Christian religion seems to have fulfilled its great biological purpose,
All this disappeared in the transitory world of the Christian, only to break forth much later when the thought of mankind had achieved that independence of
the idea which could resist the aesthetic impression, so that thought was no longer fettered by the emotional effects of the impression, but could rise to reflective observation Thus man entered into a new and independent relation to nature whereby the foundation was laid for natural science and technique.
With that, however, there entered in for the first time a displacement of the weight of interest; there arose again real-transference which has reached its greatest development in our time.
Materialistic interest has everywhere become paramount.
Therefore, the realms of the spirit, where earlier the greatest conflicts and developments took place, he deserted and fallow, the world has not only lost its God as the sentimentalists of the nineteenth century bewail, but also to some extent has lost its soul as well.
One, therefore, cannot wonder that the discoveries and doctrines of the Freudian school, with their wholly psychologic views, meet with an almost universal disapproval.
Through the change of the centre of interest from the inner to the outer world, the knowledge of nature has increased enormously in comparison with that of earlier times.
By this the anthropomorphic conception of the religious dogmas has been definitely thrown open to question, therefore, the present-day religions can only with the greatest difficulty close their eyes to this fact, for not only has the intense interest been diverted from the Christian religion, but criticism and the necessary correction have increased correspondingly.
The Christian religion seems to have fulfilled its great biological purpose, in so far as we are able to judge.
It has led human thought to independence, and has lost its significance, therefore, to a yet undetermined extent, in any case its dogmatic contents have become related to Mithraism.
In consideration of the fact that this religion has rendered, nevertheless, inconceivable service to education, one cannot reject it “eo ipso” today.
It seems to me that we might still make use in some way of its form of thought, and especially of its great wisdom of life, which for two thousand years has been proven to be particularly efficacious.
The stumbling block is the unhappy combination of religion and morality.
That must be overcome.
There still remain traces of this strife in the soul, the lack of which in a human being is reluctantly felt.
It is hard to say in what such things consist; for this, ideas as well as words are lacking.
If, in spite of that, I attempt to say something about it, I do it parabolically, using Seneca’s words:
“Nothing can be more commendable and beneficial if you persevere m the pursuit of wisdom.
It is what would be ridiculous to wish for when it is in your power to attain it.
There is no need to lift up your hands to Heaven, or to pray the servant of the temple to admit you to the ear of the idol that your prayers may be heard the better God is near thee, he is with thee.
Yes, Lucilius, a holy spirit resides within us, the observer of good and evil, and our constant guardian.
And as we treat him, he treats us, no good man is without a God.
Could any one ever rise above the power of fortune without his assistance.
It is he that inspires us with thoughts, upright, just and pure.
We do not, indeed, pretend to say what God, but that a God dwells in the breast of every good man is certain.” ~Carl Jung, Psychology of the Unconscious, Page 84-86
