Full Idea
It seems that Christian belief is to be kept alive precisely for the sake of its soothing effects; ...this hedonistic turn, the proof based on pleasure, is a symptom of decline.
Gist of Idea
Christian belief is kept alive because it is soothing - the proof based on pleasure
Source
Friedrich Nietzsche (Writings from Late Notebooks [1887], 02[144])
Book Reference
Nietzsche,Friedrich: 'Writings from the Late Notebooks', ed/tr. Bittner,Rüdiger [CUP 2003], p.89
A Reaction
The abolition of hell by the Anglican church in the 1990s is the last stage in this development. To be fair (and why not?), the Christian life demands a rather large effort, if it is to be lived properly, so it is a rather demanding sort of hedonism.