Agnostic Quote by Robert G. Ingersoll
““The real difference is this: the Christian says that he has knowledge; the Agnostic admits that he has none; and yet the Christian accuses the Agnostic of arrogance, and asks him how he has the impudence to admit the limitations of his mind. To the Agnostic every fact is a torch, and by this light, and this light only, he walks. The Agnostic knows that the testimony of man is not sufficient to establish what is known as the miraculous. We would not believe to-day the testimony of millions to the effect that the dead had been raised. The church itself would be the first to attack such testimony. If we cannot believe those whom we know, why should we believe witnesses who have been dead thousands of years, and about whom we know nothing? The Agnostic takes the ground that human experience is the basis of morality. Consequently, it is of no importance who wrote the gospels, or who vouched or vouches for the genuineness of the miracles. In his scheme of life these things are utterly unimportant. He is satisfied that “the miraculous” is the impossible. He knows that the witnesses were wholly incapable of examining the questions involved, that credulity had possession of their minds, that 'the miraculous' was expected, that it was their daily food.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Lecture on Religion, 1885
The quote contrasts Christian certainty with agnostic humility, arguing that agnostics rely on evidence and human experience, while Christians claim knowledge and dismiss skeptics as arrogant.
In simple terms: Christians claim knowledge; agnostics admit uncertainty and base morality on experience.
Question assumptions about faith and evidence.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- debates on religion
- academic philosophy
- personal belief evaluation
- interfaith dialogue
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance faith with evidence?
- What role should human experience play in moral judgments?
The quote may oversimplify diverse Christian perspectives and ignore nuanced theological arguments.