"Too great praise challenges attention, and often brings to light a thousand faults that otherwise the general eye would never see. Were we allowed to read the Bible as we do all other books, we would admire its beauties, treasure its worthy thoughts, and account for all its absurd, grotesque and cruel things, by saying that its authors lived in rude, barbaric times. But we are told that it was written by inspired men; that it contains the will of God; that it is perfect, pure, and true in all its parts; the source and standard of all moral and religious truth; that it is the star and anchor of all human hope; the only guide for man, the only torch in Nature's night. These claims are so at variance with every known recorded fact, so palpably absurd, that every free unbiased soul is forced to raise the standard of revolt."
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
Some Mistakes of Moses (1879) Preface
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…"