“Of all the differences between the Old World and the New, this is perhaps the most salient. Half the wars of Europe, half the internal troubles that have vexed European States... have arisen from theological differences or from the rival claims of Church and State. This whole vast chapter of debate and strife has remained virtually unopened in the United States. There is no Established Church. All religious bodies are equal before the law, and unrecognized by the law, except as voluntary associations of private citizens.” WorldWarStatesWholeBodyLawDifferencesChurchReligiousUnitedHalfUnited StatesTroubleAtheismCitizensEqualEuropeClaimsPositive AtheismDebateInternalsAssociationChaptersStrifeRivalsChurch And StateTheologicalOld World Author:James Bryce
“If the ancient churches, in debating and deciding the greatest mysteries of religion, knew nothing of these two texts, I understand not why we should be so fond of them now the debate is over.” IfsShouldTwoChurchMysteryAtheismAncientPositive AtheismDebate Book:Delphi Collected Works of Sir Isaac Newton (Illustrated) Source: Delphi Collected Works of Sir Isaac Newton (Illustrated)
“The evening was very professionally organized, and most of the people were exceptionally polite, although it did make me a little nervous when one church official told me after the debate when a big crowd of people surrounded me that he had assigned me a body guard "just in case." Just in case what? I thought Christians were suppose to be exceptionally tolerant. Well, in any case, I guess I was grateful for the gesture, "just in case."” PeopleWellsLittlesBodyBigsChristianChurchCasesAtheismGratefulCrowdsDebateNervousEveningOfficialsOrganizedGesturesPolite Author:Michael Shermer
“Why did the consensus of Christian churches not only accept these astonishing views but establish them as the only true form of Christian doctrine? . . . these religious debates - questions of the nature of God, or of Christ - simultaneously bear social and political implications that are crucial to the development of Christianity as an institutional religion. In simplest terms, ideas which bear implications contrary to that development come to be labeled as 'heresy'; ideas which implicitly support it become 'orthodox.'” IdeasChristianFormPoliticalReligionSocialTermChristChurchReligiousViewsAcceptingChristianitySupportDevelopmentBearsContraryDebateDoctrineOrthodoxCrucialSimplestConsensusAstonishingImplicationsHeresyChristian ChurchChristian Doctrine Author:Elaine Pagels
“These self-appointed deacons in the Church of Latter-Day American Literature seem to regard generosity (of words) with suspicion, texture with dislike, and any broad literary stroke with outright hate. The result is a strange and arid literary climate where a meaningless little fingernail paring like Nicholson Baker's Vox becomes an object of fascinated debate and dissection, and a truly ambitious American novel like Matthew's Heart of the Country is all but ignored.” HeartLittlesSelfCountrySeemsHateLiteratureChurchResultsNovelObjectsStrangeRegardClimateDebateGenerosityLatterBroadsMeaninglessDislikeFascinatedAmbitiousSuspicionIgnoredStrokesTextureMatthewBakersAmerican LiteratureLatter DaysFingernailsNicholsonDissectionDeacons Author:Stephen King