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THE LIVING FORCES OF THE GOSPEL PAGE
88
2. LIES IN HEATHENISM
Lying about God, about the value of life and the value of personality-Lying about morality-Lying power of the magician-The heathen willing to be deceived-They are given to lying and are distrustful.
96
3. HEATHENISM IS ESTRANGEMENT FROM GoD
The heathen dimly perceive God, but do not have Him-God driven into the backgrounl-No relation to Him-The idea of God in contradiction with the religion not the result of development-Religious degeneracy-Demons have thrust themselves between God and menGod eliminated by fate. 4. HEATHENISM IS BONDAGE
108
The Animist enslaved by fear and notions of constraint-Fear of souls, of spirits, of men-Demon worship widespread-The demons to them realities-View of the heathen Christians-View of the early Church-Biblical conception-Bondage to fate-Killing of personal freedom and self-determination-Capacity for redemption. 5. HEATHENISM IS SELFISHNESS
122
Love scarcely known-Cruelty and brutality-Roots of selfishness in Animism-Struggle for existence. 6. PERVERSION OF MORALITY IN HEATHENISM
125
Not without virtues-Custom in place of morality-Whatever useful good-Ancestors guardians of custom-Custom dependent on animistic religion - Cruelty permitted-Unchastity in union with Animism-Custom has no reference to God-No retribution-Fatalism kills moral judgment.
7.
HEATHENISM IS WORLDLINESS
130
Materialism of the soul cult and of religion-No hope of compensation in a future life.
II. FIRST CONTACT BETWEEN HEATHENISM AND CHRISTIANITY A. ANTAGONISTIC ATTITUDE OF HEATHENISM
1.
THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION IS REJECTED
135
Religion a national affair-Heathenism conservative-Distrust of the foreigner-Christianity specially strange-Its messengers Europeans-Its contents repel the materialistic heathen-Vis inertia,Fanatic opponents. 2. CHRISTIAN MORALS REJECTED
The heathen think they have morals-Perversion of the moral idea-Self-righteousness and self-deception-Morality rooted in the religion -Custom-The heathen have no desire to become other tha.n they are-Fatalism-The Gospel as a demand makes no impression.
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