All religion, my friend, is simply evolved out of fraud, fear, greed, imagination, and poetry.

All religion, my friend, is simply evolved out of fraud, fear, greed, imagination, and poetry.

When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma, we become automatons. We cease to grow.

When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma, we become automatons. We cease to grow.

Religion is the impotence of the human mind to deal with occurrences it cannot understand.

Religion is the impotence of the human mind to deal with occurrences it cannot understand.

As if Religion were intended
For nothing else but to be mended.

As if Religion were intended
For nothing else but to be mended.

G-- knows I'm no the thing I should be,
Nor am I even the thing I could be,
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G-- knows I'm no the thing I should be,
Nor am I even the thing I could be,
But twenty times I rather would be
An atheist clean,
Than under gospel colours hid be,
Just for a screen.

The tendency to turn human judgments into divine commands makes religion one of the most dangerous forces in the world.

The tendency to turn human judgments into divine commands makes religion one of the most dangerous forces in the world.

Religion is not a department of life; it is something that enters into the whole of it.

Religion is not a department of life; it is something that enters into the whole of it.

There's naught, no doubt, so much the spirit calms as rum and
true religion.

There's naught, no doubt, so much the spirit calms as rum and
true religion.

The church is always trying to get other people to reform; it might not be a bad idea to reform read more

The church is always trying to get other people to reform; it might not be a bad idea to reform itself a little, by way of example