THE NECESSITY OF ATHEISM

"How often it has happened that one man, standing at the right point ofview, has descried the truth, and, after having been denounced andpersecuted by all others, they have eventually been constrained to adopthis declarations!"—(Draper.)

For the old Gods came to an end long ago. And verily it was a good andjoyful end of Gods!

They did not die lingering in the twilight—although that lie is told!On the contrary, they once upon a time laughed themselves to death!

That came to pass when, by a God himself, the most ungodly word wasuttered, the word: "There is but one God! Thou shalt have no other Godsbefore me."

An old grim beard of a God, a jealous one, forgot himself thus.

And then all Gods laughed and shook on their chairs and cried: "IsGodliness not just that there are Gods, but no God?"

Whoever hath ears let him hear.

"Thus Spake Zarathrustra"—Friedrich Nietzsche