Quotessence
Home / Authors / James Randi Books
James Randi

James Randi Books

Magician

Related Quotes

“Yes, I'm a materialist. I'm willing to be shown wrong, but that has not happened — yet. And I admit that the reason I'm unable to accept the claims of psychic, occult, and/or supernatural wonders is because I'm locked into a world-view that demands evidence rather than blind faith, a view that insists upon the replication of all experiments — particularly those that appear to show violations of a rational world — and a view which requires open examination of the methods used to carry out those experiments.”

ReasonScienceAtheismEvidenceParanormalMaterialismSuperstitionNaturalismScientific MethodExperiment
Author:James Randi
Create image

“Religion is based upon blind faith supported by no evidence. Science is based upon confidence that results from evidence - and that confidence can be modified and/or reversed by further observations and experimentation. Science approaches truth, closer and closer, by hard dedicated work. Religion already has it all decided, and it's in the book. It's dogma, unchangeable, and unaffected by reality and whatever facts we come upon in the real world.”

WorldBookRealHardFactsRealityResultsAtheismApproachEvidenceDecidedBlindPositive AtheismObservationReal WorldDedicatedDogmaExperimentationBlind FaithUnchangeable
Author:James Randi
Create image

“There was a small boy on crutches. I do not know his name, and I suspect I never will. But I will never forget his face, his smile, his sorrow. He is one of the millions robbed of hope and dignity by charlatans discussed in this book. Wherever and whoever he is, I apologize to him for not having been able to protect him from such an experience. I humbly dedicate this book to him and to the many others who have suffered because the rest of us began caring too late.”

KnowsBookAbleFacesNamesForgetBoysMillionsAtheismSorrowProtectLateDignityCaringPositive AtheismToo LateSuspectsNever ForgetApologizingCrutchesI ApologizeCharlatansHis Smile
Book:The Faith Healers
Create image

“A lot of people hate my skepticism, and I think I understand why. The psychics offer wonders and endless possibilities in a world that often seems difficult and mundane. They promise health, wealth, wisdom, eternal life. But if you examine the record, it's not the psychics but the hard-nosed scientists who have actually delivered the things that improve human life. And, to me, science describes a world far more interesting than any psychic fantasy. It's a good world -- not perfect -- but it's ours. So we'd better learn to live with it, the way it is.”

PeopleIfsThinkingWorldWayHumansHardSeemsHateDifficultWealthPerfectInterestingWonderFantasyRecordsPossibilityPromiseOffersEternalScientistEndlessHuman LifeSkepticismPsychicsEternal LifeMundaneNot PerfectEndless PossibilitiesHealth Wealth
Author:James Randi
Create image

“There exists in society a very special class of persons that I have always referred to as the Believers. These are folks who have chosen to accept a certain religion, philosophy, theory, idea or notion and cling to that belief regardless of any evidence that might, for anyone else, bring it into doubt. They are the ones who encourage and support the fanatics and the frauds of any given age. No amount of evidence, no matter how strong, will bring them any enlightenment. They are the sheep who beg to be fleeced and butchered, and who will battle fiercely to preserve their right to be victimized.”

PersonsIdeasMatterPhilosophyMightAgeCertainBeliefStrongGivenAcceptingClassSupportDoubtSpecialTheoryAmountBattleEnlightenmentEvidenceNotionFolksBelieverChosenPreservesFraudSheepFanaticsPhilosophy Of ReligionStrong Will
Book:The Mask of Nostradamus: The Prophecies of the World's Most Famous Seer
Create image

“To make sure that my blasphemy is thoroughly expressed, I hereby state my opinion that the notion of a god is a basic superstition, that there is no evidence for the existence of any god(s), that devils, demons, angels and saints are myths, that there is no life after death, heaven nor hell, that the Pope is a dangerous, bigoted, medieval dinosaur, and that the Holy Ghost is a comic-book character worthy of laughter and derision.”

BookStatesCharacterHeavenExistenceOpinionHellDangerousHolyLaughterDevilEvidenceAngelNotionSaintWorthyMythGhostComicDemonSuperstitionsComic BookPopeMedievalAfter DeathHoly GhostDinosaursBlasphemyLife After DeathDerisionBook CharactersComic Book Characters
Author:James Randi
Create image

“Science is best defined as a careful, disciplined, logical search for knowledge about any and all aspects of the universe, obtained by examination of the best available evidence and always subject to correction and improvement upon discovery of better evidence. What's left is magic. And it doesn't work.”

ScienceReligionUniverseLeftKnowledgeMagicSubjectsEvidenceDiscoveryAspectCarefulAvailableImprovementDefinedLogicalExaminationCorrectionsSearch For Knowledge
Book:The Mask of Nostradamus: The Prophecies of the World's Most Famous Seer
Create image

“... We in the USA have been depending on prayers, pleading, and self-abasement to a deity to bring us magical advantages, and have been encouraged to attribute our prosperity and general success among nations, to that sort of action. In my opinion, hard work and dedication to logic and reason ought to be recognized as the reasons for our achievements, not appeals to a mythical friend-in-the-sky. We got where we are in spite of, not because of, those incantations.”

Has BeensSelfHardReasonActionReligionNationsPrayerOpinionSkyHard WorkOughtAchievementAdvantageLogicProsperityAppealsUsaSpiteAttributesDedicationDeitiesPleadingHard Work And DedicationAbasement
Author:James Randi
Create image