“ The churches know very well, he maintains, that the fear of everlasting punishment more than any or all other motives is the source of their power and the support of their organizations. ”
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., Over the Teacups (1891). copy citation
| Author | Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. |
|---|---|
| Source | Over the Teacups |
| Topic | punishment fear |
| Date | 1891 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2689/2689-h/2689-h.htm |
Context
“The Anglo-American church has dropped the Athanasian Creed from its service; the English mother church is afraid to. There are plenty of Universalists, Number Seven says, in the Episcopalian and other Protestant churches, but they do not avow their belief in any frank and candid fashion. The churches know very well, he maintains, that the fear of everlasting punishment more than any or all other motives is the source of their power and the support of their organizations. Not only are the fears of mankind the whip to scourge and the bridle to restrain them, but they are the basis of an almost incalculable material interest. “ Talk about giving up the doctrine of endless punishment by fire! ” exclaimed Number Seven;”
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