Reason is not the sole basis of moral virtue in man. His social impulses are more deeply rooted than his rational life. Reinhold Niebuhr More Quotes by Reinhold Niebuhr More Quotes From Reinhold Niebuhr Perhapsthemost sublimeinsights oftheJewishprophets and the Christian gospel is the knowledge that since perfection is love, the apprehension of perfection is at once the means of seeing one's imperfections and the consoling assurance of grace which makes this realization bearable. This ultimate paradox of high religion is not an invention of theologians or priests. It is constantly validated by the most searching experiences of life. Reinhold Niebuhr perfection christian mean Man is endowed by nature with organic relations to his fellow men; and natural impulse prompts him to consider the needs of others even when they compete with his own. Reinhold Niebuhr fellow-man men needs Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith. Reinhold Niebuhr saved beautiful The intimate relation between humor and faith is derived from the fact that both deal with the incongruities of our existence. Laughter is our reaction to immediate incongruities and those which do not affect us essentially. Faith is the only possible response to the ultimate incongruities of existence, which threaten the very meaning of our life. Reinhold Niebuhr intimate laughter facts I don't know whether any religious leader would say that we must ultimately win, because we're on God's side. If they do say that, it's bad religion. Reinhold Niebuhr leader religious winning A wise architect observed that you could break the laws of architec75tural art provided you had mastered them first. That would apply to religion as well as to art. Ignorance of the past does not guarantee freedom from its imperfections. Reinhold Niebuhr ignorance wise art It is my strong conviction that a realist conception of human nature should be made a servant of an ethic of progressive justice and should not be made into a bastion of conservatism, particularly a conservatism which defends unjust privileges. Reinhold Niebuhr unjust strong justice It is significant that it is as difficult to get charity out of piety as to get reasonableness out of rationalism. Reinhold Niebuhr significant difficult charity God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Reinhold Niebuhr motivational inspirational life What is so funny about us is precisely that we take ourselves too seriously. Laughter is the same and healthy response to the innocent foibles of men; and even to some which are not innocent. Reinhold Niebuhr laughter healthy men Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore we are saved by love. Reinhold Niebuhr accomplished accomplishment love Human Beings are just good enough to make democracy possible...just bad enough to make it neccessary. Reinhold Niebuhr good-enough democracy humans The individual or the group which organizes any society, however social its intentions or pretensions, arrogates an inordinate portion of social privilege to itself. Reinhold Niebuhr intention privilege groups The mastery of nature is vainly believed to be an adequate substitute for self mastery. Reinhold Niebuhr environmental nature self 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. Reinhold Niebuhr judging justice men Man is both strong and weak, both free and bound, both blind and far-seeing. He stands at the juncture of nature and spirit; and is involved in both freedom and necessity. Reinhold Niebuhr strong spirit men The history of mankind is a perennial tragedy; for the highest ideals which the individual may project are ideals which he can never realize in social and collective terms. Reinhold Niebuhr realizing tragedy may Humour is, in fact, a prelude to faith; and laughter is the beginning of prayer … Laughter is swallowed up in prayer and humour is fulfilled by faith. Reinhold Niebuhr laughter prayer facts We have, on the whole, more liberty and less equality than Russia has. Russia has less liberty and more equality. Whether democracy should be defined primarily in terms of liberty or equality is a source of unending debate. Reinhold Niebuhr russia democracy liberty That is the truth about man - that he has a curious kind of dignity, but also a curious kind of misery, and that these forms of agnosticism don't understand. Reinhold Niebuhr misery dignity men
