Christians must show that misery fits the good for heaven, while happiness prepares the bad for hell; that the wicked get all their good things in this life, and the good all their evil; that in this world God punishes the people he loves, and in the next, the ones he hates; that happiness makes us bad here, but not in heaven; that pain makes us good here, but not in hell. No matter how absurd these things may appear to the carnal mind, they must be preached and they must be believed. If they were reasonable, there would be no virtue in believing. Even the publicans and sinners believe reasonable things. To believe without evidence, or in spite of it, is accounted as righteousness to the sincere and humble christian.In short, Christians are expected to denounce all pleasant paths and rustling trees, to curse the grass and flowers, and glorify the dust and weeds. They are expected to malign the wicked people in the green and happy fields, who sit and laugh beside the gurgling springs or climb the hills and wander as they will. They are expected to point out the dangers of freedom, the safety of implicit obedience, and to show the wickedness of philosophy, the goodness of faith, the immorality of science and the purity of ignorance.
absurd bad belief christianity christians contradiction contradictory curse dust evidence faith flowers freedom glorify good grass happiness happy hate heaven hell humble ignorance immorality laugh life love malign mind misery obedience philosophy pleasant punish purity righteousness safety science sincere springs trees virtue weeds wicked

About This Quote

About Robert G. Ingersoll

Robert G. Ingersoll was a 19th-century agnostic, lawyer, politician and orator. Robert Green Ingersoll, nicknamed "the Great Agnostic", was an American lawyer, writer, and orator during the Golden Age of Free Thought, who campaigned in defense of agnosticism. Read more on Wikipedia →

Themes

  • Faith — Reflections on belief, spirituality, and trust in the unseen
  • Freedom — The value of liberty, independence, and self-determination
  • Happiness — Thoughts on finding joy, contentment, and fulfilment
  • Life — Reflections on the meaning, challenges, and beauty of life
  • Love — Quotes exploring romantic love, compassion, and human connection
  • Philosophy — Deep thoughts on existence, knowledge, and the nature of reality
  • Science — Discovery, inquiry, and the wonders of the natural world

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