So 'ere the storm of war broke out,
Religion spawn'd a various rout
Of petulant capricious sects,
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So 'ere the storm of war broke out,
Religion spawn'd a various rout
Of petulant capricious sects,
That maggots of corrupted texts,
That first run all religion down,
And after every swarm its own.

Selfishness is the only real atheism; aspiration, unselfishness, the only real religion.

Selfishness is the only real atheism; aspiration, unselfishness, the only real religion.

I won't take my religion from any man who never works except with his mouth.

I won't take my religion from any man who never works except with his mouth.

We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the sense that we respect his theory that his wife read more

We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the sense that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart.

Doubt is part of all religion. All the religious thinkers were doubters.

Doubt is part of all religion. All the religious thinkers were doubters.

It is a fine thing to establish one's own religion in one's heart, not to be dependent on tradition and read more

It is a fine thing to establish one's own religion in one's heart, not to be dependent on tradition and second-hand ideals. Life will seem to you, later, not a lesser, but a greater thing.

The problem with writing about religion is that you run the risk of offending sincerely religious people, and then they read more

The problem with writing about religion is that you run the risk of offending sincerely religious people, and then they come after you with machetes.

We have just enough religion to make us hate but not enough to make us love one another.

We have just enough religion to make us hate but not enough to make us love one another.

Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you'd have good people doing good things and evil read more

Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you'd have good people doing good things and evil people doing bad things, but for good people to do bad things, it takes religion.