1686: Ivan Franko on Rationalism, Religion, and Freethought
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): Medium (Personal)
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2026/05/08
“What is rationalism? It is the striving to be guided by reason and enlightenment. Is there anything evil in that? And you, our opponents, do you want the people in everything, therefore also in matters of faith, to be guided by unreason, darkness, and superstition?”
“We, the radicals, declare openly and frankly: yes, we are rationalists; in all matters, therefore also in matters of religion, we wish to proceed reasonably, as befits reasonable and enlightened people.”
“We have declared a war to the death against darkness and befogging.”
“If you think that reason and education lead to the decline of faith, to the destruction of religion, then you are the worst enemies of religion, because you regard it as inseparable from darkness and unreason.”
“The radicals have never come out, and do not come out, either against belief in God or against any foundation of true religiosity… they have come out, do come out, and will always come out against the abuse of those institutions and rites for exploiting, robbing, and befogging the people.”
“There is no, no longer any Lord in heaven! There is no creator, nor autocrat, no one who by an almighty word brought everything out of nothing.”
“He is not, and never was!”
“Not beyond it, but in it is our fatherland! Not beyond it, but in it are we eternal. Not beyond it, but in it must we arrange our life and happiness.”
“Wherever the bold human spirit broke into the forbidden field of religion, wherever ardent feeling rebelled against the tyranny of mysteries, ceremonies, and dogmas, wherever that highest human faculty — doubt — pressed against the gates of sanctuaries and secretly undermined their foundations, everywhere I followed in their footsteps.”
“Not God, but man created God out of nothing — in these words lies the whole achievement of my labor, my science, and my thought.”
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