“They would have to sing better songs for me to learn to have faith in their Redeemer; and his disciples would have to look more redeemed!”

“Our faith in others betrays that we would rather have faith in ourselves.”

“As soon as a religion comes to dominate it has as its opponents all those who would have been its first disciples. ”

“Some cannot loosen their own chains and can nonetheless redeem their friends.”

“For man to be redeemed from revenge, that is for me the bridge to the highest hope, and a rainbow after long storms.Distrust all in whom the impulse to punish is powerful!”

“What, if some day or night a demon were to steal after you into your loneliest loneliness and say to you: 'This life as you now live it and have lived it, you will have to live once more and innumerable times more' ... Would you not throw yourself down and gnash your teeth and curse the demon who spoke thus? Or have you once experienced a tremendous moment when you would have answered him: 'You are a god and never have I heard anything more divine.”

“I want to speak to the despisers of the body. I would not have them learn and teach differently, but merely say farewell to their own bodies-- and thus become silent.”