Bible Quote by Robert Green Ingersoll
“To know that the Bible is the literature of a barbarous people, to know that it is uninspired, to be certain that the supernatural does not and cannot exist - all this is but the beginning of wisdom.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Lecture on Religion, 1880s
Recognizing the Bible as a product of ancient culture and rejecting supernatural claims marks the start of true wisdom.
In simple terms: Seeing the Bible as cultural text begins wisdom.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions, seek evidence.
Themes
critical thinking
secularism
wisdom
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
critical
When to use this quote
- academic study
- personal belief
- public discourse
Key Concepts
historical criticism
philosophy of religion
Questions to Reflect On
- How does cultural context shape our view of sacred texts?
- Can skepticism coexist with spiritual meaning?
A Different Perspective
Wisdom also requires humility and openness to other perspectives.
![“I wasn't reading it [the Bible] as literature. I was reading it as literature, and as history, and as a moral guide, and as anthropology and law and culture.” quote by David Plotz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/be4/david-plotz-14341_anthropology_i-wasn-t-reading-it-the-bible-as-literat_967538.jpg)
