Definitions HQ

An Offense (n.) may ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠lie not in breaking off but in having dared to fall in love with a view of life like his.

An Offense (n.) guards ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the approach to the Christian way: whoever calls Christianity the highest and omits offense is like John the Baptist dressing as a dandy.

An Offense (n.) at ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠Christ was not only the ungodly's: the best and kindliest man who ever lived must, humanly speaking, be offended at Him.

An Offense (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the antidote to the sleeping potion of apologetics: now that a fallen Christianity has married human reason and they are on familiar terms, only the possibility of offense can break the enchantment.

Offense (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the unhappy love of the understanding for the paradox.

Offense (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠always passive, however loudly it acts: its apparent agility is like the suppleness of one whose back is broken.

Offense (n.) does ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not speak with its own voice but with the paradox's, like a mimic — an acoustic illusion; the more passionate the offence, the more it owes to the paradox.

Offense (n.) gets ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠its best lines from believers: Tertullian, Hamann and Luther held to the paradox, yet spoke as if offended — the paradox takes the bread from offence's mouth.