Bible Quote by Robert G. Ingersoll
““The liberty of man is not safe in the hands of any church. Wherever the Bible and sword are in partnership, man is a slave. All laws for the purpose of making man worship God, are born of the same spirit that kindled the fires of the auto da fe, and lovingly built the dungeons of the Inquisition. All laws defining and punishing blasphemy -- making it a crime to give your honest ideas about the Bible, or to laugh at the ignorance of the ancient Jews, or to enjoy yourself on the Sabbath, or to give your opinion of Jehovah, were passed by impudent bigots, and should be at once repealed by honest men. An infinite God ought to be able to protect himself, without going in partnership with State Legislatures. Certainly he ought not so to act that laws become necessary to keep him from being laughed at. No one thinks of protecting Shakespeare from ridicule, by the threat of fine and imprisonment. It strikes me that God might write a book that would not necessarily excite the laughter of his children. In fact, I think it would be safe to say that a real God could produce a work that would excite the admiration of mankind.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Public Lecture on Religion and Liberty, 1885
State‑endorsed religion threatens freedom; true liberty requires separating belief from law.
In simple terms: Religion should not be enforced by government.
Key Takeaway
Advocate for secular governance.
Themes
freedom
separation of church and state
religion
law
human rights
Mood
critical
thought‑provoking
activist
Type
political
philosophical
historical
When to use this quote
- voting on church‑state policies
- writing op‑eds
- joining advocacy groups
- educating peers
- supporting secular NGOs
Key Concepts
liberalism
civil liberty
secularism
Questions to Reflect On
- What role should personal faith play in public life?
- How can societies balance respect for belief with freedom?
A Different Perspective
May overlook personal spiritual needs.
![“He [Alexander von Humboldt] was to science what Shakespeare was to the drama.” quote by Robert G. Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fb5/robert-g-ingersoll-4527_admiration_he-alexander-von-humboldt-was-to-science_233200.jpg)
