Robert G. Ingersoll quotes - page 17

They will find that "flat” meant "a little rounding;” that "six days” meant "six long times;” that the word "flood” should have been translated "dampness,” "dew,” or "threatened rain...”. (Robert G. Ingersoll)
What then is, or can be called, a moral guide? The shortest possible answer is one word: Intelligence. View quote
Robert G. Ingersoll
I know how vain it is to gild a grief with words, and yet I wish to take from every grave its fear. View quote
Robert G. Ingersoll
I presume he imagines himself to be the defendant in both cases. View quote
Robert G. Ingersoll
It has always seemed a little curious to me that joy should be held in such contempt here, and yet promised hereafter as an eternal reward. Why not be happy here, as well as in heaven. Why not have joy here? View quote
Robert G. Ingersoll
The Declaration of Independence is the grandest, the bravest, and the profoundest political document that was ever signed by the representatives of a people. View quote
Robert G. Ingersoll
They slander actors and actresses. They hate them because they are rivals. View quote
Robert G. Ingersoll
Satan sought in many ways to scandalize the church. He sometimes assumed the appearance of a priest and committed crimes. View quote
Robert G. Ingersoll
But I do know something of human nature; I do know a little of the history of mankind; and I know enough to know that what is known as the Christian faith, is not true. I am perfectly satisfied, beyond all doubt and beyond all per-adventure, that all miracles are falsehoods. I know as well as I know that I live-that others live-that what you call your faith, is not true. View quote
Robert G. Ingersoll
Think of a love so limitless-stronger and deeper than despair and death! And yet, the Christian religion says, that if that woman, that mother, did not happen to believe in their creed God would send her soul to eternal fire! View quote
Robert G. Ingersoll
At last it occurred to the intelligent to examine our own religion, and this examination has excited great interest and great comment. (Robert G. Ingersoll)
Whoever has an opinion of his own, and honestly expresses it, will be guilty of heresy. View quote
Robert G. Ingersoll
There is no crime that the Catholic Church did not commit,-no cruelty that it did not practice,-no form of treachery that it did not reward, and no virtue that it did not persecute. It was the greatest and most powerful enemy of human rights. It did all that organization, cunning, piety, self-denial, heroism, treachery, zeal and brute force could do to enslave the children of men. It was the enemy of intelligence, the assassin of liberty, and the destroyer of progress. View quote
Robert G. Ingersoll
I do not believe in forgiveness as it is preached by the church. We do not need the forgiveness of God, but of each other and of ourselves. View quote
Robert G. Ingersoll
They have told ghost stories to courage until courage became fear. They have done all in their power to keep men from growing intellectually, to keep the world in a state of childhood, that they themselves might be deemed great and good and wise. They have always known that their reputation for wisdom depended upon the ignorance of the people. View quote
Robert G. Ingersoll
I would not wish to live in a world where I could not express my honest opinions. Men who deny to others the right of speech are not fit to live with honest men. View quote
Robert G. Ingersoll
This is barbarism, no matter whether it came from heaven or from hell, from a God or from a devil, from the golden streets of the New Jerusalem or from the very Sodom of perdition. It is barbarism complete and utter. View quote
Robert G. Ingersoll
As a matter of fact the rich man now cares but little for servants. View quote
Robert G. Ingersoll
Who would fill the contribution boxes and plates, and who (most serious of all questions) would pay the salaries? View quote
Robert G. Ingersoll
I will give you my definition of metaphysics: Two fools get together; each admits what neither can prove, and thereupon both of them say, "hence we infer.”. View quote
Robert G. Ingersoll
For two hundred and seventy-eight years after the death of Copernicus the church insisted that his system was false, and that the old Bible astronomy was true. (Robert G. Ingersoll)
In a little while these high contracting parties met again; and the Lord seemed somewhat elated with his success, and called again the attention of Satan to the sinlessness of Job. Satan then told him to touch his body and he would curse him. And thereupon power was given to Satan over the body of Job, and he covered his body with boils. Yet in all this, Job did not sin with his lips. This book seems to have been written to show the excellence of patience, and to prove that at last God will reward all who will bear the afflictions of heaven with fortitude and without complaint. View quote
Robert G. Ingersoll
The statistics show that a large majority die under five years of age. What would we think of a schoolmaster who killed the most of his pupils the first day? View quote
Robert G. Ingersoll
If these words had proceeded from the mouth of a demon, if they had been spoken by some enraged and infinitely malicious fiend, I should not have been surprised. But these things are attributed to a God of infinite mercy. View quote
Robert G. Ingersoll
What would we think of such a savage? And yet, according to the theologians, this is exactly the course pursued by God. View quote
Robert G. Ingersoll