--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You are to make up your mind whether it…" description: "\"“You are to make up your mind whether it is to be God or man. Whether you are to be free or a slave. Whether it is to be progress or stagnation. As lon..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ce/joseph-lewis-20519_age-of-reason_you-are-to-make-up-your-mind-whether-it_3105491.jpg" --- # You are to make up your mind whether it is to be God or… ![“You are to make up your mind whether it is to be God or man. Whether you are to be free or a slave. Whether it is to be progress or stagnation. As long as man loves a phantom in the sky more than he loves his fellow man, there will never be peace upon this earth; so long as man worships a Tyrant…” quote by Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ce/joseph-lewis-20519_age-of-reason_you-are-to-make-up-your-mind-whether-it_3105491.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ce/joseph-lewis-20519_age-of-reason_you-are-to-make-up-your-mind-whether-it_3105491.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ce/joseph-lewis-20519_age-of-reason_you-are-to-make-up-your-mind-whether-it_3105491.jpg) > ““You are to make up your mind whether it is to be God or man. Whether you are to be free or a slave. Whether it is to be progress or stagnation. As long as man loves a phantom in the sky more than he loves his fellow man, there will never be peace upon this earth; so long as man worships a Tyrant as the "Fatherhood of God," there will never be a "Brotherhood of Man." You must make the choice, you must come to the decision. Is it to be God or Man? Churches or Homes—preparation for death or happiness for the living? If ever man needed an example of the benefit of the one against the other, he need but read the pages of history for proof of how religion retarded progress and provoked hatred among the children of men. When theology ruled the world, man was a slave. The people lived in huts and hovels. They were clad in rags and skins; they devoured crusts and gnawed bones; the priests wore garments of silk and satin; carried mitres of gold and precious stones, robbed the poor and lived upon the fat of the land! Here and there a brave man appeared to question their authority. These martyrs to intellectual emancipation slowly and painfully broke the spell of superstition and ushered in the Age of Reason and the Dawn of Science. Man became the only god that man can know. He no longer fell upon his knees in fear. He began to enjoy the fruits of his own labor. He discovered a way to relieve himself from the drudgery of continuous toil; he began to enjoy a few comforts of life—and for the first time upon this earth he found a few moments for happiness. It is far more important to learn how to live than to learn how to pray. A new day and a new era dawned for him. His labors produced enormous dividends. He looked at the sky for the first time and saw that it was blue! He searched the heavens and found no God. He no longer feared the manifestations of nature.”” [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human progress depends on choosing reason and humanity over divine authority and oppression; true peace arises from mutual respect, not worship of tyrannical gods. **In simple terms:** Choose reason and humanity for peace. Key Takeaway Embrace rational thought and equality. Themes reason humanity freedom peace Mood determined critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education reform - political activism - community building - ethical decision‑making Key Concepts secularism philosophy social justice Questions to Reflect On - How can societies balance tradition with progress? - What role does personal responsibility play in fostering peace? A Different Perspective Changing deep‑rooted beliefs is difficult and may meet resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age of reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age-of-reason/) [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Benefit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefit/) [Bravery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bravery/) [Brotherhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brotherhood/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Fellow man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fellow-man/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Martyrs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/martyrs/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [New day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-day/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Phantom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phantom/) [Precious stones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/precious-stones/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Tyrant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tyrant/) ## Related quotes > [A man must have a stout digestion to feed upon some men's theology; no sap, no sweetness, no life, but all stern accuracy, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/a-man-must-have-a-stout-digestion-to-feed-upon-some-men-s-theology-no/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [“He is the King of kings; He is the Lord of lords and His dominion is over the whole world. 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God crosses the universe and comes to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/we-cannot-take-a-step-toward-the-heavens-god-crosses-the-universe-and/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [“Whoever won the wars in heavens, He is The God of men today.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta-betelgeuse-incident/whoever-won-the-wars-in-heavens-he-is-the-god-of-men-today/) [Toba Beta \[Betelgeuse Incident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta-betelgeuse-incident/) > [God smiles as He has always smiled; Ere suns and moons could wax and wane, Ere stars were thundergirt, or piled The Heavens, God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-browning/god-smiles-as-he-has-always-smiled-ere-suns-and-moons-could-wax-and/) [Robert Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-browning/) > [“No institution of learning of Ingersoll 's day had courage enough to confer upon him an honorary degree; not only for his own intellectual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lewis/no-institution-of-learning-of-ingersoll-s-day-had-courage-enough-to/) [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) > [This may not be the path for everyone. But the trust of which we speak is not an act of heroism. it is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mcgurn/this-may-not-be-the-path-for-everyone-but-the-trust-of-which-we-speak/) William McGurn > [...every time you make a decision to be less than what God wants for you, you're denying yourself some of God's blessings. It's up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-blackstock/every-time-you-make-a-decision-to-be-less-than-what-god-wants-for-you/) [Terri Blackstock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-blackstock/) > [“Music is too loud for just one station, love is too large for just one nation life is too short to make just one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-franti/music-is-too-loud-for-just-one-station-love-is-too-large-for-just-one/) [Michael Franti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-franti/) > [Give God the first part of every day. Give God the first day of every week. Give God the first portion of your income.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/give-god-the-first-part-of-every-day-give-god-the-first-day-of-every/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [Soft Speech clean heart, peaceful eyes, strengthful hands, focussed mind and determined decision with God's Love. 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If ever man needed an example of the benefit of the one against the other, he need but read the pages of history for proof of how religion retarded progress and provoked hatred among the children of men. When theology ruled the world, man was a slave. The people lived in huts and hovels. They were clad in rags and skins; they devoured crusts and gnawed bones; the priests wore garments of silk and satin; carried mitres of gold and precious stones, robbed the poor and lived upon the fat of the land! Here and there a brave man appeared to question their authority. These martyrs to intellectual emancipation slowly and painfully broke the spell of superstition and ushered in the Age of Reason and the Dawn of Science. Man became the only god that man can know. He no longer fell upon his knees in fear. He began to enjoy the fruits of his own labor. He discovered a way to relieve himself from the drudgery of continuous toil; he began to enjoy a few comforts of life—and for the first time upon this earth he found a few moments for happiness. It is far more important to learn how to live than to learn how to pray. A new day and a new era dawned for him. His labors produced enormous dividends. He looked at the sky for the first time and saw that it was blue! He searched the heavens and found no God. 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