--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: IN 1710, THE ENGLISH FREETHINKER Thomas…" description: "\"“IN 1710, THE ENGLISH FREETHINKER Thomas Woolston (1670–1731) expressed his confidence that religion would vanish by 1900.1 Voltaire (1695–1778) though..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39b/rodney-stark-7977_confidence_in-1710-the-english-freethinker-thomas-w_2888357.jpg" --- # IN 1710, THE ENGLISH FREETHINKER Thomas Woolston… ![“IN 1710, THE ENGLISH FREETHINKER Thomas Woolston (1670–1731) expressed his confidence that religion would vanish by 1900.1 Voltaire (1695–1778) thought this much too pessimistic and predicted that religion would be gone from the Western world within the next fifty years—by about 1810.” quote by Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39b/rodney-stark-7977_confidence_in-1710-the-english-freethinker-thomas-w_2888357.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39b/rodney-stark-7977_confidence_in-1710-the-english-freethinker-thomas-w_2888357.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39b/rodney-stark-7977_confidence_in-1710-the-english-freethinker-thomas-w_2888357.jpg) > ““IN 1710, THE ENGLISH FREETHINKER Thomas Woolston (1670–1731) expressed his confidence that religion would vanish by 1900.1 Voltaire (1695–1778) thought this much too pessimistic and predicted that religion would be gone from the Western world within the next fifty years—by about 1810.”” [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Predictors of religious decline often misjudge timelines; optimism and pessimism both miss complex social factors. **In simple terms:** Religion may fade, but timing is uncertain. Key Takeaway Consider broader cultural forces. Themes religion history prediction Mood thoughtful analytical Type historical analytical When to use this quote - academic research - policy planning - public discourse Key Concepts sociology secularization Questions to Reflect On - How do cultural shifts affect religious belief? - What factors could sustain faith longer? A Different Perspective Predicting exact dates is speculative. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [1778 Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/1778-thought-4041990/) [Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Confidence Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence-religion-4041989/) [Predicted Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/predicted-religion-4041987/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religion Gone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-gone-3781025/) [Religion Vanish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-vanish-4041988/) ## Related quotes > [Since the 18th century, many Western intellectuals have predicted religion's imminent demise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-sacks/since-the-18th-century-many-western-intellectuals-have-predicted/) [Jonathan Sacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sacks/) > [I have no confidence in any religion that can be demonstrated only to children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/i-have-no-confidence-in-any-religion-that-can-be-demonstrated-only-to/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [Everywhere religion has gone it has created disunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/everywhere-religion-has-gone-it-has-created-disunity/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [“In so far as religion is gone, reason is going. For they are both of the same primary and authoritative kind. They are both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/in-so-far-as-religion-is-gone-reason-is-going-for-they-are-both-of/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [Violence and religion have often gone together, but it's not a perfect correlation, and it doesn't have to be a permanent connection, because religions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/violence-and-religion-have-often-gone-together-but-it-s-not-a-perfect/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“If you want to know why the “new atheists” like Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Atkins sell so many books, the answer is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/if-you-want-to-know-why-the-new-atheists-like-richard-dawkins/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [You want to remain hungry and stay in a good place as a competitor; at the same time, you want to be confident but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-odom/you-want-to-remain-hungry-and-stay-in-a-good-place-as-a-competitor-at/) [Lamar Odom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-odom/) > [I would rather regret the things that I have done than the things that I have not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-ball/i-would-rather-regret-the-things-that-i-have-done-than-the-things/) [Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/) > [Confidence comes from cutting yourself some slack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-daly/confidence-comes-from-cutting-yourself-some-slack/) [Tess Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-daly/) > [My friend made me a leather dress for the MTV awards. It gives you confidence, wearing something you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-deeley/my-friend-made-me-a-leather-dress-for-the-mtv-awards-it-gives-you/) [Cat Deeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-deeley/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [I am confident when I take the penalty otherwise I would pass for somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-fernandes/i-am-confident-when-i-take-the-penalty-otherwise-i-would-pass-for/) [Bruno Fernandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-fernandes/) > [I was just confident my work was good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bunny-yeager/i-was-just-confident-my-work-was-good/) [Bunny Yeager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bunny-yeager/) > [The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-cia-has-concluded-in-a-secret-assessment-that-russia-intervened/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) ## More by Rodney Stark > [High testosterone levels have been proven to make men more likely to commit crimes. The tendency in men toward risky behaviour keeps turning up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/high-testosterone-levels-have-been-proven-to-make-men-more-likely-to/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) > [“Keep in mind that democracy merely gives power to the people; it does not ensure that power will be used wisely or humanely.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/keep-in-mind-that-democracy-merely-gives-power-to-the-people-it-does/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) > [“Laws requiring a certain frequency of church attendance, the taking of Communion, and baptism of infants soon appeared all across the Lutheran areas of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/laws-requiring-a-certain-frequency-of-church-attendance-the-taking-of/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) > [“But Christendom was not merely a community of warriors or even a community of the nobility. It was a civilization! Unfortunately, for generations everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/but-christendom-was-not-merely-a-community-of-warriors-or-even-a/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) > [“No doubt Western modernity has its limitations and discontents. Still, it is far better than the known alternatives—not only, or even primarily, because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/no-doubt-western-modernity-has-its-limitations-and-discontents-still/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) > [... All questions concerning the rise of Christianity are one: How was it done? How did a tiny and obscure messianic movement from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/all-questions-concerning-the-rise-of-christianity-are-one-how-was-it/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) > [“By the seventh century, Christianity probably was far stronger and more sophisticated