“No man complains of his neighbor for ill management of his affairs, for an error in sowing his land, or marrying his daughter, for consuming his substance in taverns ... in all these he has liberty; but if he does not frequent the church, or then conform in ceremonies, there is an immediate uproar.” IfsMenDoeChurchLibertyLandDaughterManagementErrorsAffairIllPositive AtheismNeighborComplainingSubstanceConformCeremonyConsumingMarryingSowingTaverns Author:Thomas Jefferson
“I would say my being disheartened has more to do with American culture than anything else. We are becoming a very shallow culture. My goodness, the celebrity ethos has taken over completely. Turn on the television and you see that over and over. There's very little substance. And so, everything gets shorter. Everything is entertainment oriented. Our churches reflect that. A thirty-five minute sermon without a Power Point or video clips is rare these days. That's not true in other countries so much.” LittlesCountryTurnsCultureChurchTakenFiveMinutesTelevisionBecomingGoodnessEntertainmentVideoThese DaysSubstanceThirtyOther CountriesShallowSermonsFive MinutesAmerican CultureTurn-onEthosClipDisheartenedVideo Clips Author:Philip Yancey
“What, but the rapacity of the only men who exercised their reason, the priests, secured such vast property to the church, when a man gave his perishable substance to save himself from the dark torments of purgatory; and found it more convenient to indulge his depraved appetites, and pay an exorbitant price for absolution, than listen to the suggestions of reason, and work out his own salvation: in a word, was not the separation of religion from morality the work of the priests...?” MenReasonFoundChurchDarkPayAtheismMoralitySalvationPropertyWork OutPositive AtheismSeparationSubstancePriestsAppetiteSuggestionsTormentIndulgeConvenientSecuredDepravedPurgatoryAbsolution Book:The Vindications: The Rights of Men and The Rights of Woman Source: The Vindications: The Rights of Men and The Rights of Woman
“But they that hold God to be [an incorporeal substance]do absolutely make God to be nothing at all. But how? Were they atheists? No. For though by ignorance of the consequence they said that which was equivalent to atheism, yet in their hearts they thought God a substanceSo that this atheism by consequence is a very easy thing to be fallen into, even by the most godly men of the church.” MenHeartSaidEasyChurchAtheismIgnoranceConsequenceAtheistSubstanceFallenThey SaidGodlyEasy ThingsGodly Man Author:Thomas Hobbes
“If we claim heritage in Bacon, Shakespeare and Milton, we also acknowledge that it was for liberties guaranteed Englishmen by sacred charters our fathers triumphantly fought. While wisely rejecting throne and caste and privilege and an Established Church in their new-born state, they adopted the substance of English liberty and the body of English law.” IfsStatesBodyLawFatherBornChurchLibertyClaimsSacredPrivilegeSubstanceAcknowledgeHeritageThronesAdoptedOur FatherEnglishmenRejectingCharterCastesMiltonEnglish Law Book:Oration and memorial addresses Source: Oration and memorial addresses