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Robert Green Ingersoll

Robert Green Ingersoll Quotes

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Famous Robert Green Ingersoll Quotes

“It is incredible that only idiots are absolutely sure of salvation. It is incredible that the more brain you have the less your chance is. There can be no danger in honest thought, and if the world ever advances beyond what it is to-day, it must be led by men who express their real opinions.”

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Book:The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll
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“The laboring people should unite and should protect themselves against all idlers. You can divide mankind into two classes: the laborers and the idlers, the supporters and the supported, the honest and the dishonest. Every man is dishonest who lives upon the unpaid labor of others, no matter if he occupies a throne. All laborers should be brothers.”

PeopleIfsMenShouldTwoMatterClassMankindHonestBrotherProtectLaborEvery ManDividesThronesSupporterLaborersIdlers
Book:The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll
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“Instead of loving a God, we love each other. Instead of the religion of the sky-the religion of this world-the religion of the family-the love of husband for wife, of wife for husband-the love of all for children. So that now the real religion is: Let us live for each other; let us live for this world without regard for the past and without fear for the future. Let us use our faculties and our powers for the benefit of ourselves and others, knowing that if there be another world, the same philosophy that gives us joy here will make us happy there.”

IfsWorldLoveGivingChildrenRealPhilosophyUsePastJoyKnowingWifeSkyThis WorldHusbandBenefitsRegardFacultyLove Each OtherAnother World
Book:Ingersoll: Fifty Great Selections, Lectures, Tributes, After Dinner Speeches and Essays, Carefully Selected from the Twelve Volume Dresden Edition of Colonel Ingersoll's Complete Works
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“I am simply in favor of intellectual hospitality-that is all. You come to me with a new idea. I invite you into the house. Let us see what you have. Let us talk it over. If I do not like your thought, I will bid it a polite "good day." If I do like it, I will say: "Sit down; stay with me, and become a part of the intellectual wealth of my world."”

IfsWorldIdeasHouseWealthLike YouIntellectualFavorsOpennessInvitesNew IdeasPoliteHospitalityGood DayStay With Me
Book:The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll
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“We are told in the Pentateuch, that god, the father of us all, gave thousands of maidens, after having killed their fathers, their mothers, and their brothers, to satisfy the brutal lusts of savage men. If there be a god, I pray him to write in his book, opposite my name, that I denied this lie for him.”

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Book:The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll
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“The Church demonstrated the falsity and folly of Darwin's theories by showing that they contradicted the Mosaic account of creation, and now that the theories of Darwin having been fairly established, the Church says that the Mosaic account is true because it is in harmony with Darwin. Now, if it should turn out that Darwin was mistaken, what then?”

IfsShouldTurnsChurchAtheismCreationTheoryAccountsHarmonyPositive AtheismFollyMistakenMosaicsFalsity
Book:The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll
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“A few years ago the Deists denied the inspiration of the Bible on account of its cruelty. At the same time they worshiped what they were pleased to call the God of Nature. Now we are convinced that Nature is as cruel as the Bible; so that, if the God of Nature did not write the Bible, this God at least has caused earthquakes and pestilence and famine, and this God has allowed millions of his children to destroy one another. So that now we have arrived at the question - not as to whether the Bible is inspired and not as to whether Jehovah is the real God, but whether there is a God or not.”

IfsWritingYearsChildrenRealInspirationMillionsAtheismYears AgoAccountsInspiredPositive AtheismConvincedCrueltyDeniedEarthquakesFamineJehovahPestilenceDeist
Book:The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll
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“If, with all the time at my disposal, with all the wealth of the resources of this vast universe, to do with as I will, I could not produce a better scheme of life than now prevails, I would be ashamed of my efforts and consider my work a humiliating failure.”

