--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The great religious ages were notable for…" description: "\"The great religious ages were notable for their indifference to human rights... not only for acquiescence in poverty, inequality, exploitation and oppr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/495/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr-14015_abandonment_the-great-religious-ages-were-notable-fo_2376061.jpg" --- # The great religious ages were notable for their… ![“The great religious ages were notable for their indifference to human rights... not only for acquiescence in poverty, inequality, exploitation and oppression, but also for enthusiastic justifications for slavery, persecution, abandonment of small children, torture, and genocide... Moreover…” quote by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/495/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr-14015_abandonment_the-great-religious-ages-were-notable-fo_2376061.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/495/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr-14015_abandonment_the-great-religious-ages-were-notable-fo_2376061.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/495/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr-14015_abandonment_the-great-religious-ages-were-notable-fo_2376061.jpg) > “The great religious ages were notable for their indifference to human rights... not only for acquiescence in poverty, inequality, exploitation and oppression, but also for enthusiastic justifications for slavery, persecution, abandonment of small children, torture, and genocide... Moreover, religion enshrined hierarchy, authority, and inequality... It was the age of equality that brought about the disappearance of such religious appurtenances as the auto-da-fe and burning at the stake.” [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Religion historically justified oppression and hierarchy, while secular equality dismantled those practices. **In simple terms:** Religion often supported inequality; secularism promotes equality. Key Takeaway Recognize how belief systems can perpetuate injustice. Themes religion history human rights equality power Mood critical reflective analytical Type philosophical historical When to use this quote - academic research - policy analysis - human rights advocacy - education curricula Key Concepts theocracy social hierarchy moral justification Questions to Reflect On - How do modern institutions still reflect these historic hierarchies? - What role can education play in dismantling them? A Different Perspective Secular reforms faced resistance and did not instantly end all oppression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abandonment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abandonment/) [Acquiescence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acquiescence/) [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Enthusiastic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enthusiastic/) [Exploitation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exploitation/) [Genocide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genocide/) [Great religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-religious/) [Hierarchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hierarchy/) [Human rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-rights/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Indifference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indifference/) [Inequality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inequality/) [Justification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justification/) [Oppression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oppression/) [Persecution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persecution/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Small child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-child/) [Torture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/torture/) ## Related quotes > [Sometimes people have said that Islam, in its own calendar, is still only in the Middle Ages. It's still in the fifteenth century or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/sometimes-people-have-said-that-islam-in-its-own-calendar-is-still/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [There will come a time when the world will look back to modern vivisection in the name of science, as they do now to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-bigelow/there-will-come-a-time-when-the-world-will-look-back-to-modern/) [Kathryn Bigelow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-bigelow/) > [Religion is passionate, reckless, destructive, idol-smashing. It's a martyr burning at the stake. It's a crown of thorns and a cross.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ostenso/religion-is-passionate-reckless-destructive-idol-smashing-it-s-a/) [Martha Ostenso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ostenso/) > [Back in pre-Revolutionary America cruel and unusual punishment meant the rack and burning at the stake... in more recent rulings it has been taken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/back-in-pre-revolutionary-america-cruel-and-unusual-punishment-meant/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that the believer would stake his life on it a thousand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/faith-is-a-living-daring-confidence-in-god-s-grace-so-sure-and-3/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) ## More by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [History is full of surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/history-is-full-of-surprises/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [The genius of impeachment lay in the fact that it could punish the man without punishing the office.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/the-genius-of-impeachment-lay-in-the-fact-that-it-could-punish-the/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Every President reconstructs the Presidency to meet his own psychological needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/every-president-reconstructs-the-presidency-to-meet-his-own/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [The only President who clearly died of overwork was Polk, and that was a long time ago. Hoover, who worked intensely and humorlessly as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/the-only-president-who-clearly-died-of-overwork-was-polk-and-that-was/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Righteousness is easy in retrospect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/righteousness-is-easy-in-retrospect/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [The first rule of democracy is to distrust all leaders who begin to believe their own publicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/the-first-rule-of-democracy-is-to-distrust-all-leaders-who-begin-to/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Few secret undertakings ever did any nation any good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/few-secret-undertakings-ever-did-any-nation-any-good/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [In Defense of the World Order . . . U.S. soldiers would have to kill and die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/in-defense-of-the-world-order-u-s-soldiers-would-have-to-kill-and-die/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [In view of the tide of religiosity engulfing a once secular republic it is refreshing to be reminded by Freethinkers that free thought and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/in-view-of-the-tide-of-religiosity-engulfing-a-once-secular-republic/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [There is no more dangerous thing for a democracy than a foreign policy based on presidential preventive