I'm not afraid of too many things, and I got that invincible kind of attitude from my father. Reinhold Niebuhr More Quotes by Reinhold Niebuhr More Quotes From Reinhold Niebuhr The sad duty of politics is to establish justice in a sinful world. Reinhold Niebuhr politicsjusticeworld We Protestants ought to humbly confess that the theater and the sports have done more for race amity, for race understanding than, on the whole, the Protestant Church in certain type, in certain parts of the nation. Reinhold Niebuhr understandingracesports The prophet himself stands under the judgment which he preaches. If he does not know that, he is a false prophet. Reinhold Niebuhr judgmentprophetdoe The measure of our rationality determines the degree of vividness with which we appreciate the needs of other life, the extent to which we become conscious of the real character of our own motives and impulses, the ability to harmonize conflicting impulses in our own life and in society, and the capacity to choose adequate means for approved ends. Reinhold Niebuhr realcharactermean We take, and must continue to take, morally hazardous actions to preserve our civilization. We must exercise our power. But we ought neither to believe that a nation is capable of perfect disinterestedness in its exercise, nor become complacent about a particular degree of interest and passion which corrupt the justice by which the exercise of power is legitimatized. Reinhold Niebuhr passionexercisebelieve The will-to-live becomes the will-to-power. Reinhold Niebuhr will-to-livewill-power All human sin seems so much worse in its consequences than in its intentions. Reinhold Niebuhr intentionsinhumans Adam Smith's was a real universalism in intent. Laissez Faire was intended to establish a world community as well as a natural harmony of interests within each nation... But the "children of darkness" were able to make good use of his creed. A dogma which was intended to guarantee the economic freedom of the individual became the "ideology" of vast corporate structures of a later period of capitalism, used by them, and still used, to prevent a proper political control of their power. Reinhold Niebuhr communityrealchildren All you earnest young men out to save the world. . . please, have a laugh. Reinhold Niebuhr laughterlaughingmen It is the evil in man that makes democracy necessary, and man's belief in justice that makes democracy possible. Reinhold Niebuhr eviljusticemen Life has no meaning except in terms of responsibility. Reinhold Niebuhr termresponsibilitylife Goodness, armed with power, is corrupted; and pure love without power is destroyed. Reinhold Niebuhr goodnesspowerlove While it is possible for intelligence to increase the range of benevolent impulse, and thus prompt a human being to consider the needs and rights of other than those to whom he is bound by organic and physical relationship, there are definite limits in the capacity of ordinary mortals which makes it impossible for them to grant to others what they claim for themselves. Reinhold Niebuhr rightsordinaryneeds Our dreams of bringing the whole of human history under the control of the human will are ironically refuted by the fact that no group of idealists can easily move the pattern of history toward the desired goal of peace and justice. The recalcitrant forces in the historical drama have a power and persistence beyond our reckoning. Reinhold Niebuhr dreamdramamoving Change what cannot be accepted and accept what cannot be changed. Reinhold Niebuhr acceptedchangedaccepting My personal attitude toward atheists is the same attitude that I have toward Christians, and would be governed by a very orthodox text: "By their fruits shall ye know them." I wouldn't judge a man by the presuppositions of his life, but only by the fruits of his life. And the fruits - the relevant fruits - are, I'd say, a sense of charity, a sense of proportion, a sense of justice. And whether the man is an atheist or a Christian, I would judge him by his fruits, and I have therefore many agnostic friends. Reinhold Niebuhr atheistchristianattitude Great talents have some admirers, but few friends. Reinhold Niebuhr few-friendsadmirertalent Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore, we are saved by love. No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as it is from our own standpoint. Therefore we must be saved by the final form of love, which is forgiveness. Reinhold Niebuhr finalsformlife When a church reaches up beyond its group and tries to enforce its standards upon a society that doesn't accept these standards, and perhaps for good reason, perhaps for bad reason, but anyway this is the problem we face in pluralistic society, that not necessarily every standard that every church tries to enforce upon the society is from the society's standpoint a good standard. Reinhold Niebuhr groupschurchtrying Religion, declares the modern man, is consciousness of our highest social values. Nothing could be further from the truth. True religion is a profound uneasiness about our highest social values. Reinhold Niebuhr social-valuesmenprofound
