"Paul Tillich wrote that all institutions, including the church, are inherently demonic. Reinhold Niebuhr asserted that no institution could ever achieve the morality of the individual. Institutions, he warned, to extend their lives when confronted with collapse, will swiftly betray the stances that ostensibly define them. Only individual men and women have the strength to hold fast to virtue when faced with the threat of death. And decaying institutions, including the church, when consumed by fear, swiftly push those endowed with this moral courage and radicalism from their ranks, rendering themselves obsolete."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Activists from the United StatesPhilosophers from the United StatesHuman rights activistsHarvard University alumniJournalists from Vermont
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
"The Suicide of the Liberal Church" Truthdig (January 24, 2016)
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Chris_Hedges
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Chris Hedges
Christopher Lynn Hedges (born September 18, 1956) is an American journalist, Presbyterian minister, and visiting Princeton University lecturer. His books include War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning (2002), a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction. In 2002, Hedges was one of eight reporters at T
185 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Chris Hedges →
Related Quotes
"There will be no economic or political justice for the poor, people of color, women or workers within the framework o…"
"Technocratic human beings are spiritually alive. Their objective is to fully utilize our technological capabilities f…"
"Neoliberalism as economic theory was always an absurdity. It had as much validity as past ruling ideologies such as t…"
"Amazon workers, like many American workers, endure appalling work conditions. They are forced to work compulsory 12-h…"
"Global capitalists have turned back the clock to the early days of the Industrial Revolution. The working class is in…"
"The long campaign against Julian and WikiLeaks is a window into the collapse of the rule of law, the rise of what the…"
"The architects of imperialism, the masters of war, the corporate-controlled legislative, judicial and executive branc…"
"Political, economic and social dysfunction define the American empire. Our staggering inability to contain the pandem…"
"I'm more optimistic because I see the resistance in the streets... That's where hope lies.... They're mostly young, i…"
"The tinder that could soon ignite widespread violent conflagrations throughout the United States lies ominously stack…"