Sunday, December 16, 2012

Atheists Worldwide
J. M. Robertson points out that Beethoven had no formal religion but believed in three ancient, pantheistic formulas: "I am that which is." "I am all that is, that was, that shall be"; and "He is alone by Himself, and to Him alone do all things owe their being."
When his friend Moscheles at the end of his arrangement of Fidelio (1805) wrote, "Fine, with God’s help," Beethoven added, "O man, help t
hyself."
Sir George Macfarren, writing of Beethoven in the Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography, speaks of him as a "free thinker," saying the remarkable Mass in C "might scarcely have proceeded from an entirely orthodox thinker."
Sir George Grove, in his Dictionary of Music and Musicians, wrote, "Formal religion he apparently had none" and "the Bible does not appear to have been one of his favorite books."
Joseph McCabe flatly said that Beethoven, reared a Catholic, quit the Church, was an apostate from their creed, and adopted Goethe’s pantheism. Agreeing, Nicolas Walter labels Beethoven a pantheist, not a Christian.
When Beethoven was dying, he yielded to the pressure of Catholic friends and let a priest administer his sacraments. But when the priest left the room, Beethoven said, in the Latin words of the ancient Roman theater, "Applaud, my friends, the comedy is over."
"Then let us all do what is right, strive with all our might toward the unattainable, develop as fully as we can the gifts God has given us, and never stop learning."
Ludwig van Beethoven (composer and pianist, he remains one of the most famous and influential of all composers)
J. M. Robertson points out that Beethoven had no formal religion but believed in three ancient, pantheistic formulas: "I am that which is." "I am all that is, that was, that shall be"; and "He is alone by Himself, and to Him alone do all things owe their being."
When his friend Moscheles at the end of his arrangement of Fidelio (1805) wrote, "Fine, with God’s help," Beethoven added, "O man, help thyself."
Sir George Macfarren, writing of Beethoven in the Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography, speaks of him as a "free thinker," saying the remarkable Mass in C "might scarcely have proceeded from an entirely orthodox thinker."
Sir George Grove, in his Dictionary of Music and Musicians, wrote, "Formal religion he apparently had none" and "the Bible does not appear to have been one of his favorite books."
Joseph McCabe flatly said that Beethoven, reared a Catholic, quit the Church, was an apostate from their creed, and adopted Goethe’s pantheism. Agreeing, Nicolas Walter labels Beethoven a pantheist, not a Christian.
When Beethoven was dying, he yielded to the pressure of Catholic friends and let a priest administer his sacraments. But when the priest left the room, Beethoven said, in the Latin words of the ancient Roman theater, "Applaud, my friends, the comedy is over."
"Then let us all do what is right, strive with all our might toward the unattainable, develop as fully as we can the gifts God has given us, and never stop learning."
Ludwig van Beethoven (composer and pianist, he remains one of the most famous and influential of all composers)

No comments:

Post a Comment