That the ideals must be proclaimed — otherwise Christianity is falsified in its deepest root
Take another situation. There is a proverb which says, "It's a poor soldier who does not hope to become a general."
So it should be; if there is to be life and enthusiasm in an army, this proverb ought to inspire all : a poor soldier who does not hope to become a general.
Rather different is that which experience teaches from generation to generation, that out of the prodigious mass of soldiers only a few even become noncommissioned officers, very few lieutenants, rarely several individuals become staff officers, very seldom by way of exception one becomes a general.
Now reverse the situation. One starts out with what experience teaches, what has been verified again and again from generation to generation — and thereupon one speaks thus: "It is foolishness for a soldier to cherish the notion of becoming a general. Be content with what you are, just as we are content, content with what experience teaches, that the thousands get no further." Is not this to demoralize the army
So it is in the Christian sphere. Instead of proclaiming the ideals, they educe what experience teaches, what the experience of all the centuries has taught, that the millions get no further than mediocrity.
Thus they apply Christianity tranquillizingly; a base priestly lie, but one which pays, applying Christianity tranquillizingly, whereas instead it is in the deepest sense arousing, disquieting! They apply it tranquillizingly: "To strive after the ideals is folly, stupidity, madness, it is pride, conceit (things which are offensive to God); the via media is the true wisdom; be tranquil, you are completely like the millions; and the experience of all the centuries teaches that one gets no further! Be tranquil, you are like the others, will become blessed like all the others" — a euphemism for: You are going to hell like all the others. But this truth will not produce money, and the other teaching pays brilliantly.
If there lives an individual who is not content with, will not be tran- quillized by that sort of blessedness, then the whole mass, commanded by the perjurers, turns against him, declares him an egoist, a dreadful egotist, for not wanting to be like the others.
The New Testament, however, is always in the right; for sure enough this individual encounters the genuine Christian collisions: of being hated by men because he is determined to be...a Christian. The only difference is that these men are costumed as Christians, are titularly Christians, and are led — how solemn! — by teachers who have taken an oath upon the New Testament.
In this way they have demoralized Christendom by doing exactly the opposite of proclaiming the ideals.
But what does it avail them ? what does it avail that by the assistance of priestly lies they get this life made easy and comfortable? They do not fool eternity. And inflexibly as the human race stands up for its will to punish, to punish even by death, those who are not willing to be like the others, just so firmly does eternity stick to its purpose of punishing with eternal perdition those who are tranquillized by being like the others.