At this day . . . the earth sustains on her bosom many…
“At this day . . . the earth sustains on her bosom many monster minds, minds which are not afraid to employ the seed of Deity deposited in human nature as a means of suppressing the name of God. Can anything be more detestable than this madness in man, who, finding God a hundred times both in his body and his soul, makes his excellence in this respect a pretext for denying that there is a God? He will not say that chance has made him different from the brutes; . . . but, substituting Nature as the architect of the universe, he suppresses the name of God.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Calvin condemns the misuse of divine concepts to justify atheism and moral relativism, arguing that denying God while claiming naturalism is a profound error.
In simple terms: Using God to deny God is a deep contradiction.
Key Takeaway
Beware of rationalizations that erase the divine.
Themes
theology
philosophy
morality
human nature
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
philosophical
theological
When to use this quote
- academic debate
- religious discourse
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
Deism
secularism
existentialism
Questions to Reflect On
- What assumptions do you make about nature and divinity?
- How do you reconcile scientific understanding with spiritual belief?
A Different Perspective
Such reasoning can undermine moral foundations and community cohesion.