Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.

Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.

Love comes to those who still hope even though they've been
disappointed, to those who still believe even though they've read more

Love comes to those who still hope even though they've been
disappointed, to those who still believe even though they've been
betrayed, to those for whom love still heals, even though they'vebeen
hurt before.

The church is the great lost and found department.

The church is the great lost and found department.

The human understanding is no dry light, but receives infusion from the will and affections; which proceed sciences which may read more

The human understanding is no dry light, but receives infusion from the will and affections; which proceed sciences which may be called "sciences as one would." For what a man had rather were true he more readily believes. Therefore he rejects difficult things from impatience of research; sober things, because they narrow hope; the deeper things of nature, from superstition; the light of experience, from arrogance and pride; things not commonly believed, out of deference to the opinion of the vulgar. Numberless in short are the ways, and sometimes imperceptible, in which the affections color and infect the understanding.

The Bible and the Church have been the greatest stumbling blocks in the way of women's emancipation.

The Bible and the Church have been the greatest stumbling blocks in the way of women's emancipation.

No human beings more dangerous than those who have suffered for a belief: the great persecutors are recruited from the read more

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.

Gods are fragile things; they may be killed by a whiff of science or a dose of common sense.

Gods are fragile things; they may be killed by a whiff of science or a dose of common sense.

For men become civilized, not in proportion to their willingness to believe, but in proportion to their readiness to doubt.

For men become civilized, not in proportion to their willingness to believe, but in proportion to their readiness to doubt.

It is wonderful how much time good people spend fighting the devil. If they would only expend the same amount read more

It is wonderful how much time good people spend fighting the devil. If they would only expend the same amount of energy loving their fellow men, the devil would die in his own tracks of ennui.