Martyr Quotes - Page 3

• The hocus-pocus phantasm of a God, like another Cerberus, with one body and three heads, had its birth and growth in the blood of thousands and thousands of martyrs.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Religious, Faith Religion, Blood

  Thomas Jefferson (2011). “Jefferson on Freedom: Wisdom, Advice, and Hints on Freedom, Democracy, and the American Way”, p.39, Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.

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• Martyrdom has always been a proof of the intensity, never of the correctness of a belief.

  Arthur Schnitzler

  Death, Dying, Liberty

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• He that dies a martyr proves that he was not a knave, but by no means that he was not a fool.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Mean, Atheism, Knaves

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.181

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• No human beings more dangerous than those who have suffered for a belief: the great persecutors are recruited from the martyrs not quite beheaded. Far from diminishing the appetite for power, suffering exasperates it.

  Emile M. Cioran

  Suffering, Belief, Appetite

  Emile M. Cioran (1975). “A short history of decay”, Viking Books

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• I have been astonished that men could die martyrs for their religion-- I have shuddered at it, I shudder no more. I could be martyred for my religion. Love is my religion and I could die for that. I could die for you. My Creed is Love and you are its only tenet.

  John Keats

  Love, Romantic, Men

  John Keats (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of John Keats (Illustrated)”, p.986, Delphi Classics

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• We are not here to triumph by fighting, by strata gem, or by resistance, not to fight with beasts as men. We have fought the beast and have conquered. We have only to conquer now, by suffering. This is the easier victory.

  T. S. Eliot

  Fighting, Men, Suffering

  T.S. Eliot (2011). “The Complete Poems and Plays of T. S. Eliot”, p.256, Faber & Faber

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• Perhaps there is no happiness in life so perfect as the martyr's.

  O. Henry

  Perfect, Life Happiness

  O. Henry (2016). “The Complete Works Of O. Henry”, p.516, ShandonPress

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• The martyr sacrifices themselves entirely in vain. Or rather not in vain; for they make the selfish more selfish, the lazy more lazy, the narrow narrower.

  Florence Nightingale

  Selfish, Nursing, Sacrifice

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• The saints must be honored as friends of Christ and children and heirs of God. Let us carefully observe the manner of life of all the apostles, martyrs, ascetics, and just men who announced the coming of the Lord. And let us emulate their faith, charity, hope, zeal, life, patience under suffering, and perseverance unto death so that we may also share their crowns of glory.

  John of Damascus

  Life, God, Faith

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• One, with God, is always a majority, but many a martyr has been burned at the stake while the votes were being counted.

  Thomas Reed

  Fear, Humorous, Atheism

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• It is a time for martyrs now, and if I am to be one, it will be for the cause of brotherhood. That's the only thing that can save this country.

  Malcolm X

  Inspiring, Country, Brotherhood

  Malcolm X (2015). “The Autobiography of Malcolm X”, p.433, Ballantine Books

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• It requires greater courage to preserve inner freedom, to move on in one's inward journey into new realms, than to stand defiantly for outer freedom. It is often easier to play the martyr, as it is to be rash in battle.

  Rollo May

  Freedom, Moving, Journey

  Rollo May (2009). “Man's Search for Himself”, p.174, W. W. Norton & Company

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• The way of the world is, to praise dead saints, and persecute living ones.

  Nathanael Howe

  Saint, World, Way

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• Great persecutors are recruited among martyrs whose heads haven't been cut off.

  Emile M. Cioran

  Cutting, Havens, Martyrdom

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• God discovers the martyr and confessor without the trial of flames and tortures, and will hereafter entitle many to the reward of actions which they had never the opportunity of performing.

  Joseph Addison

  Opportunity, Flames, Trials

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• He that dies a martyr proves that he was not a knave, but by no means that he was not a fool; since the most absurd doctrines are not without such evidence as martyrdom can produce. A martyr, therefore, by the mere act of suffering, can prove nothing but his own faith.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Mean, Suffering, Doctrine

  Charles Caleb Colton (1836). “Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.199

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• Why should women not be a martyr for her cause?

  Ernestine Rose

  Causes, Should

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• Love is my religion - I could die for it.

  John Keats

  Love, Passion, Romance

  John Keats (1820). “The Complete Works of John Keats”, p.130

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• O, how much those men are to be valued who, in the spirit with which the widow gave up her two mites, have given up themselves! How their names sparkle! How rich their very ashes are! How they will count up in heaven!

  Edwin Hubbel Chapin

  Men, Names, Two

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• Christianity has made martyrdom sublime, and sorrow triumphant.

  Edwin Hubbel Chapin

  Sublime, Sorrow, Christianity

  "Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers". Book by Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert, 1895.

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• Glorious the northern lights astream; Glorious the song, when God's the theme; Glorious the thunder's roar: Glorious hosanna from the den; Glorious the catholic amen; Glorious the martyr's gore.

  Christopher

  Song, Light, Catholic

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• No human beings are more dangerous than those who have suffered for a belief

  Emile M. Cioran

  Belief, Dangerous, Humans

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• If martyrdom is now on the decline, it is not because martyrs are less zealous, but because martyr-mongers are more wise. The light of intellect has put out the fire of persecution, as other fires are observed to smoulder before the light of the same.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Wise, Fire, Light

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.110

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• While I do not suggest that humanity will ever be able to dispense with its martyrs, I cannot avoid the suspicion that with a little more thought and a little less belief their number may be substantially reduced.

  John B. S. Haldane

  Numbers, Humanity, Atheism

  John B. S. Haldane, John Burdon Sanderson Haldane (1945). “Possible Worlds”, p.224, Transaction Publishers

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• It does matter that it's the Olympics. I just did it my way. I'm not a martyr, and I'm not a do-gooder. I just want to go out and rock. And man, I rocked here.

  Bode Miller

  Men, Rocks, Doe

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