Home / Authors / Robert Green Ingersoll

Robert Green Ingersoll

Robert Green Ingersoll Quotes

Lawyer

Robert Green Ingersoll was a prominent lawyer, orator, and freethinker. Born on August 11, 1833, and died on July 21, 1899, he was one of the most celebrated orators in 19th-century America. Known for his criticism of religion and government, Ingersoll was a leading advocate for individual freedom.

Filter quotes by topic

All Men Ifs Atheism Religion World Positive Atheism Should Knows Liberty Believe People Humans Giving Has Beens Thinking Church Reason Children Creeds Doe

Famous Robert Green Ingersoll Quotes

“Who can over estimate the progress of the world if all the money wasted in superstition could be used to enlighten, elevate and civilize mankind?”

Ifs World Used Progress Mankind Positive Atheism Superstitions Enlightening Money Wasted

Book:The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll

Source: The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll

“I believe in the religion of reason -- the gospel of this world; in the development of the mind, in the accumulation of intellectual wealth, to the end that man may free himself from superstitious fear, to the end that he may take advantage of the forces of nature to feed and clothe the world.”

Source: Lectures and Essays (a Selection)

“Man must learn to rely upon himself. Reading bibles will not protect him from the blasts of winter, but houses, fires. and clothing will. To prevent famine, one plow is worth a million sermons, and even patent medicines will cure more diseases than all the prayers uttered since the beginning of the world.”

Men World Reading House Prayer Millions Fire Protect Disease Medicine Winter Cures Rely Clothings Sermons Blast Famine Patents Rely Upon Reading The Bible House Fires

Book:An Oration on the Gods

Source: An Oration on the Gods

“For ages, a deadly conflict has been waged between a few brave men and women of thought and genius upon the one side, and the great ignorant religious mass on the other. This is the war between Science and Faith. The few have appealed to reason, to honor, to law, to freedom, to the known, and to happiness here in this world. The many have appealed to prejudice, to fear, to miracle, to slavery, to the unknown, and to misery hereafter. The few have said "Think" The many have said "Believe!"”

Source: The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll

“Good nature is the cheapest commodity in the world, and love is the only thing that will pay ten percent to both borrower and lender.”

World Love Love Is Pay Ten Percent And Love Commodity Good Nature Lenders Borrowers World And Love

Author:Robert Green Ingersoll

“The intelligent and good man holds in his affections the good and true of every land -- the boundaries of countries are not the limitations of his sympathies. Caring nothing for race, or color, he loves those who speak other languages and worship other gods. Between him and those who suffer, there is no impassable gulf. He salutes the world, and extends the hand of friendship to the human race. He does not bow before a provincial and patriotic god -- one who protects his tribe or nation, and abhors the rest of mankind.”

Source: Miscellany

“In a world of cruelty, sympathy is a crime, and in a world of lies, truth is blasphemy.”

World Lying Crime Truth Is Cruelty Blasphemy Lies Truth

Book:Lectures of Col. R.G. Ingersoll: Including His Letters on the Chinese God--Is Suicide a Sin?--The Right to One's Life--etc. Etc. Etc

Source: Lectures of Col. R.G. Ingersoll: Including His Letters on the Chinese God--Is Suicide a Sin?--The Right to One's Life--etc. Etc. Etc

“Is there an intelligent man or woman now in the world who believes in the Garden of Eden story? If you find any man who believes it, strike his forehead and you will hear an echo. Something is for rent.”

Ifs Men World Believe Stories Garden Intelligent Positive Atheism Strikes Echoes Foreheads Eden Garden Of Eden Intelligent Man

Book:Ingersoll the Magnificent: To which Has Been Added a Special Arrangement of Some Gems from Ingersoll for Inspiration, Wisdom, and Courage

Source: Ingersoll the Magnificent: To which Has Been Added a Special Arrangement of Some Gems from Ingersoll for Inspiration, Wisdom, and Courage

“Good nature is the cheapest commodity in the world.”

World Commodity Cheerfulness Adaptability Good Nature

Book:The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll

Source: The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll

“He raised his hands, not to strike, but in benediction. Lincoln was the grandest figure of the fiercest civil war. He is the gentlest memory of our world.”

World War Hands Memories Figures Raised Strikes Civil War Our World Benediction

Book:The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll

Source: The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll

“The most important thing in this world is liberty. More important than food or clothes - more important than gold or houses or lands - more important than art or science - more important than all religions, is the liberty of man.”

Men World Art Important House Liberty Land This World Clothes Gold Important Things

Book:The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll

Source: The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll

“Take the word Liberty from human speech and all the other words become poor, withered, meaningless sounds - but with that word realized - with that word understood, the world becomes a paradise.”

World Humans Sound Poor Liberty Speech Understood Paradise Meaningless Withered

Book:Miscellany

Source: Miscellany

“Crimes were committed to punish crimes, and crimes were committed to prevent crimes. The world has been filled with prisons and dungeons, with chains and whips, with crosses and gibbets, with thumbscrews and racks, with hangmen and heads-men — and yet these frightful means and instrumentalities have committed far more crimes than they have prevented.... Ignorance, filth, and poverty are the missionaries of crime. As long as dishonorable success outranks honest effort — as long as society bows and cringes before the great thieves, there will be little ones enough to fill the jails.”

“When a man really believes that it is necessary to do a certain thing to be happy forever, or that a certain belief is necessary to ensure eternal joy, there is in that man no spirit of concession. He divides the whole world into saints and sinners, into believers and unbelievers, into God's sheep and Devil's goats, into people who will be glorified and people who are damned.”

Source: The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll