The Twilight of the Idols · Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
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To reduce the fact of being a Christian, or of Christianity, to a holding of something for true, to a mere phenomenon of consciousness, is tantamount to denying Christianity. _In fact there have never been any Christians._ The “Christian,” he who for two thousand years has been called a Christian, is merely a psychological misunderstanding of self. Looked at more closely, there ruled in him, _notwithstanding_ all his faith, only instincts—and _what instincts!_—“Faith” in all ages, as for instance in the case of Luther, has always been merely a cloak, a pretext, a _screen,_ behind which the instincts played their game,—a prudent form of _blindness_ in regard to the dominion of _certain_ instincts. “Faith” I have already characterised as a piece of really Christian cleverness; for people have always spoken of “faith” and acted according to their instincts.... In the Christian’s world of ideas there is nothing which even touches reality: but I have already recognised in the instinctive hatred of reality the actual motive force, the only driving power at the root of Christianity. What follows therefrom?
That here, even _in psychologicis_, error is fundamental,—that is to say capable of determining the spirit of things,—that is to say, _substance._ Take one idea away from the whole, and put one realistic fact in its stead,—and the whole of Christianity tumbles into nonentity!—Surveyed from above, this strangest of all facts,-a religion not only dependent upon error, but inventive and showing signs of genius only in those errors which are dangerous and which poison life and the human heart—remains a _spectacle for gods,_ for those gods who are at the same time philosophers and whom I met for instance in those celebrated dialogues on the island of Naxos. At the moment when they get rid of their _loathing (—and we do as well!_), they will be thankful for the spectacle the Christians have offered: the wretched little planet called Earth perhaps deserves on account of _this_ curious case alone, a divine glance, and divine interest.... Let us not therefore underestimate the Christians: the Christian, false _to the point of innocence in falsity,_ is far above the apes,—in regard to the Christians a certain well-known theory of Descent becomes a mere good-natured compliment.
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