Give any orthodox church the power, and to-day they would punish heresy with whip, and chain, and fire. As long as a church deems a certain belief essential to salvation, just so long it will kill and burn if it has the power.
Robert Green Ingersoll
Read it as you would any other book; think of it as you would of any other; get the bandage of reverence from your eyes; drive from your heart the phantom of fear; push from the throne of your brain the cowled form of superstition - then read the Holy Bible, and you will be amazed that you ever, for one moment, supposed a being of infinite wisdom, goodness, and purity to be the author of such ignorance and of such atrocity.
reading wisdom moment bible author fear heart purity book goodness drive ignorance reverence eyes thinking brain superstition read infinite form holy
Religion is one of the phases of thought through which the world is passing
religion thought world
The Old Testament describes the hell of the past, and the New the hell of the future
religion future past hell
Whether the Bible is true or false, is of no consequence in comparison with the mental freedom of the race
race religion true bible comparison false mental freedom
My principal objections to orthodox religion are two - slavery here and hell hereafter
slavery religion hell
Let us put theology out of religion. Theology has always sent the worst to heaven, the best to hell.
religion heaven theology hell worst
One hundred years ago, our fathers retired the gods from politics. The Declaration of Independence is the grandest, the bravest, and the profoundest political document that was ever signed by the representatives of a people. It is the embodiment of physical and moral courage and of political wisdom.
independence politics life wisdom people
For thousands of years people have been trying to force other people to think their way. Did they succeed? No. Will they succeed? No. Why? Because brute force is not an argument.
force people
No orthodox church ever had power that it did not endeavor to make people think its way by force and flame.
force people power
Who can over estimate the progress of the world if all the money wasted in superstition could be used to enlighten, elevate and civilize mankind?
estimates progress money
The truth is, that in favor of almost every sect, the names of some great men can he pronounced.
favors men truth
belief power
The rights of all are equal: justice, poised and balanced in eternal calm, will shake from the golden scales in which are weighed the acts of men, the very dust of prejudice and caste: No race, no color, no previous condition, can change the rights of men.
rights race change men
Happiness is the only good. The time to be happy is now. The place to be happy is here. The way to be happy is to make others so.
places thetimes time happiness
In the night of death, hope sees a star, and listening love can hear the rustle of a wing.
listening death
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