism equalizes all religions all right- provided all are equally destitute of the signs of vigour and life. Its tolerance is not unlike that of a murder towards his enemy, once the victim is dead."
What happens to Christian doctrine that tolerates the beginnings of theological liberalism?
"We know how the deity of the Saviour thus becomes the divinity of the Saviour, how sin becomes weakness, and depravity imperfection, and the atoning sacrifice an act of exemplary love, and sanctification moral perfection, and the wrath of God holy displeasure, and eternal perdition from before the face of the Lord fatherly chastisement, and the God of Revelation the God of Nature, the unknown God."
Displaying 1 of 1 review