9.
Upon this theological instinct I make war: I find the tracks of it
everywhere. Whoever has theological blood in his veins is shifty and
dishonourable in all things. The pathetic thing that grows out of this
condition is called faith: in other words, closing one's eyes upon
one's self once for all, to avoid suffering the sight of incurable
falsehood. People erect a concept of morality, of virtue, of holiness upon
this false view of all things; they ground good conscience upon faulty
vision; they argue that no other sort of vision has value any
more, once they have made theirs sacrosanct with the names of “God,”
“salvation” and “eternity.” I unearth this theological
instinct in all directions: it is the most widespread and the most
subterranean form of falsehood to be found on earth. Whatever a
theologian regards as true must be false: there you have almost a
criterion of truth. His profound instinct of self-preservation stands
against truth ever coming into honour in any way, or even getting stated.
Wherever the influence of theologians is felt there is a transvaluation of
values, and the concepts “true” and “false” are forced
to change places: what ever is most damaging to life is there called
“true,” and whatever exalts it, intensifies it, approves it, justifies it and
makes it triumphant is there called “false.”... When
theologians, working through the “consciences” of princes (or of
peoples—), stretch out their hands for power, there is never any
doubt as to the fundamental issue: the will to make an end, the nihilistic
will exerts that power...
