“When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma, we become automatons. We cease to grow.”
Topic
religion
990 quotes
Quotes, most loved first
“If religion were true, its followers would not try to bludgeon their young into an artificial conformity but would merely insist on their unbending quest for truth, irrespective of artificial backgrounds or practical consequences.”
“Religion can never reform mankind because religion is slavery.”
“Religion is the organization of spirituality into something that became the hand maiden of conquerors. Nearly all religions were brought to people and imposed on people by conquerors, and used as the framework to control their minds.”
“I maintain that Truth is a pathless land, and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect.”
“I don't necessarily believe in organized religion.”
“Religion is for people who are scared to go to hell. Spirituality is for people who have already been there.”
“There is no surer sign of decay in a country than to see the rites of religion held in contempt.”
“We have enslaved the rest of the animal creation, and have treated our distant cousins in fur and feathers so badly that beyond doubt, if they were able to formulate a religion, they would depict the Devil in human form.”
“Religion is the frozen thought of man out of which they build temples.”
“We have enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.”
“The day is not far off when the economic problem will take the back seat where it belongs, and the arena of the heart and the head will be occupied or reoccupied, by our real problems - the problems of life and of human relations, of creation and behavior and religion.”
“It is easy to talk on religion, but difficult to practice it.”
“Unless we place our religion and our treasure in the same thing, religion will always be sacrificed.”
“Let me say this loud and clear. There is a world of difference between terrorist acts and the Islamic Shari'a. Islam is not only a religion, but a way of life. And at its heart lie the sacred principles of tolerance and dialogue.”
“Religion must mainly be a matter of principles only. It cannot be a matter of rules. The moment it degenerates into rules, it ceases to be a religion, as it kills responsibility which is an essence of the true religious act.”
“I'm sickened by all religions. Religion has divided people. I don't think there's any difference between the pope wearing a large hat and parading around with a smoking purse and an African painting his face white and praying to a rock.”
“Every major religion today is a winner in the Darwinian struggle waged among cultures, and none ever flourished by tolerating its rivals.”
“You might sooner get lightning out of incense smoke than true action or passion out of your modern English religion.”
“I think flying planes into a building was a faith-based initiative. I think religion is a neurological disorder.”
“Teach a child what is wise, that is morality. Teach him what is wise and beautiful, that is religion!”
“Formerly, when religion was strong and science weak, men mistook magic for medicine now, when science is strong and religion weak, men mistake medicine for magic.”
“The Americans combine the notions of religion and liberty so intimately in their minds, that it is impossible to make them conceive of one without the other.”
“The humanists' replacement for religion: work really hard and somehow you'll either save yourself or you'll be immortal. Of course, that's a total joke, and our progress is nothing. There may be progress in technology but there's no ethical progress whatsoever.”