“With every drop of my blood I hate and execrate every form of tyranny, every form of slavery. I hate dictation. I… — Robert G. Ingersoll Copy Share Image
“There is no slavery but ignorance. Liberty is the child of intelligence.” — Robert G. Ingersoll Copy Share Image
“For many years I have regarded the Pentateuch simply as a record of a barbarous people, in which are found a great… — Robert G. Ingersoll Copy Share Image
“When I think of how much this world has suffered; when I think of how long our fathers were slaves, of how… — Robert G. Ingersoll Copy Share Image
“I will not attack your doctrines nor your creeds if they accord liberty to me. If they hold thought to be dangerous - if they aver that doubt is a crime, then I attack them one and all, because they enslave the minds of men. I attack the monsters, the phantoms of imagination that have ruled the world. I attack… — Robert G. Ingersoll Copy Share
“When I speak of God, I mean that god who prevented man from putting forth his hand and taking also of the fruit of the tree of life that he might live forever; of that god who multiplied the agonies of woman, increased the weary toil of man, and in his anger drowned a world—of that god whose altars reeked… — Robert G. Ingersoll Copy Share
“If the Pentateuch is not inspired in its astronomy, geology, geography, history or philosophy, if it is not inspired concerning slavery, polygamy,… — Robert G. Ingersoll Copy Share Image
“Not one word was said by Moses or Aaron as to the wickedness of depriving a human being of his liberty. Not a word was said in favor of liberty. Not the slightest intimation that a human being was justly entitled to the product of his own labor. Not a word about the cruelty of masters who would destroy even… — Robert G. Ingersoll Copy Share
“When reading the history of the Jewish people, of their flight from slavery to death, of their exchange of tyrants, I must… — Robert G. Ingersoll Copy Share Image
“The history of man is simply the history of slavery, of injustice and brutality, together with the means by which he has, through the dead and desolate years, slowly and painfully advanced. He has been the sport and prey of priest and king, the food of superstition and cruel might. Crowned force has governed ignorance through fear. Hypocrisy and tyranny—two… — Robert G. Ingersoll Copy Share
“So, I think that when we become civilized, great corporations will make provision for men who have given their lives to their service. I think the great railroads should pay pensions to their worn out employees. They should take care of them in old age. They should not maim and wear out their servants and then discharge them, and allow… — Robert G. Ingersoll Copy Share
“With every drop of my blood I hate and execrate every form of tyranny, every form of slavery. I hate dictation. I love liberty.” — Robert G. Ingersoll Copy Share Image
“I have heard them preach, when I sat in the pew and my feet did not touch the floor, about the final home of the unconverted. In order to impress upon the children the length of time they would probably stay if they settled in that country, the preacher would frequently give us the following illustration: 'Suppose that once in… — Robert G. Ingersoll Copy Share
“When you go home you ought to go like a ray of light—so that it will, even in the night, burst out of the… — Robert G. Ingersoll Copy Share Image
“Notwithstanding the fact that infidels in all ages have battled for the rights of man, and have at all times been the fearless advocates of liberty and justice, we are constantly charged by the church with tearing down without building again. The church should by this time know that it is utterly impossible to rob men of their opinions. The… — Robert G. Ingersoll Copy Share
“Jonathan Edwards, the dear old soul, who, if his doctrine is true, is now in heaven rubbing his holy hands with glee, as he hears the cries of the damned, preached this doctrine; and he said: 'Can the believing husband in heaven be happy with his unbelieving wife in hell? Can the believing father in heaven be happy with his… — Robert G. Ingersoll Copy Share
“He [Alexander von Humboldt] was to science what Shakespeare was to the drama.” — Robert G. Ingersoll Copy Share Image
“From my childhood I had heard read, and read the Bible myself. Morning and evening the sacred volume was opened and prayers were said.… — Robert G. Ingersoll Copy Share Image
“Suppose after all that death does end all. Next to eternal joy, next to being forever with those we love and those who have loved us, next to that, is to be wrapt in the dreamless drapery of eternal peace. Next to eternal life is eternal sleep. Upon the shadowy shore of death the sea of trouble casts no wave.… — Robert G. Ingersoll Copy Share
“Strike, with hand of fire, O weird musician, thy harp strung with Apollo's golden hair; fill the vast cathedral aisles with symphonies sweet and dim, deft toucher of the organ keys; blow, bugler, blow, until thy silver notes do touch and kiss the moonlit waves, and charm the lovers wandering 'mid the vine-clad hills. But know, your sweetest strains are… — Robert G. Ingersoll Copy Share
“The doctrine that future happiness depends upon belief is monstrous. It is the infamy of infamies. The notion that faith in Christ is to be rewarded by an eternity of bliss, while a dependence upon reason, observation and experience merits everlasting pain, is too absurd for refutation, and can be relieved only by that unhappy mixture of insanity and ignorance,… — Robert G. Ingersoll Copy Share
“The liberty of man is not safe in the hands of any church. Wherever the Bible and sword are in partnership, man is a slave. All laws for the purpose of making man worship God, are born of the same spirit that kindled the fires of the auto da fe, and lovingly built the dungeons of the Inquisition. All laws… — Robert G. Ingersoll Copy Share