“When confronted with a demand that the universe have a cause, infidels have usually pointed out that God was not much of an explanation. This is true enough, but not really a positive argument. After mechanistic explanation became popular, infidels liked to restrict causality to the chain of causes in an eternal material universe, pointing out that no supernatural cause was then necessary. Plausible, but still rather defensive. Today's skeptic can do better. In all likelihood, the universe is uncaused. It is random. It just is.” StillsEnoughTodayReligionUniverseCausesCan DoMaterialsDemandEternalArgumentChainsExplanationPointingSkepticPlausibleLikelihoodInfidelCausality Author:Taner Edis
“It has not been without bitter resistance by the clergy that woman's property and educational rights have advanced. Woman's anti-slavery work, her temperance work, her demand for personal rights, for political equality, for religious freedom and every step of kindred character has met with opposition from the church as a body and from the clergy as exponents of its views.” CharacterBodyPoliticalReligionChurchReligiousViewsStepsRightsMetsDemandSlaveryPropertyEducationalResistanceBitterOppositionWomens RightsEvery StepReligious FreedomTemperanceClergyKindredExponentsAnti SlaveryPolitical EqualityPersonal Rights Author:Matilda Joslyn Gage
“If you ask a Saudi Imam why women in Saudi Arabia can't drive, he'll say, 'Because Islam demands it.' But that's absurd, because - first of all - Islam demands no such thing; and secondly, the only country in the world in which women can't drive is Saudi Arabia. The inability to understand the difference between a cultural practice and religious belief is shocking among self-described intellectuals.” IfsWorldFirstsSelfCountryWisdomRealityReligionAsksBeliefCommunityLeadershipDifferencesReligiousJusticeClassPracticeGenerationsHuman NatureDemandEqualEthicsIslamHuman RightsAbsurdIdeologyShockingInabilityEqual RightsArabiaSaudi ArabiaSaudisReligious Belief Author:Reza Aslan
“I claim to represent all the cultures, for my religion, whatever it may be called, demands the fulfillment of all the cultures.” MayReligionCultureDemandClaimsFulfillment Book:Volume of prefaces Source: Volume of prefaces
“Faith is not limited to affirming the existence of God. No, faith tells us that God loves us and demands a loving response. This response is given through love for human beings, and that is what we mean by a commitment to God and to our neighbor.” LoveHumansMeanGodChristianReligionFaithGivenHuman BeingsExistenceDemandLimitsCommitmentResponseNeighborGod LoveAffirmationTheologianCommitment To GodAffirmingExistence Of GodGod Loves Us Author:Gustavo Gutiérrez