“The driving force behind today's terrorist threat is Islamist fundamentalism. The struggle we are engaged in is, at root, ideological. During the last century a strain of Islamist thinking has developed which, like other totalitarianisms, such as Nazism and Communism, offers its followers a form of redemption through violence.” ThinkingTodayLastsFormReligionForceBehindsStruggleViolenceCenturyOffersRootsThreatDrivingTerroristRedemptionCommunismEngagedFollowersFundamentalismNaziStrainTotalitarianismIdeologicalIsmsDriving ForceIslamists Author:David Cameron
“The real problem is not the religion itself, but its insistence that the interpretation it offers of the world is the only valid interpretation.” WorldRealProblemReligionOffersInterpretationReal ProblemsInsistence Author:Avtarjeet Singh Dhanjal
“For one man who thanks God that he is not as other men there are a thousand to offer thanks that they are as other men, sufficiently as others are to escape attention.” MenReligionAttentionMoralityOffersThousandThanksOne ManThank GodThanks God Book:Human Nature and Conduct: Human Understanding Source: Human Nature and Conduct: Human Understanding
“The profession of shaman has many advantages. It offers high status with a safe livelihood free of work in the dreary, sweaty sense. In most societies it offers legal privileges and immunities not granted to other men. But it is hard to see how a man who has been given a mandate from on High to spread tidings of joy to all mankind can be seriously interested in taking up a collection to pay his salary; it causes one to suspect that the shaman is on the moral level of any other con man. But it is a lovely work if you can stomach it.” IfsMenHas BeensHardJoyReligionGivenCausesLevelsPayMoralMankindOffersSafeAdvantagePrivilegeSpreadProfessionLovelyGrantedCollectionsSuspectsStomachSalaryMandatesLivelihoodDrearyImmunityTidings Book:Time Enough for Love Source: Time Enough for Love
“I've begun worshipping the sun for a number of reasons. First of all, unlike some other gods I could mention, I can see the sun. It's there for me every day. And the things it brings me are quite apparent all the time: heat, light, food, and a lovely day. There's no mystery, no one asks for money, I don't have to dress up, and there's no boring pageantry. And interestingly enough, I have found that the prayers I offer to the sun and the prayers I formerly offered to "God" are all answered at about the same 50% rate.” FirstsI CanReasonEnoughLightFunnyReligionAsksFoundPrayerNumbersSunMysteryOffersDressesRateBoringLovelyHeatPageantryLovely Day Book:The Best of Brain Droppings Source: The Best of Brain Droppings