This quote is supposed to be considered one of Voltaire’s infamous quotes: “One hundred years from my day there will not be a Bible in the earth except one that is looked upon by an antiquarian curiosity seeker.” But I see now that it’s highly possible that he didn’t make this statement….so I will replace it with a quote he did make and these ones are worse than the last. I hope these give you a warm fuzzy feeling all over.

L’Éternel a ses desseins de toute éternité. Si la prière est d’accord avec ses volontés immuables, il est très inutile de lui demander ce qu’il a résolu de faire. Si on le prie de faire le contraire de ce qu’il a résolu, c’est le prier d’être faible, léger, inconstant; c’est croire qu’il soit tel, c’est se moquer de lui. Ou vous lui demandez une chose juste; en ce cas il la doit, et elle se fera sans qu’on l’en prie; c’est même se défier de lui que lui faire instance ou la chose est injuste, et alors on l’outrage. Vous êtes digne ou indigne de la grâce que vous implorez: si digne, il le sait mieux que vous; si indigne, on commet un crime de plus en demandant ce qu’on ne mérite pas.
En un mot, nous ne faisons des prières à Dieu que parce que nous l’avons fait à notre image. Nous le traitons comme un bacha, comme un sultan qu’on peut irriter ou apaiser.
The Eternal has his designs from all eternity. If prayer is in accord with his immutable wishes, it is quite useless to ask of him what he has resolved to do. If one prays to him to do the contrary of what he has resolved, it is praying that he be weak, frivolous, inconstant; it is believing that he is thus, it is to mock him. Either you ask him a just thing, in which case he must do it, the thing being done without your praying to him for it, and so to entreat him is then to distrust him; or the thing is unjust, and then you insult him. You are worthy or unworthy of the grace you implore: if worthy, he knows it better than you; if unworthy, you commit another crime by requesting what is undeserved.
In a word, we only pray to God because we have made him in our image. We treat him like a pasha, like a sultan whom one may provoke or appease.
“Prayers” (1770)

Prier Dieu c’est se flatter qu’avec des paroles on changera toute la nature.
To pray to God is to flatter oneself that with words one can alter nature.
Notebooks (c.1735-c.1750)

Si Dieu nous a faits à son image, nous le lui avons bien rendu.
If God has made us in his image, we have returned him the favor.
Notebooks (c.1735-c.1750)

Elle [la nation juive] ose étaler une haine irréconciliable contre toutes les nations; elle se révolte contre tous ses maîtres. Toujours superstitieuse, toujours avide du bien d’autrui, toujours barbare, rampante dans le malheur, et insolente dans la prospérité.
The Jewish nation dares to display an irreconcilable hatred toward all nations, and revolts against all masters; always superstitious, always greedy for the well-being enjoyed by others, always barbarous — cringing in misfortune and insolent in prosperity.
Essai sur les Moeurs et l’Esprit des Nations (1753), Introduction, XLII: Des Juifs depuis Saül

Quand il s’agit d’argent, tout le monde est de la même religion.
When it is a question of money, everybody is of the same religion.
Letter to Mme. d’Épinal, Ferney (1760-12-26) from Oeuvres Complètes de Voltaire: Correspondance (Garnier frères, Paris, 1881), vol. IX, letter # 4390 (p. 124)

anti-Roman Catholic (all Christians have been lumped into this category unfortunately. BORN AGAIN CHRISTIANS ARE NOT CATHOLIC, but we will pay the price for Rome’s evil deeds)

Où est le prince assez instruit pour savoir que depuis dix-sept cents ans la secte chrétienne n’a jamais fait que du mal?
Where is the prince sufficiently educated to know that for seventeen hundred years the Christian sect has done nothing but harm?
Letters of Voltaire and Frederick the Great (New York: Brentano’s, 1927), transl. Richard Aldington, letter 160 from Voltaire to Frederick II of Prussia, 1767-04-06 [6]

