Quote #50

Whoever attacks a custom or a creed, will be confronted with a list of the names of the dead who upheld the custom, or believed the creed. He is asked in a very triumphant and sneering way, if he knows more than all the great and honored of the past. Every defender of a creed has graven upon his memory the names of all 'great' men whose actions or words can be tortured into evidence for his doctrine

More from Robert G. Ingersoll

  1. The idea of hell was born of ignorance, brutality, fear, cowardice, and revenge. This idea testifies that our remote ancestors were the low…
  2. The truth is, that in favor of almost every sect, the names of some great men can he pronounced.
  3. The God of Hell should be held in loathing, contempt and scorn. A God who threatens eternal pain should be hated, not loved - cursed, not w…
  4. The fact is, very few men are right in everything.
  5. In the estimation of good orthodox Christians I am a criminal, because I am trying to take from loving mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters,…
  6. Great virtues may draw attention from defects, they cannot sanctify them. A pebble surrounded by diamonds remains a common stone, and a dia…
  7. It is incredible that only idiots are absolutely sure of salvation. It is incredible that the more brain you have the less your chance is. …
  8. The greatest men the world has produced have known but little. They had a few facts, mingled with mistakes without number. In some departme…

All Robert G. Ingersoll quotes