The Bible is literature, not dogma.

The Bible is literature, not dogma.

Hope, like faith, is nothing if it is not courageous; it is nothing if it is not ridiculous.

Hope, like faith, is nothing if it is not courageous; it is nothing if it is not ridiculous.

A lot of people say to me, "Why did you kill Christ?" "I dunno... it was one of those parties, read more

A lot of people say to me, "Why did you kill Christ?" "I dunno... it was one of those parties, got out of hand, you know." "We killed him because he didn't want to become a doctor, that's why we killed him.".

In man's life, the absence of an essential component usually leads to the adoption of a substitute. The substitute is read more

In man's life, the absence of an essential component usually leads to the adoption of a substitute. The substitute is usually embraced with vehemence and extremism, for we have to convince ourselves that what we took as second choice is the best there ever was. Thus blind faith is to a considerable extent a substitute for the lost faith in ourselves; insatiable desire a substitute for hope; accumulation a substitute for growth; fervent hustling a substitute for purposeful action; and pride a substitute for an unattainable self-respect.

The total absence of humor from the Bible is one of the most singular things in all literature.

The total absence of humor from the Bible is one of the most singular things in all literature.

Destiny is but a phrase of the weak human heart - the dark apology for every error. The strong and read more

Destiny is but a phrase of the weak human heart - the dark apology for every error. The strong and virtuous admit no destiny. On earth conscience guides; in heaven God watches. And destiny is but the phantom we invoke to silence the one and dethrone the other.

...the ultimate decision about what is accepted as right and wrong will be made not by individual human wisdom but read more

...the ultimate decision about what is accepted as right and wrong will be made not by individual human wisdom but by the disappearance of the groups that have adhered to the "wrong" beliefs.

Various kinds of ideas can be classified by their relationship to the authentication process. There are ideas systematically prepared for read more

Various kinds of ideas can be classified by their relationship to the authentication process. There are ideas systematically prepared for authentication ("theories"), ideas not derived from any systematic process ("visions"), ideas which could not survive any reasonable authentication process ("illusions"), ideas which exempt themselves from any authentication process ("myths"), ideas which have already passed authentication processes ("facts"), as well as ideas known to have failed- or certain to fail- such processes ("falsehoods" - both mistakes and lies).

Nothing is so easy as to deceive oneself; for what we wish, we readily believe.

Nothing is so easy as to deceive oneself; for what we wish, we readily believe.