Christ could certainly not have established the Church, that is, the institution we now call by that name, for nothing resembling our present conception of the Church—with its sacraments, its hierarchy, and especially its claim to infallibility—is to be found either in Christ's words or in the conceptions of the men of his time.

About Leo Tolstoy

Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (; Russian: Лев Николаевич Толстой, IPA: [ˈlʲef nʲɪkɐˈla(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ tɐlˈstoj] ; 9 September [O.S. 28 August] 1828 – 20 November [O.S. 7 November] 1910), usually referred to in English as Leo Tolstoy, was a Russian writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential...

More quotations from Leo Tolstoy

Our body is a machine for living. It is organized for that; it is its nature. Let life go on in it unhindered and let it defend itself. It will do more than if you paralyze it by encumbering it with remedies.

—Leo Tolstoy

Historians are like deaf people who go on answering questions that no one has asked them.

—Leo Tolstoy

How important the concept of God is, and how instead of valuing what has been given us, we with light hearts spurn it because of absurdities that have been attached to it.

—Leo Tolstoy

If there existed no external means for dimming their consciences, one-half of the men would at once shoot themselves, because to live contrary to one's reason is a most intolerable state, and all men of our time are in such a state.

—Leo Tolstoy

time conscience reason suicide

It is easier to produce ten volumes of philosophical writings than to put one principle into practice.

—Leo Tolstoy

philosophy writing effort practice

History

27 Feb 2016 Added
26 Oct 2026 Wording changed

Previous wording

Christ could certainly not have established the Church, that is, the institution we now call by that name, for nothing resembling our present conception of the Church — with its sacraments, its hierarchy, and especially its claim to infallibility — is to be found either in Christ's words or in the conceptions of the men of his time.