There is a great ladder of religious cruelty, and, of its many rungs, three are the most important. People used to make human sacrifices to their god, perhaps even sacrificing those they loved the best ... Then, during the moral epoch of humanity, people sacrificed the strongest instincts they had, their 'nature,' to their god; the joy of this particular festival shines in the cruel eyes of the ascetic, that enthusiastic piece of 'anti-nature.' Finally: what was left to be sacrificed? In the end, didn't people have to sacrifice all comfort and hope, everything holy or healing, any faith in hidden harmony or a future filled with justice and bliss? Didn't people have to sacrifice God himself and worship rocks, stupidity, gravity, fate, or nothingness out of sheer cruelty to themselves? To sacrifice God for nothingness - that paradoxical mystery of the final cruelty has been reserved for the race that is now approaching: by now we all know something about this.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Nietzsche describes a progression of religious cruelty, from human sacrifice to the sacrifice of nature, comfort, hope, and finally God itself.
- In plain terms
- He outlines how humanity has increasingly sacrificed more abstract values in the name of religion.
- What can you take from it?
- Beware of giving up essential values for abstract beliefs.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What values are worth preserving?
- How does sacrifice shape belief systems?
Another view
The claim is sweeping and may not reflect all religious experiences.
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