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Man's inhumanity to man will continue as long as man loves…

“Man's inhumanity to man will continue as long as man loves God more than he loves his fellow man. The love of God means wasted love. 'For God and Country' means a divided allegiance—a 50 per cent patriot. The most abused word in the language of man is the word 'God.' The reason for this is that it…” quote by Joseph Lewis
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““Man's inhumanity to man will continue as long as man loves God more than he loves his fellow man. The love of God means wasted love. 'For God and Country' means a divided allegiance—a 50 per cent patriot. The most abused word in the language of man is the word 'God.' The reason for this is that it is subject to so much abuse. There is no other word in the human language that is as meaningless and incapable of explanation as is the word 'God.' It is the beginning and end of nothing. It is the Alpha and Omega of Ignorance. It has as many meanings as there are minds. And as each person has an opinion of what the word God ought to mean, it is a word without premise, without foundation, and without substance. It is without validity. It is all things to all people, and is as meaningless as it is indefinable. It is the most dangerous in the hands of the unscrupulous, and is the joker that trumps the ace. It is the poisoned word that has paralyzed the brain of man. 'The fear of the Lord' is not the beginning of wisdom; on the contrary, it has made man a groveling slave; it has made raving lunatics of those who have attempted to interpret what God 'is' and what is supposed to be our 'duty' to God. It has made man prostitute the most precious things of life—it has made him sacrifice wife, and child, and home. 'In the name of God' means in the name of nothing—it has caused man to be a wastrel with the precious elixir of life, because there is no God.””

Joseph Lewis

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The author argues that worship of God is meaningless, leading to division and oppression, and that fear of God hinders wisdom

In simple terms: Blind devotion to God creates division and hinders true understanding

Key Takeaway

Question authority and seek rational ethics

Themes

religion criticism philosophy

Mood

skeptical provocative

Type

philosophical critical

When to use this quote

  • political discourse
  • education
  • personal belief systems

Key Concepts

existentialism nihilism authority

Questions to Reflect On

  • What role does spirituality play in your life?
  • Can morality exist without religion?
A Different Perspective

Critique may overlook positive community aspects of faith

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