Post your favorite "Quote on Religion"
"I condemn false prophets, I condemn the effort to take away the power of rational decision, to drain people of their free will--and a hell of a lot of money in the bargain. Religions vary in their degree of idiocy, but I reject them all. For most people, religion is nothing more than a substitute for a malfunctioning brain."
"We must question the story logic of having an all-knowing all-powerful God, who creates faulty Humans, and then blames them for his own mistakes.
"Gene Roddenberry"
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"What has prayer done for you that you couldn't have done for yourself?" --Someone "We are all atheists about most of the gods that humanity has ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further." --Richard Dawkins "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ.” --Mahatma Gandhi 3
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"The alleged short-cut to knowledge, which is faith, is only a short circuit destroying the mind." "(The Doctrine of Original Sin) declares that (man) ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge - he acquired a mind and became a rational being. It was the knowledge of good and evil - he became a moral being/ He was sentenced to earn his bread by his labor - he became a productive being. He was sentenced to experience desire - he acquired the capacity of sexual enjoyment. The evils for which (the preachers) damn him are reason, morality, creativeness joy - all the cardinal values of his existence." Ayn Rand 2
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For people, like myself, who are fans of Christopher Hitchens', "When religion ends, philosophy begins. Just like when alchemy ends, chemistry begins, and when astrology ends, astronomy begins." - Christopher Hitchens (in a debate against Al Sharpton) N.B. I refuse to add the prefix "Rev." in honour of Christopher Hitchens. And just for the sake of comic relief... "Two hands working is better than a thousand hands praying." - Unknown author 1
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"For people, like myself, who are fans of Christopher Hitchens'," Yes, his stance on religion is praiseworthy, but his political views, and his gerneral principles and convictions (or lack thereof) as a human, leave much to be desired, he was a self serving self righteous oppurtunist, and to be honest, I get the impression much of his pontificating (on political matters anyway) amounted to an attempt to use his incredilby formidable control over the english language to see if he could pass off lies for truths, and it seems he had a high degree of success. 1
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I too am not too supportive of Hitchens' political views, such as his support for the "war on terror". Hitchens is a peculiar character, no doubt. But I would think that some of his views, where politics and religion overlap (and indeed they do ever so often in the US), are quite reasonable. Of course, I am not a diehard supporter of Hitchens' when it comes to his other political convictions. He is an opportunist insofar as being able to exploit avenues to express a (controversial?) opinion. 2
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I have too many quotes on religion that I like. But, one of my absolute favourite authorities on atheism is the great 18th Century Scottish philosopher David Hume. In Dialogues, Hume writes, "And is it possible ... that after all these reflections, and infinitely more, which might be suggested, you can still persevere in your anthropomorphism, and assert the moral attributes of the Deity, his justice, benevolence, mercy, and rectitude, to be of the same nature with these virtues in human creatures? His power we allow infinite: Whatever he wills is executed: But neither man nor any other animal are happy: Therefore he does not will their happiness. His wisdom is infinite: He is never mistaken in choosing the means to any end: But the course of nature tends not to human or animal felicity: Therefore it is not established for that purpose. Through the whole compass of human knowledge, there are no inferences more certain and infallible than these. In what respect, then, do his benevolence and mercy resemble the benevolence and mercy of men?" 1
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"I have examined all religions as well as my narrow sphere, my straightened means , and my busy life, would allow; and the result is the Bible is the best Book in the world. It contains more philosophy that all libraries I have seen"- John Adams "As I understand the Christian religion ,it was, it is, a revelation."-John Adams "Should not the Bible regain the place it once held as a school book? Its morals are pure, its examples are captivating , and noble....In no Book there is such good English, so pure and elegant, and by teaching all the same language they speak alike, and the Bible will justly remain the standard of language as well as faith."- Fisher Ames 2
