Superstition in all agesHolbach, Paul Henri Thiry, baron d'
Religion
Superstition in all ages
Holbach, Paul Henri Thiry, baron d'
Atheism
But it is easy to show the weakness of this reply; for, on the one hand,
was it not as easy to the Pagans as to the Christians, to say that the
Divinity was incarnated in the men whom they worshiped as Gods? On the
other hand, if the Divinity wanted to incarnate and unite in the human
nature of their Jesus Christ, how did they know that this Divinity would
not wish to also incarnate and unite Himself personally to the human
nature of those great men and those admirable women, who, by their
virtue, by their good qualities, or by their noble actions, have
excelled the generality of people, and made themselves worshiped as Gods
and Goddesses? And if our Christ-worshipers do not wish to believe that
Divinity ever incarnated in these great personages, why do they wish to
persuade us that He was incarnated in their Jesus? Where is the proof?
Their faith and their belief; but as the Pagans rely on the same proof,
we conclude both to be equally in error.
But what is more ridiculous in Christianity than in Paganism, is that
the Pagans have generally attributed Divinity but to great men, authors
of arts and sciences, and who excelled in virtues useful to their
country. But to whom do our God-Christ-worshipers attribute Divinity? To
a nobody, to a vile and contemptible man, who had neither talent,
science, nor ability; born of poor parents, and who, while He figured in
the world, passed but for a monomaniac and a seditious fool, who was
disdained, ridiculed, persecuted, whipped, and, finally, was hanged like
most of those who desired to act the same part, when they had neither
the courage nor skill. About that time there were several other
impostors who claimed to be the true promised Messiah; amongst others a
certain Judas, a Galilean, a Theodorus, a Barcon, and others who, under
this vain pretext, abused the people, and tried to excite them, in order
to win them, but they all perished.
Let us pass now to His discourses and to some of His actions, which are
the most singular of this kind: "Repent," said He to the people, "for
the kingdom of Heaven is at hand; believe these good tidings." And He
went all over Galilee preaching this pretended approach of the kingdom
of Heaven. As no one has seen the arrival of this kingdom of Heaven, it
is evident that it was but imaginary. But let us see other predictions,
the praise, and the description of this beautiful kingdom.
Behold what He said to the people:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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