Believer Quote by Leo Tolstoy
“Nowadays, as before, the public declaration and confession of Orthodoxy is usually encountered among dull-witted, cruel and immoral people who tend to consider themselves very important. Whereas intelligence, honesty, straightforwardness, good-naturedness and morality are qualities usually found among people who claim to be non-believers.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: War and Peace, 1869
Critique of religious hypocrisy versus moral qualities of non‑believers.
In simple terms: Religion linked to negative traits, non‑believers seen as moral.
Key Takeaway
Judge character, not belief.
Themes
religion
morality
hypocrisy
intelligence
Mood
critical
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
social
When to use this quote
- community discourse
- personal relationships
- public discourse
- education
Key Concepts
ethical judgment
social bias
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you equate belief with morality?
- How can we avoid bias?
A Different Perspective
Generalizations overlook individual variation.
![“I do not make decisions [as governor] based on what have I learned through my Bible studies, what have I learned in my religious classes in school. I'm a big believer in separation of church and state, and I think that's what . . . the law is.” quote by Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a18/arnold-schwarzenegger-657_believer_i-do-not-make-decisions-as-governor-base_18031.jpg)