IfsWould BeUniverseWealthEffortAtheismProduceResourcesPositive AtheismAshamedSchemesHumiliating
Book:Ingersoll the Magnificent: To which Has Been Added a Special Arrangement of Some Gems from Ingersoll for Inspiration, Wisdom, and Courage
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“You cannot show real respect to your parents by perpetuating their errors.... Do you consider that the inventor of a steel plow cast a slur upon his father who scratched the ground with a wooden one? I do not consider that an invention by the son is a slander upon the father; I regard each invention simply as an improvement; and every father should be exceedingly proud of an ingenious son. If Mr. Talmage has a son, it will be impossible for him to honor his father except by differing with him.”

IfsShouldRealShowsFatherParentImpossibleAtheismSonProudHonorRegardErrorsCastsPositive AtheismImprovementInventionSteelInventorSlanderIngeniousPerpetuatingSlurs
Book:Ingersoll the Magnificent: To which Has Been Added a Special Arrangement of Some Gems from Ingersoll for Inspiration, Wisdom, and Courage
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“I do not believe that the tendency is to make men and women brave and glorious when you tell them that there are certain ideas upon certain subjects that they must never express; that they must go through life with a pretence as a shield; that their neighbors will think much more of them if they will only keep still; and that above all is a God who despises one who honestly expresses what he believes.”

IfsThinkingMenBelieveStillsIdeasCertainSubjectsMen And WomenBraveNeighborHonestlyTendenciesGloriousDespiseShieldsPretence
Book:The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll
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“If a man wishes to have God recognized in the constitution of our country, let him read the history of the Inquisition, and let him remember that hundreds of millions of men, women, and children have been sacrificed to placate the wrath, or win the approbation of this god.”

IfsMenChildrenHas BeensCountryRememberEvilWinningWishReligiousMillionsConstitutionOur CountryWrathMen WomenInquisition
Book:The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll: Miscellany
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“For the first time I understood the dogma of eternal pain... For the first time my imagination grasped the height and depth of the Christian horror. Then I said: "It is a lie, and I hate your religion. If it is true, I hate your God." From that day I have had no fear, no doubt. For me, on that day, the flames of hell were quenched. From that day I have passionately hated every orthodox creed. That Sermon did some good.”

IfsFirstsSaidChristianPainLyingHateEvilImaginationReligiousHellDoubtHorrorEternalUnderstoodFirst TimeI HateDepthHatedFlamesHeightNo DoubtOrthodoxCreedsDogmaHate YouNo FearSermonsMy ImaginationI Hate You
Author:Robert Green Ingersoll
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“Environment is a sculptor - a painter. If we had been born in Constantinople, then most of us would have said: 'There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet.' If our parents had lived on the banks of the Ganges, we would have been worshipers of Siva, longing for the heaven of Nirvana. As a rule, children love their parents, believe what they teach, and take great pride in saying that the religion of mother is good enough for them.”

IfsBelieveChildrenHas BeensSaidEnoughMotherHeavenParentBornTeachEnvironmentAtheismPrideLongingPainterProphetGood EnoughThere Is No GodSculptorsChildren LoveConstantinople
Author:Robert Green Ingersoll
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“If cathedrals had been universities If dungeons of the Inquisition had been laboratories If Christians had believed in character instead of creed If they had taken from the bible only that which is GOOD and thrown away the wicked and absurd If temple domes had been observatories If priests had been philosophers If missionaries had taught useful arts instead of bible lore If astrology had been astronomy If the black arts had been chemistry If superstition had been science If religion had been humanity The world then would be a heaven filled with love, and liberty and joy”

IfsWorldArtCharacterWould BeChristianJoyHumanityHeavenBlackLibertyTakenTaughtFilledUniversityPhilosopherAstronomyAbsurdWickedThrownTemplesPriestsChemistrySuperstitionsCreedsAstrologyLaboratoryCathedralsInquisitionDungeonsDomesBlack Art
Author:Robert Green Ingersoll
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“Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, except upon the side of mercy.”

