"Christianity set itself the goal of fulfilling manâ€™s unattainable desires, but for that very reason ignored his attainable desires. By promising man eternal life, it deprived him of temporal life, by teaching him to trust in Godâ€™s help it took away his trust in his own powers; by giving him faith in a better life in heaven, it destroyed his faith in a better life on earth and his striving to attain such a life. Christianity gave man what his imagination desires, but for that very reason failed to give him what he really and truly desires."

Source : "Lectures on the Essence of Religion". "Atheism alone a Positive View", en.wikiquote.org. 1851.

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