--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wouldn't say that religion has promoted…" description: "\"I wouldn't say that religion has promoted the social progress of mankind. I say that it has been a detriment to the progress of civilization, and I wou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f4/culbert-olson-111739_atheism_i-wouldn-t-say-that-religion-has-promote_2063697.jpg" --- # I wouldn't say that religion has promoted the social… ![“I wouldn't say that religion has promoted the social progress of mankind. I say that it has been a detriment to the progress of civilization, and I would also say this: that the emancipation of the mind from religious superstition is as essential to the progress of civilization as is emancipation…” quote by Culbert Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f4/culbert-olson-111739_atheism_i-wouldn-t-say-that-religion-has-promote_2063697.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f4/culbert-olson-111739_atheism_i-wouldn-t-say-that-religion-has-promote_2063697.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f4/culbert-olson-111739_atheism_i-wouldn-t-say-that-religion-has-promote_2063697.jpg) > “I wouldn't say that religion has promoted the social progress of mankind. I say that it has been a detriment to the progress of civilization, and I would also say this: that the emancipation of the mind from religious superstition is as essential to the progress of civilization as is emancipation from physical slavery.” Culbert Olson ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Religion is viewed as hindering civilization’s progress; freeing the mind from superstition is as essential as ending physical slavery. **In simple terms:** Religion can impede progress; free thought matters. Key Takeaway Emancipate the mind. Themes religion civilization emancipation progress superstition freedom Mood critical analytical Type Atheism:1 Civilization:1 Emancipation:1 Essentials:0 Has beens:0 Mankind:0 Mind:1 Progress:1 Religion:1 Religious:0 Slavery:1 Social:0 Social progress:0 Superstitions:1 Progress Mankind:0 Progress Civilization:0 Civilization Emancipation:0 Religion Promoted:0 When to use this quote - education - policy - public discourse Key Concepts intellectual liberty social evolution human rights Questions to Reflect On - Is religion inherently detrimental to progress? - How does superstition limit societal development? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Emancipation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emancipation/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-progress/) [Superstitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superstitions/) ## Related quotes > [It now appears that the negro race is, more than any other, susceptible of rapid civilization. The emancipation is observed, in the islands, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/it-now-appears-that-the-negro-race-is-more-than-any-other-susceptible/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I am personally convinced of the great power and deep significance of Christianity, and I won't allow any other religion to be promoted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/i-am-personally-convinced-of-the-great-power-and-deep-significance-of/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [In 1949, I believed that social progress, the triumph of the proletariat, socialism would lead to the emancipation of women. But I saw that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/in-1949-i-believed-that-social-progress-the-triumph-of-the/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [Geniuses must never die, the progress of mankind depends on us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/geniuses-must-never-die-the-progress-of-mankind-depends-on-us/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [The nonchalance and dolce-far-niente air of nature and society hint at infinite periods in the progress of mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-nonchalance-and-dolce-far-niente-air-of-nature-and-society-hint/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The substitution of the internal combustion engine for the horse marked a very gloomy milestone in the progress of mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-substitution-of-the-internal-combustion-engine-for-the-horse/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Ideas and not battles mark the forward progress of mankind. Individuals, and not masses, form the culture of the race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard-2/ideas-and-not-battles-mark-the-forward-progress-of-mankind-2/) [L Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard-2/) > [Never should the power of an individual be allowed to impede the progress of the rest of the nation; never should the power of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-bourgeois/never-should-the-power-of-an-individual-be-allowed-to-impede-the/) [Leon Bourgeois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-bourgeois/) > [Progress of mankind is the decadence of humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddharth-katragadda/progress-of-mankind-is-the-decadence-of-humanity/) [Siddharth Katragadda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddharth-katragadda/) > [Ideas and not battles mark the forward progress of mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/ideas-and-not-battles-mark-the-forward-progress-of-mankind/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [Far more has been accomplished for the welfare and progress of mankind by preventing bad actions than by doing good ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-mackenzie-king/far-more-has-been-accomplished-for-the-welfare-and-progress-of/) [William Lyon Mackenzie King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-mackenzie-king/) > [But even more: all at once the Jew also becomes liberal and begins to rave about the necessary progress of mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/but-even-more-all-at-once-the-jew-also-becomes-liberal-and-begins-to/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [The progress of mankind is due exclusively to the progress of natural sciences, not to morals, religion or philosophy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-progress-of-mankind-is-due-exclusively-to-the-progress-of-natural/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The measure of progress of civilization is the progress of the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bancroft/the-measure-of-progress-of-civilization-is-the-progress-of-the-people/) [George Bancroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bancroft/) > [War, we are told, shapes character; it resolves the major questions of international politics, consolidates nations, and indeed, constitutes the principal factor in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-ducommun/war-we-are-told-shapes-character-it-resolves-the-major-questions-of/) Elie Ducommun ## More by Culbert Olson > [I don't see how anybody can read the Bible and believe it's the word of God, or believe that it is anything but a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/culbert-olson/i-don-t-see-how-anybody-can-read-the-bible-and-believe-it-s-the-word/) Culbert Olson Explore all 2 Culbert Olson quotes ## More Atheism quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. 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Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [God speaks through me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/god-speaks-through-me/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestations of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/a-knowledge-of-the-existence-of-something-we-cannot-penetrate-of-the/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [You cannot ... transmute some incoherent mixture of words into sense merely by introducing the three-letter word "God" to be its grammatical subject.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-flew/you-cannot-transmute-some-incoherent-mixture-of-words-into-sense/) [Antony Flew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-flew/) > [Many humanists have argued that happiness involves a combination of hedonism and creative moral development; that an exuberant life fuses excellence and enjoyment, meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/many-humanists-have-argued-that-happiness-involves-a-combination-of/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [If, with all the time at my disposal, with all the wealth of the resources of this vast universe, to do with as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/if-with-all-the-time-at-my-disposal-with-all-the-wealth-of-the/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [Do you think that was kind? 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Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [Honest investigation is utterly impossible within the pale of any church, for the reason, that if you think the church is right you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/honest-investigation-is-utterly-impossible-within-the-pale-of-any/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) [Browse all 4,769 Atheism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I wouldn't say that religion has promoted the social progress of mankind. 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