Tuesday, April 2, 2013 (Repost)

From The Diary of Hans Christian Andersen

June 14, 1870.  I had a prolonged and unpleasant dispute this evening with three ladies about Christ and religion.  I said that the teaching of Christ was from God and a blessing, but that while the birth and family relations of Jesus were interesting to me, they were of no importance.  Then the storm broke loose.  They told me that the teaching of Christ was of no consequence at all, if his birth and death were left out; that his birth and death were necessary to confirm his authority; that I was not a Christian, since I did not believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  I replied that I believed in them as aspects of God, but not as separate individuals, as bodily persons.  They gave me up.

October 6, 1871.  This evening at home, I happened to speak about God and Christ and Mary, the mother, and to explain my convictions and my warm religious faith.  Miss K—exclaimed: “Dear me, but you must be a Jew.”  Later, when I asserted my love and admiration and thankfulness for the human Christ, who as a man might influence me to imitate him, she burst into tears and fled from the room.  There was quite a scene.

— Hans Christian Andersen (born April 2, 1805)

Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875)