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....In no Book there is such good English, so pure and elegant, and by teaching all the same language they speak alike, and the Bible will justly remain the standard of language as well as faith."- Fisher Ames You do understand that the Bible wasn't written in English originally, right? Mostly, the Old testament was in Hebrew, and the new testament in Greek. And I know little about him, but Fisher Ames seems like an oblivious fool. Anyone who has read the bible must be aware that its morals are not pure and its examples are often neither captivating or noble. 1
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As I understand the Christian religion, it was, and is, a revelation. But how has it happened that millions of fables, tales, legends, have been blended with both Jewish and Christian revelation that have made them the most bloody religion that ever existed? -- John Adams, letter to FA Van der Kamp, December 27, 1816 The question before the human race is, whether the God of nature shall govern the world by his own laws, or whether priests and kings shall rule it by fictitious miracles? -- John Adams, letter to Thomas Jefferson, June 20, 1815 The United States of America have exhibited, perhaps, the first example of governments erected on the simple principles of nature; and if men are now sufficiently enlightened to disabuse themselves of artifice, imposture, hypocrisy, and superstition, they will consider this event as an era in their history. Although the detail of the formation of the American governments is at present little known or regarded either in Europe or in America, it may hereafter become an object of curiosity. It will never be pretended that any persons employed in that service had interviews with the gods, or were in any degree under the influence of Heaven, more than those at work upon ships or houses, or laboring in merchandise or agriculture; it will forever be acknowledged that these governments were contrived merely by the use of reason and the senses. -- John Adams, "A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America" (1787-88), from Adrienne Koch, ed, The American Enlightenment: The Shaping of the American Experiment and a Free Society (1965) p. 258, quoted from Ed and Michael Buckner, "Quotations that Support the Separation of State and Church" Thirteen governments [of the original states] thus founded on the natural authority of the people alone, without a pretence of miracle or mystery, and which are destined to spread over the northern part of that whole quarter of the globe, are a great point gained in favor of the rights of mankind. -- John Adams, "A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America" (1787-88), from Adrienne Koch, ed, The American Enlightenment: The Shaping of the American Experiment and a Free Society (1965) p. 258, quoted from Ed and Michael Buckner, "Quotations that Support the Separation of State and Church" We should begin by setting conscience free. When all men of all religions ... shall enjoy equal liberty, property, and an equal chance for honors and power ... we may expect that improvements will be made in the human character and the state of society. -- John Adams, letter to Dr. Price, April 8, 1785, quoted from Albert Menendez and Edd Doerr, The Great Quotations on Religious Freedom (1991) Indeed, Mr. Jefferson, what could be invented to debase the ancient Christianism which Greeks, Romans, Hebrews and Christian factions, above all the Catholics, have not fraudulently imposed upon the public? Miracles after miracles have rolled down in torrents. -- John Adams, letter to Thomas Jefferson, December 3, 1813, quoted from James A Haught, ed, 2000 Years of Disbelief Adams may not have been an atheist, but I would love to prevent one from allowing his views to be misrepresented. 1
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Yes, the Bible should regain the place it held when it was a school book. The Bible was the first school book and secular books eventually pushed the Holy Word out. Being a homeschooler, I have great respect for Fisher Ames and I can appreciate what he stands for. He is one influence on my choice to homeschool. 1
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I don't have any particular favourites, I think the idea of favourites is limiting, I just searched for one I like, which is (it's a bit long): " If you awaken from this illusion, and you understand that black implies white, self implies other, life implies death — or shall I say, death implies life — you can conceive yourself. Not conceive, but feel yourself, not as a stranger in the world, not as someone here on sufferance, on probation, not as something that has arrived here by fluke, but you can begin to feel your own existence as absolutely fundamental. What you are basically, deep, deep down, far, far in, is simply the fabric and structure of existence itself. So, say in Hindu mythology, they say that the world is the drama of God. God is not something in Hindu mythology with a white beard that sits on a throne, that has royal perogatives. God in Indian mythology is the self, Satcitananda. Which means sat, that which is, chit, that which is consciousness; that which is ananda is bliss. In other words, what exists, reality itself is gorgeous, it is the fullness of total joy." - Alan Watts 0
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