in North Africa and Asia than in Europe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/by-the-seventh-century-christianity-probably-was-far-stronger-and/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) > [There was only one decline in church attendance, and that was in the late 1960s when the Vatican said it was not a sin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/there-was-only-one-decline-in-church-attendance-and-that-was-in-the/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) > [“But following these Stone Age discoveries, progress was slow. It is estimated that in terms of the standard of living, things were pretty much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/but-following-these-stone-age-discoveries-progress-was-slow-it-is/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) > [Mormons are an extraordinarily educated and professional population. They have all these virtues: They work hard, don't skip school, have no scandals. Consequently, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/mormons-are-an-extraordinarily-educated-and-professional-population/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) > [Because God is perfect, his handiwork functions in accord with immutable principles. By the full use of our God-given powers of reason and observation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/because-god-is-perfect-his-handiwork-functions-in-accord-with/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) > [Many people who say they have no religion are simply saying they have no official religious affiliation. They may actually have strong personal beliefs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/many-people-who-say-they-have-no-religion-are-simply-saying-they-have/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) > [“there is at least as much, and probably much more, variation on these matters among the Protestants of various types included in these merged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/there-is-at-least-as-much-and-probably-much-more-variation-on-these/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) > [“What shall we Christians do with this rejected and condemned people, the Jews?’ Luther offered seven actions. First, to set fire to their synagogues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/what-shall-we-christians-do-with-this-rejected-and-condemned-people/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) > [Leading Christian theologians such as Augustine and Aquinas were not what today might be called 'strict constructionists.' Rather, they celebrated reason as the means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/leading-christian-theologians-such-as-augustine-and-aquinas-were-not/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) [Explore all 85 Rodney Stark quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) ## More Confidence quotes > [The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-cia-has-concluded-in-a-secret-assessment-that-russia-intervened/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [I was just confident my work was good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bunny-yeager/i-was-just-confident-my-work-was-good/) [Bunny Yeager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bunny-yeager/) > [I am confident when I take the penalty otherwise I would pass for somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-fernandes/i-am-confident-when-i-take-the-penalty-otherwise-i-would-pass-for/) [Bruno Fernandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-fernandes/) > [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [My friend made me a leather dress for the MTV awards. It gives you confidence, wearing something you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-deeley/my-friend-made-me-a-leather-dress-for-the-mtv-awards-it-gives-you/) [Cat Deeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-deeley/) > [Confidence comes from cutting yourself some slack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-daly/confidence-comes-from-cutting-yourself-some-slack/) [Tess Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-daly/) > [I would rather regret the things that I have done than the things that I have not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-ball/i-would-rather-regret-the-things-that-i-have-done-than-the-things/) [Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/) > [You want to remain hungry and stay in a good place as a competitor; at the same time, you want to be confident but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-odom/you-want-to-remain-hungry-and-stay-in-a-good-place-as-a-competitor-at/) [Lamar Odom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-odom/) > [Get to know yourself well enough to not only expect, but also control, your response to the unexpected challenges in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/get-to-know-yourself-well-enough-to-not-only-expect-but-also-control/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [The four Cs of making dreams come true: Curiosity, Courage, Consistency, Confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/the-four-cs-of-making-dreams-come-true-curiosity-courage-consistency/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [I look for someone who has confidence. Also someone whose energetic, cause I'm NOT that energetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-jonas/i-look-for-someone-who-has-confidence-also-someone-whose-energetic/) [Nick Jonas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-jonas/) > [Why shouldn't I be confident? I'm well educated, I can deliver a line, and I have more than three expressions. That's good right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonakshi-sinha/why-shouldn-t-i-be-confident-i-m-well-educated-i-can-deliver-a-line/) [Sonakshi Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonakshi-sinha/) > [I was very confident on the stage, and I stood out in a red gown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-johnson/i-was-very-confident-on-the-stage-and-i-stood-out-in-a-red-gown/) [Nicole Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-johnson/) > [If you go to any nunnery and ask them what the main obstacle is, they'll always say low self-esteem and lack of confidence. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-go-to-any-nunnery-and-ask-them-what-the-main-obstacle-is-they/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) [Browse all 11,290 Confidence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“IN 1710, THE ENGLISH FREETHINKER Thomas Woolston (1670–1731) expressed his confidence that religion would vanish by 1900.1 Voltaire (1695–1778) thought this much too pessimistic and predicted that religion would be gone from the Western world within the next fifty years—by about 1810.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rodney Stark" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/in-1710-the-english-freethinker-thomas-woolston-1670-1731-expressed/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Confidence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/in-1710-the-english-freethinker-thomas-woolston-1670-1731-expressed/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39b/rodney-stark-7977_confidence_in-1710-the-english-freethinker-thomas-w_2888357.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39b/rodney-stark-7977_confidence_in-1710-the-english-freethinker-thomas-w_2888357.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39b/rodney-stark-7977_confidence_in-1710-the-english-freethinker-thomas-w_2888357.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“IN 1710, THE ENGLISH FREETHINKER Thomas Woolston (1670–1731) expressed his confidence that religion would…” — Rodney Stark", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Rodney Stark", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“IN 1710, THE ENGLISH FREETHINKER Thomas...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/in-1710-the-english-freethinker-thomas-woolston-1670-1731-expressed/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/in-1710-the-english-freethinker-thomas-woolston-1670-1731-expressed/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```