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Bible Quote by Ambrose Bierce

“INADMISSIBLE, adj. Not competent to be considered. Said of certain kinds of testimony which juries are supposed to be unfit to be entrusted with, and which judges, therefore, rule out, even of proceedings before themselves alone. Hearsay evidence is inadmissible because the person quoted was…” quote by Ambrose Bierce
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“INADMISSIBLE, adj. Not competent to be considered. Said of certain kinds of testimony which juries are supposed to be unfit to be entrusted with, and which judges, therefore, rule out, even of proceedings before themselves alone. Hearsay evidence is inadmissible because the person quoted was unsworn and is not before the court for examination; yet most momentous actions, military, political, commercial and of every other kind, are daily undertaken on hearsay evidence. There is no religion in the world that has any other basis than hearsay evidence. Revelation is hearsay evidence; that the Scriptures are the word of God we have only the testimony of men long dead whose identity is not clearly established and who are not known to have been sworn in any sense. Under the rules of evidence as they now exist in this country, no single assertion in the Bible has in its support any evidence admissible in a court of law. It cannot be proved that the battle of Blenheim ever was fought, that ther”

Ambrose Bierce

About This Quote

Source Essay: “The Devil’s Dictionary”, 1906

The definition argues that much of what societies accept as truth is based on unverified testimony, making it unreliable.

In simple terms: Many accepted truths rely on hearsay, lacking solid proof.

Key Takeaway

Question the foundations of accepted beliefs.

Themes

skepticism truth authority

Mood

inquisitive skeptical

Type

philosophical critical

When to use this quote

  • legal proceedings
  • political decisions
  • religious doctrine

Key Concepts

hearsay evidence religion

Questions to Reflect On

  • What evidence would you require to accept a belief?
  • Can societies function without some unverified assumptions?
A Different Perspective

Some claims may be necessary for social cohesion.

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