7 May 1794 A.D. French Revolution—Redefining God, the Ever-Present Impulse to Humanity ("A little of this and a little of that, thank you")
7 May 1794 A.D. French Revolution—Redefining God, the Ever-Present Impulse to
Humanity ("A little of this and a little of that, thank you")
Graves, Dan. “French Revolution Cult of
Supreme Being.” Christianity.com. May
2007. http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1701-1800/french-revolution-cult-of-supreme-being-11630325.html. Accessed 4 May 2015.
"Reason is God," said the leaders of the
French Revolution. But people are so unreasonable that the revolutionary
leader, Robespierre, soon realized that reason makes a weak God. He became
afraid that without belief in some powerful being like the Judeo-Christian God,
morals would collapse. Then where would the Republic be? Strong nations need
strong virtues.
On this day, May 7, 1794, the Committee of Public
Safety, which controlled France, decreed worship of a Supreme Being. This was
not the God of the Bible, who enters into personal relationships with men, but
a Deist god. Eighteenth-century Deism taught that God created the universe but
did not interfere in its operation. According to the Deists, their god could be
discovered through natural law and his existence was an inspiration to moral
behavior.
That June, Robespierre organized a festival of the
Supreme Being. At that festival it was proclaimed, "The day forever
fortunate has arrived, which the French people have consecrated to the Supreme
Being. Never has the world which he created offered to him a spectacle so
worthy of his notice. He has seen reigning on the earth tyranny, crime, and
imposture. He sees at this moment a whole nation, grappling with all the
oppressions of the human race, suspend the course of its heroic labors to elevate
its thoughts and vows toward the great Being who has given it the mission it
has undertaken and the strength to accomplish it.
"Is it not he whose immortal hand, engraving
on the heart of man the code of justice and equality, has written there the
death sentence of tyrants? Is it not he who, from the beginning of time,
decreed for all the ages and for all peoples liberty, good faith, and
justice?" *
Fearful of further bouts of terror, the
revolutionary Committee engineered Robespierre's downfall and execution. The
blade of the guillotine was soon stained with his own blood.
* Note: while Christians recognize God as the Supreme Being (a term not used in the Scripture),
they also know Him by the more humane name "Father."
Bibliography:
Aulard, François Victor Alphonse. Christianity and the French Revolution; Translated by Lady Frazer. New York: H. Fertig,
1966.
----------------------The French Revolution; a
political history, 1789 - 1804; Translated from the French of the 3d ed., with a pref., notes, and
historical summary, by Bernard Miall. New York: Russell & Russell, 1965.
"Maximillian Robespierre on the Festival of
the Supreme Being." The History Place; Great Speeches
Collection. http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/robespierre.htm
Last updated May, 2007.
Comments
Post a Comment