Atheism Quote by Martyn Stanley
““Interesting Avil, the priests and the acolytes of the various religions and temples of Torea build their whole lives on a lie. At first, as children they believe it. Maybe as they grow older and more wise they see the absurdness of their beliefs, but by that time they have invested time and emotional energy into those beliefs, then seeing them crumble and fall apart would be too hard for them to bear. So the protect the lie, they shore it up with more lies and they ebb out their short lives, knowing what they preach is untrue, but preaching it all the same... Almost as if preaching it hard enough will make it true... Are they trying to convince their congregation? Or themselves? You are wiser than you look Avil.””
About This Quote
Source Forum post: Online discussion, 2023
People cling to religious beliefs despite evidence of absurdity because of emotional investment, leading them to reinforce falsehoods.
In simple terms: Emotional investment makes people defend false beliefs.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions and seek evidence.
Themes
religion
psychology
beliefs
Mood
critical
skeptical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- personal crises
- educational settings
- interfaith dialogues
Key Concepts
cognitive dissonance
faith
social reinforcement
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we protect ideas that no longer serve us?
- What strategies help people let go of harmful beliefs?
A Different Perspective
Changing deep‑seated beliefs is psychologically painful.
