Robert Green Ingersoll Quotes About Church

Quotes about: Church

• The church hates a thinker precisely for the same reason a robber dislikes a sheriff, or a thief despises the prosecuting witness.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Hate, Religion, Church

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1907). “The works of Robert G. Ingersoll”, p.100, Library of Alexandria

• The Church has always been willing to swap off treasures in heaven for cash down.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Funny, Humorous, Heaven

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1907). “The works of Robert G. Ingersoll”, p.261, Library of Alexandria

• It is a blessed thing that in every age some one has had individuality enough and courage enough to stand by his own convictions, -- some one who had the grandeur to say his say. I believe it was Magellan who said, The church says the earth is flat; but I have seen its shadow on the moon, and I have more confidence even in a shadow than in the church. On the prow of his ship were disobedience, defiance, scorn, and success.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Faith, Believe, Blessed

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1874). “The Gods, and Other Lectures”, p.171

• The Church says the Earth is flat. But I know that it is round. For I have seen the shadow on the Moon. And I have more faith in a shadow than in the Church.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Motivational, Death, Faith

• Take from the church the miraculous, the supernatural, the incomprehensible, the unreasonable, the impossible, the unknowable, the absurd, and nothing but a vacuum remains.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Religious, Atheist, If There Is A God

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1907). “The works of Robert G. Ingersoll”, p.159, Library of Alexandria

• The Catholics have a Pope. Protestants laugh at them, and yet the Pope is capable of intellectual advancement. In addition to this, the Pope is mortal, and the church cannot be afflicted with the same idiot forever. The Protestants have a book for their Pope. The book cannot advance. Year after year, and century after century, the book remains as ignorant as ever.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Bible, Book, Biblical

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1902). “Discussions”

• Honest investigation is utterly impossible within the pale of any church, for the reason, that if you think the church is right you will not investigate, and if you think it wrong, the church will investigate you.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Thinking, Atheism, Church

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1874). “The Gods, and Other Lectures”, p.183

• 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.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Religion, Church, Pioneers

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1907). “The works of Robert G. Ingersoll”, p.2699, Library of Alexandria

• The Catholic Church is a thousand times better than your Protestant Church upon that question [of damnation]. The Catholic Church believes in purgatory - that is, a place where a fellow can get a chance to make a motion for a new trial.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Believe, Catholic, Religion

• Some president wishes to be re-elected, and thereupon speaks about the Bible as "the corner-stone of American Liberty." This sentence is a mouth large enough to swallow any church, and from that time forward the religious people will be citing that remark of the politician to substantiate the inspiration of the Scriptures.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Religious, Inspiration, People

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1907). “The works of Robert G. Ingersoll”, p.2547, Library of Alexandria

• The Unitarian Church has done more than any other church to substitute character for creed, and to say that a man should be judged by his spirit; by the climate of his heart; by the autumn of his generosity; by the spring of his hope; that he should be judged by what he does; by the influence that he exerts, rather than by the mythology he may believe.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Spring, Believe, Heart

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1907). “The works of Robert G. Ingersoll”, p.4503, Library of Alexandria

• Every church that has a standard higher than human welfare is dangerous.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Religion, Atheism, Church

  Robert Green Ingersoll, Herman Eugene Kittredge (1912). “Interviews”

• The Church demonstrated the falsity and folly of Darwin's theories by showing that they contradicted the Mosaic account of creation, and now that the theories of Darwin having been fairly established, the Church says that the Mosaic account is true because it is in harmony with Darwin. Now, if it should turn out that Darwin was mistaken, what then?

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Atheism, Church, Mosaics

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1907). “The works of Robert G. Ingersoll”, p.1846, Library of Alexandria

• If Jehovah cannot support his religion without going into partnership with a State Legislature, I think he ought to give it up.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Thinking, Giving, Support

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1907). “The works of Robert G. Ingersoll”, p.2425, Library of Alexandria

• The churches have no confidence in each other. Why? Because they are acquainted with each other.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Atheism, Church, Positive Atheism

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1907). “The works of Robert G. Ingersoll”, p.1410, Library of Alexandria

• If the property belongs to God he is able to pay the tax.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Church, Pay, Able

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1898). “Lectures of Col. R.G. Ingersoll: Including His Letters on the Chinese God--Is Suicide a Sin?--The Right to One's Life--etc. Etc. Etc”

• It is told that the great Angelo, in decorating a church, painted some angels wearing sandals. A cardinal looking at the picture said to the artist: Whoever saw angels with sandals? Angelo answered with another question: Whoever saw an angel barefooted?

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Angel, Artist, Atheism

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1907). “The works of Robert G. Ingersoll”, p.1076, Library of Alexandria

• The church in all ages and among all peoples has been the consistent enemy of the human race. Everywhere and at all times, it has opposed the liberty of thought and expression. It has been the sworn enemy of investigation and intellectual development. It has denied the existence of facts, the tendency of which was to undermine its power. It has always been carrying fagots to the feet of Philosophy. It has erected the gallows for Genius. It has built the dungeon for Thinkers.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Religious, Philosophy, Race

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1907). “The works of Robert G. Ingersoll”, p.4052, Library of Alexandria

• Progress is born of doubt and inquiry. The Church never doubts, never inquires. To doubt is heresy, to inquire is to admit that you do not know—the Church does neither.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Doubt, Progress, Church

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1907). “The works of Robert G. Ingersoll”, p.88, Library of Alexandria

• Not one of the orthodox ministers dare preach what he thinks if he knows a majority of his congregation think otherwise. He knows that every member of his church stands guard over his brain with a creed, like a club, in his hand. He knows that he is not expected to search after the truth, but that he is employed to defend the creed. Every pulpit is a pillory, in which stands a hired culprit, defending the justice of his own imprisonment.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Thinking, Hands, Justice

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1907). “The works of Robert G. Ingersoll”, p.103, Library of Alexandria

• Give any orthodox church the power, and to-day they would punish heresy with whip, and chain, and fire. As long as a church deems a certain belief essential to salvation, just so long it will kill and burn if it has the power.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Fire, Giving, Long

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1907). “The works of Robert G. Ingersoll”, p.119, Library of Alexandria

• Of course, ministers look upon theaters as rival attractions, and most of their hatred is born of business views. They think people ought to be driven to church by having all other places closed. In my judgment the theater has done good, while the church has done harm. The drama never has insisted upon burning anybody. Persecution is not born of the stage.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Drama, Thinking, Views

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1907). “The works of Robert G. Ingersoll”, p.2164, Library of Alexandria

• There is no necessity for going to the church and hearing the same story forever. Let the minister write what he wishes to say. Let him publish it. If it is worth buying, people will read it. It is hardly fair to get them in a church in the name of duty and there inflict upon them a sermon that under no circumstances they would read...the idea of going fifty-two days in a year to hear anybody on the same subject is absurd.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Writing, Years, Names

• The church teaches us that we can make God happy by being miserable ourselves.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Church, Miserable, Teach

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1907). “The works of Robert G. Ingersoll”, p.274, Library of Alexandria

• I belong to the Great Church which holds the world within its starlit aisles; that claims the great and good of every race and clime; that finds with joy the grain of gold in every creed, and floods with light and love the germs of good in every soul.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Light, Race, Joy

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1907). “The works of Robert G. Ingersoll”, p.1791, Library of Alexandria

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