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Quote by Demosthenes

“We believe whatever we want to believe.”

Quote by Demosthenes

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Demosthenes was a prominent Greek statesman and orator who lived from 384 BC to 322 BC. He is renowned for his eloquence and his role in the defense of Athens against the rising power of Macedonia. Demosthenes was a key figure in the Second Athenian League and is considered one of the greatest orators of all time. more

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“I think we have got to start again and go right back to first principles. The argument I shall advance, surprising as it may seem coming from the author of the earlier chapters, is that, for an understanding of the evolution of modern man, we must begin by throwing out the gene as the sole basis of our ideas on evolution. If there is only one Creator who made the tiger and the lamb, the cheetah and the gazelle, what is He playing at? Is he a sadist who enjoys spectator blood sports? ... Is he manuvering to maximize David Attenborough's television ratings?”

Source: The Selfish Gene: 30th Anniversary edition

“Men, believing in myths, will always fear something terrible, everlasting punishment as certain or probable . . . Men base all these fears not on mature opinions, but on irrational fancies, that they are more disturbed by fear of the unknown than by facing facts. Peace of mind lies in being delivered from all these fears.”

Men Mind Believe Facts Lying Certain Opinion Terrible Myth Punishment Fancy Peace Of Mind Mature Irrational Everlasting Disturbed Fear Not Fear Of The Unknown

Author:Epicurus

“None of the gods has formed the world, nor has any man, it has always been.”

Author:Empedocles

“Religious fanaticism has clearly produced, and in all probability will continue to produce, enormous amounts of bickering, fighting, violence, bloodshed, homicide, feuds, wars, and genocide.”

War Fighting Religious Violence Produce Amount Enormous Genocide Probability Fanaticism Bloodshed Homicide Bickering Feuds

Author:Albert Ellis

“It is necessary to sleep upon the pillow of doubt.”

Sleep Doubt Pillow

Book:Bouvard and Pecuchet: A Tragi-Comic Novel of Bourgeois Life

Source: Bouvard and Pecuchet: A Tragi-Comic Novel of Bourgeois Life

“The supernatural is being swept out of the universe in the flood of new knowledge of what is natural. It will soon be as impossible for an intelligent, educated man or woman to believe in a god as it is now to believe that earth is flat, that flies can be spontaneously generated, that disease is a divine punishment, or that death is always due to witchcraft.”

Men Believe Earth Universe Natural Impossible Divine Disease Intelligent Dues Punishment Educated Flats Flood Witchcraft Educated Man New Knowledge

Author:Thomas Huxley

“The God of the theologians is the creation of their empty heads.”

Creation Empty Theologian Empty Heads

Author:Benito Mussolini

“It is an end with priests and gods, if man becomes scientific. Moral: science is the thing forbidden in itself - it alone is forbidden. Science is the first sin, the germ of all sin, original sin. This alones is mortality: Thou shalt not know.”

Ifs Knows Men Firsts Ends Sin Moral Originals Priests Mortality Forbidden Germs Original Sin

Author:Friedrich Nietzsche

“[Believers] are but triflers who, when they cannot explain a thing, run back to the will of God; this is, truly, a ridiculous way of expressing ignorance.”

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Author:Baruch Spinoza

“We should have to abandon our vested illusions, our irrational religions and patriotisms.”

Should Illusion Should Have Abandon Irrational

Book:The Life of Reason Or The Phases of Human Progress: Reason in Art, Volume VII, Book Four

Source: The Life of Reason Or The Phases of Human Progress: Reason in Art, Volume VII, Book Four