war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/there-is-no-more-dangerous-thing-for-a-democracy-than-a-foreign/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [If we are to survive, we must have ideas, vision, and courage. These things are rarely produced by committees. Everything that matters in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/if-we-are-to-survive-we-must-have-ideas-vision-and-courage-these/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [The military struggle may frankly be regarded for what it actually was, namely a war for independence, an armed attempt to imposethe views of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/the-military-struggle-may-frankly-be-regarded-for-what-it-actually/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Those who are convinced they have a monopoly on The Truth always feel that they are only saving the world when they slaughter the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/those-who-are-convinced-they-have-a-monopoly-on-the-truth-always-feel/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [There is far less to the Presidency, in terms of essential activity, than meets the eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/there-is-far-less-to-the-presidency-in-terms-of-essential-activity/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) [Explore all 48 Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) ## More Abandonment quotes > [If our faith in God is not the veriest sham, it demands, and will produce, the abandonment sometimes, the subordination always, of external helps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/if-our-faith-in-god-is-not-the-veriest-sham-it-demands-and-will/) [Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) > [I don't believe in fate or destiny. I believe in various degrees of hatred, paranoia, and abandonment. However much of that gets heaped upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-don-t-believe-in-fate-or-destiny-i-believe-in-various-degrees-of/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [In the eyes of those lovers of perfection, a work is never finished a word that for them has no sense but abandoned; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/in-the-eyes-of-those-lovers-of-perfection-a-work-is-never-finished-a/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [“Sometimes people walk away from love because it is so beautiful that it terrifies them. Sometimes they leave because the connection shines a bright…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-brown/sometimes-people-walk-away-from-love-because-it-is-so-beautiful-that/) [Jeff Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-brown/) > [Modern societies accepted the treasures and the power offered them by science. But they have not accepted - they have scarcely even heard -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/modern-societies-accepted-the-treasures-and-the-power-offered-them-by/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [Judaism is absolutely incompatible with the abandonment of the Torah.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-schechter/judaism-is-absolutely-incompatible-with-the-abandonment-of-the-torah/) [Solomon Schechter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-schechter/) > [“Abandonment is ugly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-moore/abandonment-is-ugly/) [Michelle Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-moore/) > [In our culture of constant access and nonstop media, nothing feels more like a curse from God than time in the wilderness. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-martin/in-our-culture-of-constant-access-and-nonstop-media-nothing-feels/) [Jonathan Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-martin/) > [“When you give everything, you have nothing to lose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-mcgahan/when-you-give-everything-you-have-nothing-to-lose/) [Kate McGahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-mcgahan/) > [The only thing worse than being abandoned, is not being worthy of an explanation. It hurts to let go... but the feeling you're falling..…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joryneville/the-only-thing-worse-than-being-abandoned-is-not-being-worthy-of-an/) JoryNeville > [“I am not so different in my history of abandonment from anyone else after all. We have all been split away from each other,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-griffin/i-am-not-so-different-in-my-history-of-abandonment-from-anyone-else/) [Susan Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-griffin/) > [“The introduction to horrors so young impressed on me just how helpless and vulnerable I was. Parents are supposed to empower their children to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-enevoldsen/the-introduction-to-horrors-so-young-impressed-on-me-just-how/) [Christina Enevoldsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-enevoldsen/) > [Heartbreak has an archetypal core, all heartbroken individuals suffer from the same kind of torture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginette-paris/heartbreak-has-an-archetypal-core-all-heartbroken-individuals-suffer/) Ginette Paris > [“Lonely Balcony The deterioration brought by weariness was visible. Its burden of abandonment can be perceived at a glance. The balcony ache with longings.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iqra-iqbal/lonely-balcony-the-deterioration-brought-by-weariness-was-visible-its/) [iqra iqbal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iqra-iqbal/) > [God causes us to promise in time of peace what He exacts from us in time of war; He enables us to make our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-marie-bouvier-de-la-motte-guyon/god-causes-us-to-promise-in-time-of-peace-what-he-exacts-from-us-in/) [Jeanne Marie Bouvier de la Motte Guyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-marie-bouvier-de-la-motte-guyon/) [Browse all 348 Abandonment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abandonment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The great religious ages were notable for their indifference to human rights... not only for acquiescence in poverty, inequality, exploitation and oppression, but also for enthusiastic justifications for slavery, persecution, abandonment of small children, torture, and genocide... Moreover, religion enshrined hierarchy, authority, and inequality... It was the age of equality that brought about the disappearance of such religious appurtenances as the auto-da-fe and burning at the stake.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/the-great-religious-ages-were-notable-for-their-indifference-to-human/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Abandonment" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/the-great-religious-ages-were-notable-for-their-indifference-to-human/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/495/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr-14015_abandonment_the-great-religious-ages-were-notable-fo_2376061.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/495/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr-14015_abandonment_the-great-religious-ages-were-notable-fo_2376061.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/495/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr-14015_abandonment_the-great-religious-ages-were-notable-fo_2376061.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The great religious ages were notable for their indifference to human rights... not only for acquiescence in…” — Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The great religious ages were notable...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/the-great-religious-ages-were-notable-for-their-indifference-to-human/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/the-great-religious-ages-were-notable-for-their-indifference-to-human/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```