John: That sounds all right; go on!
Elinor: You see, then, our setting in motion this law can have nothing to do with the anger or approval or complacency of God. “Be good, and you will go to heaven: behave evilly, and you will go to hell”—one was taught. Reward and punishment—personal gain or personal pain—which gets it back to pure selfishness.
John: Then you would take away these strong motives to influence human conduct? You are getting on to a high plane!
Elinor: I began by saying we were talking of religion; you seem to consider we are discussing a business concern.
John: So it is—put it how you will.
Elinor: I deny that from my point, but I admit it if you are going to traffic with rewards and punishments.
John: Then you mean to tell me that each unit is always to behave in the purest manner and do his level best simply to return to God at death an untarnished soul?
John: But you would do away with all priestcraft, all politics, all society! ’Pon my word, this is worse than Socialism. You know I never bargained for that!
Elinor: Nothing of the kind! The basic principle is that God is omnipotent. Granted this, and the poorest intelligence might then credit Him with having the best of all the attributes with which He has endowed mankind, whom he created—chief of these being common sense.