“…[When I was an atheist] my argument against God was
that the universe seemed cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just
and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a
straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?
If the whole show was bad and senseless from A to Z, so to speak, why did I, who
was supposed to be part of the show, find myself in such violent reaction
against it? … Thus in the very act of trying to prove that God did not exist
— in other words, that the whole of reality was senseless — I found I was
forced to assume that one part of reality — namely my idea of justice — was
full of sense. Consequently atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole
universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no
meaning.”
“An open mind, in questions that are
not ultimate, is useful. But an open mind about ultimate foundations either of
Theoretical or Practical Reason is idiocy. If a man’s mind is open on these
things, let his mouth at least be shut.”
