 Lange thinks that materialism, or rather science in general, will undermine religion, or at least traditional forms of it. He takes seriously the concern that this might also undermine moral commitment. He points out that it is not obvious how effective religion really is in influencing moral behaviour. The New Testament’s claim that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven seems to have little impact on the acquisitiveness of contemporary Christian capitalists, “while the servants of the Church sit at the tables of the rich and preach submissiveness to the poor” (Lange 1873–75, 3:270–271). Such Christian ideas have encouraged universalistic concern and have combatted egoism and this, other things equal, is morally beneficial. What prevents these ideas from having more influence, and more of a purely positive influence, is the dogmatic form in which they appear, and the nature of the institution of the Church itself. The power of the Church to force the acceptance of its dogmas not only results in unwarranted beliefs but also in a general debasement of our mental abilities (Lange 1873–75, 3:275).