PeopleIfsKnowsMenGivingRealCharacterUseWishEasySidesBearsGloryWeakTestsMercyAbsolutesAdversitySupremeGentleAbsolute PowerReal CharacterUse Of Power
Book:The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll
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“There is no necessity for going to the church and hearing the same story forever. Let the minister write what he wishes to say. Let him publish it. If it is worth buying, people will read it. It is hardly fair to get them in a church in the name of duty and there inflict upon them a sermon that under no circumstances they would read...the idea of going fifty-two days in a year to hear anybody on the same subject is absurd.”

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Author:Robert Green Ingersoll
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“If upon this earth we ever have a glimpse of heaven,it is when we pass a home in winter, at night,and through the windows, the curtains drawn aside,we see the family about the pleasant hearth; the old lady knitting; the cat playing with the yarn;the children wishing they had as many dolls or dollars or knivesor somethings, as there are sparks going out to join the roaring blast;the father reading and smoking, and the clouds rising like incense from the altar of domestic joy.I never passed such a house without feeling thatI had received a benediction.”

IfsChildrenFeelingsHomeEarthJoyNightReadingFatherHouseHeavenWishCatWindowDollarsWinterCloudsPleasantRisingSmokingSparksGoing OutGlimpseCurtainsAltarsDollsBlastOld LadyRoaringKnittingIncenseYarnBenediction
Book:The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll
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“At the bottom of religious persecution is the doctrine of self-defence; that is to say, the defence of the soul. If the founder of Christianity had plainly said: 'It is not necessary to believe in order to be saved; it is only necessary to do, and he who really loves his fellow-men, who is kind, honest, just and charitable, is to be forever blest' - if he had only said that, there would probably have been but little persecution.”

IfsMenBelieveKindLittlesHas BeensSaidSoulSelfOrderReligiousChristianityForeverHonestFellowsBottomSavedDoctrineFoundersPersecutionFellow ManDefenceCharitableSelf DefenceReligious Persecution
Author:Robert Green Ingersoll
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“Not one of the orthodox ministers dare preach what he thinks if he knows a majority of his congregation think otherwise. He knows that every member of his church stands guard over his brain with a creed, like a club, in his hand. He knows that he is not expected to search after the truth, but that he is employed to defend the creed. Every pulpit is a pillory, in which stands a hired culprit, defending the justice of his own imprisonment.”

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Book:The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll
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“If the account given in Genesis is really true, ought we not, after all, to thank this serpent? He was the first schoolmaster, the first advocate of learning, the first enemy of ignorance, the first to whisper in human ears the sacred word liberty, the creator of ambition, the author of modesty, of inquiry, of doubt, of investigation, of progress and of civilization.”

IfsFirstsHumansGivenLibertyEnemyDoubtProgressIgnoranceOughtCivilizationAmbitionEarsAccountsSacredCreatorModestyInvestigationInquiryGenesisSerpentReally True
Book:The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll
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“All of the Ten Commandments that are good were old; all that were new art foolish. If Jehovah had been civilized he would have left out the commandment about keeping the Sabbath, and in its place would have said: "Thou shalt not enslave thy fellow-men." He would have omitted the one about swearing, and said: "The man shall have but one wife, and the woman but one husband." He would have left out the one about graven images, and in its stead would have said: "Thou shalt not wage wars of extermination, and thou shalt not unsheathe the sword except in self-defence.”

IfsMenArtSaidWarSelfLeftWifeTenHusbandFellowsFoolishCivilizedCommandmentsFellow ManDefenceSabbathJehovahLeft OutTen CommandmentsSwearingExterminationSelf Defence
Author:Robert Green Ingersoll
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“It is a splendid thing to think that the woman you really love will never grow old to you. Through the wrinkles of time, through the mask of years, if you really love her, you will always see the face you love and won. And a woman who really loves a man does not see that he grows old; he is not decrepit to her; she always sees the same gallant gentleman who won her hand and heart.”

IfsThinkingMenYearsHeartDoeHandsFacesGrowsGentlemanMaskSplendidWrinklesGallantDecrepit
Book:The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll
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