"There is only one thing in the modern world that has been face to face with Paganism; there is only one thing in the modern world which in that sense knows anything about Paganism: and that is Christianity. That fact is really the weak point in the whole of that hedonistic neo-Paganism of which I have spoken. All that genuinely remains of the ancient hymns or the ancient dances of Europe, all that has honestly come to us from the festivals of Phoebus or Pan, is to be found in the festivals of the Christian Church. If any one wants to hold the end of a chain which really goes back to the heathen mysteries, he had better take hold of a festoon of flowers at Easter or a string of sausages at Christmas. Everything else in the modern world is of Christian origin, even everything that seems most anti-Christian. The French Revolution is of Christian origin. The newspaper is of Christian origin. The anarchists are of Christian origin. Physical science is of Christian origin. The attack on Christianity is of Christian origin. There is one thing, and one thing only, in existence at the present day which can in any sense accurately be said to be of pagan origin, and that is Christianity."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Imported from EN Wikiquote
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Heretics_(book)
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Heretics (book)
111 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Heretics (book) →
Related Quotes
"I do not, therefore, say that the word "progress" is unmeaning; I say it is unmeaning without the previous definition…"
"There is no such thing on earth as an uninteresting subject; the only thing that can exist is an uninterested person."
"He says, "Nothing endures, nothing is precise and certain (except the mind of a pedant).... Being indeed!—there is no…"
"A man can understand astronomy only by being an astronomer; he can understand entomology only by being an entomologis…"
"Whistler could produce art; and in so far he was a great man. But he could not forget art; and in so far he was only …"
"It is difficult to attain a high ideal; consequently, it is almost impossible to persuade ourselves that we have atta…"
"The word 'heresy' not only means no longer being wrong; it practically means being clear-headed and courageous. The w…"
"It is foolish, generally speaking, for a philosopher to set fire to another philosopher in Smithfield Market because …"
"At any innocent tea-table we may easily hear a man say, "Life is not worth living." We regard it as we regard the sta…"
"As enunciated today, 'progress' is simply a comparative of which we have not settled the superlative."