I cannot see why we should expect an infinite God to do better in another world than he does in this.
Take from the church the miraculous, the supernatural, the incomprehensible, the unreasonable, the impossible, the unknowable, the absurd, and nothing but a vacuum remains.
With soap, baptism is a good thing.
If a man would follow, today, the teachings of the Old Testament, he would be a criminal. If he would follow strictly the teachings of the New, he would be insane.
A believer is a bird in a cage, a freethinker is an eagle parting the clouds with tireless wing.
The clergy know that I know that they know that they do not know.
The hands that help are better far than lips that pray.
As more people become more intelligent they care less for preachers and more for teachers.
This crime called blasphemy was invented by priests for the purpose of defending doctrines not able to take care of themselves.
When I became convinced that the universe is natural, that all the ghosts and gods are myths, there entered into my brain, into my soul, into every drop of my blood the sense, the feeling, the joy of freedom. The walls of my prison crumbled and fell. The dungeon was flooded with light and all the bolts and bars and manacles became dust.