I do not see how it is possible for an intelligent human being to conclude that the Song of Solomon is the work of God, and that the tragedy of Lear was the work of an uninspired man.
Nothing discloses character like the use of power.
This, in my judgment, is the highest philosophy: First, do not regret having lost yesterday; second, do not fear that you will lose tomorrow; third, enjoy today.
Eternal punishment must be eternal cruelty, and I do not see how any man, unless he has the brain of an idiot, or the heart of a wild beast, can believe in eternal punishment.
The first step is for man to cease to be the slave of man. The second, is to cease to be the slave of the monsters of his own creation, the ghosts and phantoms of the air.
Nothing could be more idiotic and absurd than the doctrine of the trinity.
Fear paints pictures of ghosts and hangs them in the gallery of ignorance.
I know of no crime that has not been defended by the church, in one form or other. The church is not a pioneer; it accepts a new truth, last of all, and only when denial has become useless.
Prayer is of no avail. The lightning falls on the just and the unjust in accordance with natural laws.
We are not accountable for the sins of “Adam”.
Our hope of immortality does not come from any religions, but nearly all religions come from that hope.
The falling leaf that tells of autumn’s death is, in a subtler sense, a prophecy of spring.
I would rather be a beggar and spend my money like a king, than be a king and spend money like a beggar.
By nature all people are alike, but by education become different.
Good nature is the cheapest commodity in the world.
Commerce is the great civilizer. We exchange ideas when we exchange fabrics.
Science built the Academy, superstition the Inquisition.
I have always noticed that the people who have the smallest souls make the most fuss about getting them saved.
In a world of cruelty, sympathy is a crime, and in a world of lies, truth is blasphemy.
Let us agree not to step on each other’s feet.