Sunday, June 25, 2006

Pascal on planting religion

Here is another timely pearl by Pascal, writing three hundred fifty years ago.

Part III
185
The conduct of God, who disposes all things kindly, is to put religion into the mind by reason, and into the heart by grace. But to will to put it into the mind and heart by force and threats is not to put religion there, but terror, terorrem potius quam religionem. 1
[Footnote 1: "Terror rather than religion."]

Into the mind by reason...
Into the heart by grace...
But not by terror...
How very simple.

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