Common decency Quote by H.L. Mencken
![“One of the most irrational of all the conventions of modern society is the one to the effect that religious opinions should be respected. …[This] convention protects them, and so they proceed with their blather unwhipped and almost unmolested, to the great damage of common sense and common…” quote by H.L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7ba/h-l-mencken-2-5374_common-decency_one-of-the-most-irrational-of-all-the-co_2448505.jpg)
““One of the most irrational of all the conventions of modern society is the one to the effect that religious opinions should be respected. …[This] convention protects them, and so they proceed with their blather unwhipped and almost unmolested, to the great damage of common sense and common decency. that they should have this immunity is an outrage. There is nothing in religious ideas, as a class, to lift them above other ideas. On the contrary, they are always dubious and often quite silly. Nor is there any visible intellectual dignity in theologians. Few of them know anything that is worth knowing, and not many of them are even honest.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: The American Language, 1919
Mencken argues that granting religious ideas special protection is irrational and harms common sense and decency.
In simple terms: Religious opinions shouldn't be immune from criticism.
Key Takeaway
Question special protection for religion.
Themes
freedom of speech
skepticism
secularism
Mood
critical
skeptical
Type
philosophical
controversial
When to use this quote
- public debate
- academic curricula
- media commentary
Key Concepts
Intellectual humility
critical inquiry
Questions to Reflect On
- How does immunity affect public discourse?
- What standards should apply to all ideas?
A Different Perspective
Religious ideas can be critiqued like any other belief system.
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![“Common decency demands that [NCAA athletes] should be paid, but the only way it will happen is the same way workers got paid throughout American history, through a strong union.” quote by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/789/kareem-abdul-jabbar-1909_american-history_common-decency-demands-that-ncaa-athlete_111773.jpg)
