“Does religion fill a much needed gap? It is often said that there is a God-shaped gap in the brain which needs to be filled: we have a psychological need for God -- imaginary friend, father, big brother, confessor, confidant -- and the need has to be satisfied whether God really exists or not. But could it be that God clutters up a gap that we'd be better off filling with something else? Science, perhaps? Art? Human friendship? Humanism? Love of this life in the real world, giving no credence to other lives beyond the grave?” WorldNeedsGivingHumansDoeArtSaidRealBigsReligionFatherBrainBrotherNeededFilledHumanismGravesSatisfiedPsychologicalThis LifeGapsReal WorldImaginaryBetter OffFillingClutterCredenceImaginary FriendConfidantPsychological Needs Author:Richard Dawkins
“When I left Springfield [to become President] I asked the people to pray for me. I was not a Christian. When I buried my son, the severest trial of my life, I was not a Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg and saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there consecrated myself to Christ.” PeopleChristianReligionLeftPresidentChristSawsSonPrayingSoldierGravesTrialsMy SonBuriedGettysburgPray For Me Author:Abraham Lincoln
“What do the few existing mystics still do? -- They more or less mold the raw chaos of already existing religion. But only in an isolated, insignificant manner, through feeble attempts. Do it in a grand manner from all aspects with unified efforts, and let us awaken all religions from their graves, newly revivify and form the immortal ones through the omnipotence of art and science.” ArtStillsFormReligionEffortAspectChaosGravesImmortalIsolatedInsignificantMoldArt And ScienceUnifiedOmnipotence Author:Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel
“The Bible contains legendary, historical, and ethical contents. It is quite possible to consider them separately, and one doesn't have to accept the legends in order to get the ethics. Fundamentalists make a grave mistake to insist on the letter of the writings, because they drive away many who can't swallow the Adam-and-Eve bit.” WritingReligionOrderBitsMistakeAcceptingEthicsLettersHistoricalGravesEthicalLegendsAdamLegendaryAdam And Eve Book:Yours, Isaac Asimov: A Lifetime of Letters Source: Yours, Isaac Asimov: A Lifetime of Letters