C’est une grande question parmi eux s’ils [les africains] sont descendus des singes ou si les singes sont venus d’eux. Nos sages ont dit que l’homme est l’image de Dieu: voilà une plaisante image de l’Être éternel qu’un nez noir épaté, avec peu ou point d’intelligence! Un temps viendra, sans doute, où ces animaux sauront bien cultiver la terre, l’embellir par des maisons et par des jardins, et connaître la route des astres il faut du temps pour tout.
It is a serious question among them whether they [Africans] are descended from monkeys or whether the monkeys come from them. Our wise men have said that man was created in the image of God. Now here is a lovely image of the Divine Maker: a flat and black nose with little or hardly any intelligence. A time will doubtless come when these animals will know how to cultivate the land well, beautify their houses and gardens, and know the paths of the stars: one needs time for everything.
Les Lettres d’Amabed (1769): Septième Lettre d’Amabed

“Si Dieu n’existait pas, il faudrait l’inventer.” Mais toute la nature nous crie qu’il existe; qu’il y a une intelligence suprême, un pouvoir immense, un ordre admirable, et tout nous instruit de notre dépendance.
“If God did not exist, He would have to be invented.” But all nature cries aloud that he does exist: that there is a supreme intelligence, an immense power, an admirable order, and everything teaches us our own dependence on it.
Voltaire quoting himself in his Letter to Prince Frederick William of Prussia (1770-11-28), translated by S.G. Tallentyre, Voltaire in His Letters, 1919.

Le mieux est l’ennemi du bien.
The best is the enemy of the good.
Variant translations:
The perfect is the enemy of the good.
The better is the enemy of the good.
La Bégueule (1772)

Je meurs en adorant Dieu, en aimant mes amis, en ne haïssant pas mes ennemis et en détestant la superstition.
I die adoring God, loving my friends, not hating my enemies, and detesting superstition.
Déclaration de Voltaire, note to his secretary, Jean-Louis Wagnière (1778-02-28)

“One hundred years from my day there will not be a Bible in the earth except one that is looked upon by an antiquarian curiosity seeker.” – Francois Arouet De Voltaire

Please provide —

Document written by Voltaire in which the quote exists (I do not mind going to the French to read it); or, alternatively,

Original source document reflecting this statement by Voltaire in public or private (where, when, to what audience, and the source document reporting the making of the statement).

I mean — it is about truth, and if we’re going to be making statements, I just want to do what Christian’s demand of the “world’s” scholars — make sure that it’s true and not just a Christian “warm fuzzy.”

Thanks.

One of the reasons that Rob Bell has risen to such popularity is because he professes to answer a question that has emerged in our history, and that is, how do we reach a “postmodern” world?

Postmodernism is in many ways a reaction against the “modern” way of thinking. Where a modernist sees the value of structure and hierarchy, a postmodernist holds to relativism and a rethinking of concepts which were once considered axiomatic. Enter Rob Bell and teachers like him. They argue that the church is far too rigid, too dogmatic, too structured. Rob calls the church “brickianity.” And his solution is to redefine Christianity, to paint it as fluid and changeable. Rob uses the illustration of “springs” to convey the way we ought to view our Theology.’

The bulk of this review has been critical of Rob Bell and his Theology, and so I believe it is appropriate to offer the proper alternative. Rob teaches that we ought to redefine Christianity to fit the worldview of the postmodern world. The postmodern world shuns structure and dogmatism, so teachers like Rob Bell tell us that the church ought to as well. This is evident all throughout Velvet Elvis, as documented in detail throughout this review. So what is the proper way to reach the postmodern world? The answer is found in the Scriptures. Amazingly, the Scriptures really are in fact “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

The world in Jesus’ day wasn’t all that different than how it is today. There truly is nothing new under the sun. And a group of undereducated Jewish men changed the world through preaching the cross. And the world can be changed today the exact same way. How do you reach a postmodern world? The wrong way is to change the church to follow the culture, as Rob Bell does. The right way is to preach Christ and Him crucified.

An interesting thing happened to me when I became a Christian. I didn’t grow up in a Christian home -mquite the contrary! I grew up in a liberal Jewish home, very hostile to the claims of Christianity. I was a young man who was very hesitant to even open a New Testament to read any portion of it.

But here’s what happened to me: God changed my heart. It’s that simple and that amazing. I was once,dead in my transgre,ssions, an enemy of God, but He reached out and rescued me and turned me into a,child of God. And when that happened, all of a sudden my heart changed and I loved the things God,loves and I hated the things God hates. I turned from my love for sin and instead I began to hunger for,the Bible – even the New Testament! I couldn’t wait to attend church services and Bible studies and Christian retreats.

