"Montaigne maliciously remarked that, among certain peoples incest and thievery were considered virtuous acts. Pascal was scandalized by this. All this proves nothing against natural law, any more than a mistake in addition proves anything against arithmetic, or the mistakes of certain primitive peoples, for whom the stars were holes in the tent which covered the world, prove anything against astronomy."
-Maritain"[Israel] is not only a people, but a people endowed with a mission which pertained to the very order of the redemption of mankind. And Israel's mission continues in a certain manner--no longer as an "ecclesial mission"--after its lapse, because it cannot help being the chosen people, for the gifts of God are without repentance, and the Jews are still beloved because of their fathers. So we might say that wereas the Church is assigned the task of the supernatural and supratemporal saving of the world, to Israel is assigned, in the order of temporal history and its own finalities, the work of the earthly leavening of the world. Israel is here... to irritate the world, to prod it, to move it. It teaches the world to be dissatisfied and restless so long as it has not God, as long as it has not justice on earth. Its indestructible hope stimulates the life forces of history."
-Maritain, On the Philosophy of History"I am not a charismatic author. I can justly say that which the poor eyes of a philosopher believe to perceive in the entanglements of history. It seems to me that to be authentic, the friendship in question(between Jews and Christians) presupposes on both sides a purification of thought. It is necessary that Christians truly understand that God has not reproved, but always continued to love the children of Israel, and that it is His love which has permitted this long passion. It is also necessary that Jews truly understand that it is not the will to power, but the charity of Christ, that animates the effort of the Church towards men. It also seems to me that if this friendship is affirmed, it will be the foretaste of great things, and eventually of a common action to bear help to the world that is in danger, but in all corners of which there are souls who die of thirst."
-Maritain, De l'Eglise Du Christ