E.T.’s Reviews > The Age of Faith > Status Update

“As, in an infinite universe, any point may be taken as center, so, in the pageant of civilizations, each nation, like each soul, interprets the drama of history or life in terms of its own role and character.”

“The three (Abrahamic) religions agreed in rejecting the practicability of a natural—non religious—morality; most men, they believed, can be persuaded to tolerable behavior only by the fear of God.”
This theme has occured repeatedly !
Btw, I remember a 15-yr old friend telling me the same when we were discussing religion (I was 13).

“In a society where government, law, and morality are bound up with a religious creed, any attack upon that creed is viewed as menacing the foundations of social order itself.”
Wrt Islam

“While the poor solaced life with heaven, the rich sought heaven on earth.”

“But if, thereafter, reason should fail, and science should find no answers, but should multiply knowledge and power without improving conscience or purpose; if all utopias should brutally collapse in the abuse of the weak by the strong: then men would understand why once their ancestors, in the barbarism of those early Christian centuries, turned from science, knowledge, power and pride to (religious) faith.”

“Not till wealth and pride should return in the Renaissance would reason reject faith, and abandon heaven for utopia.”
It didn’t happen in the Muslim Midde East but wait…

“Congregations like to be scolded, but not to be reformed.”
Another (seemingly) offhand comment from the wise author - the chief charm of reading this series.

The history of Arianism sect of Christianity was very interesting ! For the first time, reading a history of early Christianity.
I abandoned "The Name of the Rose" by Umberto Eco earlier as I found Christian sectarianism too trivial, but may pick it up again.

"Their country is the back of a horse."
Proverb about Huns

“If anyone has persuaded you that there is anything more profitable to the human race than to pursue philosophy at one’s leisure without interruptions, he is a deluded man trying to delude you.”
-Emperor Julian, 4th Century AD