"The historical Jesus counted on the world's coming to an end in his own lifetime. And for this coming of God's kingdom he doubtless did not want to found a special community distinct from Israel, with its own creed, its own cult, its own constitution, its own offices. All this means that in his own lifetime Jesus never founded any church. He had no idea of founding and organizing a large-scale religious operation that would have to be created. Neither for himself nor for his disciples did he think of a mission among the pagan nations."
- Hans Küng, Swiss Catholic priest, theologian, and author
"Can anyone deny that the very concept of the sacrifice of reconciliation, at least in the popular mind, often gave rise to downright pagan misunderstandings: as if God was so cruel, indeed so sadistic, that his rage could be mollified only through the blood of his own Son?"
- Hans Küng, Swiss Catholic priest, theologian, and author
- Hans Küng, Swiss Catholic priest, theologian, and author
"Can anyone deny that the very concept of the sacrifice of reconciliation, at least in the popular mind, often gave rise to downright pagan misunderstandings: as if God was so cruel, indeed so sadistic, that his rage could be mollified only through the blood of his own Son?"
- Hans Küng, Swiss Catholic priest, theologian, and author
teachings of the Bible are so muddled and self-contradictory that it was possible for Christians to happily burn heretics alive for five long centuries. It was even possible for the most venerated patriarchs of the Church, like St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, to conclude that heretics should be tortured (Augustine) or killed outright (Aquinas). Martin Luther and John Calvin advocated the wholesale murder of heretics, apostates, Jews, and witches. - Sam Harris, "Letter To A Christian Nation"