"Does anybody now believe in the story of the serpent? I pity any man or woman who, in this nineteenth century, believes in that childish fable. Why did Adam and Eve disobey? Why, they were tempted. By whom? The devil. Who made the devil? God. What did God make him for? Why did he not tell Adam and Eve about this serpent? Why did he not watch the devil, instead of watching Adam and Eve? Instead of turning them out, why did he not keep him from getting in? Why did he not have his flood first, and drown the devil, before he made a man and woman. And yet, people who call themselves intelligent—professors in colleges and presidents of venerable institutions—teach children and young men that the Garden of Eden story is an absolute historical fact. I defy any man to think of a more childish thing. This God, waiting around Eden—knowing all the while what would happen—having made them on purpose so that it would happen, then does what? Holds all of us responsible, and we were not there."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Activists from the United StatesMilitary leaders from the United StatesHumanistsSocial activistsAgnostics from the United States
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Imported from EN Wikiquote
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robert_G._Ingersoll
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Robert G. Ingersoll
lawyer, politician, writer
1833 – 1899 · United States
Robert Green Ingersoll (August 11, 1833 – July 21, 1899) was a lawyer, a Civil War veteran, political leader, and orator of the United States during the Golden Age of Freethought, noted for his broad range of culture and his defense of agnosticism. He was nicknamed "The Great Agnostic".
372 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Robert G. Ingersoll →
Related Quotes
"Would an infinitely wise, good, and powerful God, intending to produce man, commence with the lowest possible forms o…"
"In nature I see, or seem to see, good and evil—intelligence and ignorance—goodness and cruelty—care and carelessness—…"
"If Christ wished to convince his fellow-men by miracles, why did he not do something that could not by any means have…"
"The resurrection. I want to speak about it as we would about any ordinary transaction. In the first place, I do not b…"
"Let us be honest. Suppose a man came into this city and should meet a funeral procession, and say, “Who is dead?” and…"
"Stories that made Christianity powerful then, weaken it now."
"The Christians mistake an incident for a cause, and honestly imagine that the Bible is the foundation of modern liber…"
"Rome had no Bible. God cared nothing for the Roman Empire. He let the men come up by chance. His time was taken up wi…"
"Besides, God may have changed his mind on many things; he has on slavery, and polygamy at least, according to the chu…"
"I cannot believe in the miraculous origin of Jesus Christ. I believe he was the son of Joseph and Mary; that Joseph a…"