The difference was that God took out my old heart and gave me a new one. This is what happens when a man or woman repents of their sin and believes the gospel. They become a new creation. It would have been disastrous if someone had come up to me and said, “Mark, we know you don’t like Jesus and don’t like the New Testament. That’s okay. God loves you just the way you are. You don’t need to repent or even put your faith in Christ. It’s okay. We have a church service, but we don’t call it church. We’ll call it a gathering and it’s run by facilitators instead of Elders.” That would have been terrible! I didn’t need new definitions of Christianity. I needed a new heart. And when God gave me a new heart, then all of a sudden I didn’t mind conforming myself to the Bible, rather than conforming the Bible to me.

That’s what the postmodern world needs: the preaching of the cross. So Christian, if you’re reading this, and you have a hunger to reach the postmodern world, then preach the cross. Don’t change the church to conform to the culture. Preach the gospel, the whole gospel, because it is “it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16). The preaching of the Word of God has always been the way God has changed hearts. It is still the only way He does it today. When people are reconciled to God, and they receive a new heart, the concerns of postmodernism become irrelevant.

Mike, it’s very cleat what Steve wrote who is Emergent. And that’s not the point of this article. Everyone is complaining that the definition of what PM or Emergeing is can be this or that…quite frankly I could not care what Emergent’s think is PM or M or XYZ. The point is that born again Christians mocked and insulted by Emergents, and no one can deny this, except for those who agree that born again Christians who are the very worst of Modernity’s thinking can lead to persecution.

I’ve had enough of this rather obvious argument meant soley as a diversion from the facts presented by Emergent followers. If you want to discuss the meaning of a word please do go and have a field day on Steve or Nic’s or Rogers or Iggy’s blogs. If you want more info on shamanism or occult practices Nic’s blog is the way to go.

“Well if Modernity is holding on the the truth of the Bible…”

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, where did that one come from? With all due respect it sounds to me like you’re constructing these definitions to fit your world view. (Ironically, according to your own definition, that’s very postmodern of you!)

Well if Modernity is holding on the the truth of the Bible, then Post-Modernity is not holding onto the truth of the Bible. Simple eh? But I am sure Chad, Nic, Iggy, Eugene, Roger, Steve, and all the Emerging posse can provide you with New Age souces to keep you busy for years..

Steve

Quite feisty for an old man

You really do tell whopping lies, don’t you?

1. I did not quote Voltaire.
2. I said nothing about born-again Christians
3. I said nothing about Roman Catholics.

Go and wash your mouth out with soap, you naughty child!

Deborah and Amanda, there is something called charitable reading. Try it, you might be pleasantly surprised. And if in doubt – ask. You know what they say about assume…

No. So let me ask you now. What do they say? I asked Roger a question more than once on more than one thread. I asked Iggy a few times on this thread. Where did I fall short? Should I regard your comment to me as a result of you reading my comments charitably? I do not understand this.

Something else I do not understand is why the emergents will not own up that they are in fact trying to emerge from Christianity. Is that not what Brian McLaren said at Amahorror, that we must be ready to move on? Where those who hold to the fundamentals of the faith supposed to emerge too or just play dead?

Out of these quotes you gather that they do not serve the same Jesus as you? Really?

Eugene, do you serve the same Jesus Christ as the fundamentalists?

Roger said:

If a religion does not lead to peace, the Holy Spirit is not working within it.

Ds. Cobus said:

Am I willing to also say that those Lutherans [German soldiers] would go to the metaphysical place called heaven as well while their Jewish victims go the Dante’s hell?

Nic said:

” I rejoice at the presence of the Trickster in a barren land of closed thought, for quite apart from being the bringer of death and destruction, he in fact is a catalyst for life and salvation. I now look at Jesus as embodying (amongst all things divine) this trickster, as well.”

” I suggest that this is where the trickster comes to assist us. His realm includes ambiguity, irony, and play, incompleteness and chaos, holding in tension and suspending belief, generosity and cruelty, imagination, flexibility and cunning shifting of shape, the boundaries between life and death, and making connections where they are not supposed to be.”

How does one make those statements line up with the Word of God? Is it charity for fundamentalists to keep silent about them?