Our hope of immortality does not come from any religions, but nearly all religions come from that hope.

Our hope of immortality does not come from any religions, but nearly all religions come from that hope.

Even a cursory glance at history should convince one that individual crimes committed for selfish motives play a quite insignificant read more

Even a cursory glance at history should convince one that individual crimes committed for selfish motives play a quite insignificant part in the human tragedy, compared to the numbers massacred in unselfish loyalty to one's tribe, nation, dynasty, church, or political ideology, ad majorem gloriam dei. The emphasis is on unselfish. Excepting a small minority of mercenary or sadistic disposition, wars are not fought for personal gain, but out of loyalty and devotion to king, country or cause. Homicide committed for personal reasons is a statistical rarity in all cultures, including our own. Homicide for unselfish reasons, at the risk of one's own life, is the dominant phenomenon of history.

Under democracy, one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to read more

Under democracy, one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule -and both commonly succeed, and are right.

I slept, and dreamed that life was beauty; I woke, and found that life was Duty.

I slept, and dreamed that life was beauty; I woke, and found that life was Duty.

In America, it is indispensable that every well wisher of true liberty should understand that acts of tyranny can only read more

In America, it is indispensable that every well wisher of true liberty should understand that acts of tyranny can only proceed from the publick. The publick, then, is to be watched, in this country, as, in other countries kings and aristocrats are to be watched.

If the grandfather of the grandfather of Jesus had known what was hidden within him, he would have stood humble read more

If the grandfather of the grandfather of Jesus had known what was hidden within him, he would have stood humble and awe-struck before his soul.

In the relationship between man and religion, the state is firmly committed to a position of neutrality.

In the relationship between man and religion, the state is firmly committed to a position of neutrality.

The man whose authority is recent is always stern.

The man whose authority is recent is always stern.

There are two methods, or means, and only two, whereby man's needs and desires can be satisfied. One is the read more

There are two methods, or means, and only two, whereby man's needs and desires can be satisfied. One is the production and exchange of wealth; this is the economic means. The other is the uncompensated appropriation of wealth produced by others; this is the political means.