Acquisition Quote by Thomas Paine
“As priestcraft was always the enemy of knowledge, because priestcraft supports itself by keeping people in delusion and ignorance, it was consistent with its policy to make the acquisition of knowledge a real sin.”
About This Quote
Religious authority historically discouraged inquiry, labeling learning as sinful to preserve power.
In simple terms: Priestcraft kept people ignorant to protect itself.
Key Takeaway
Knowledge threatens institutional control.
Themes
religion
knowledge
power
censorship
Mood
critical
historical
Type
political critique
philosophical observation
When to use this quote
- church‑run schools
- censorship of books
- religious debates on science
Key Concepts
institutional authority
intellectual freedom
Practical Applications
- promote secular education
- protect academic freedom
Questions to Reflect On
- What mechanisms do institutions use to suppress dissent?
- Can faith and inquiry coexist?
A Different Perspective
Not all religious traditions oppose knowledge; many have contributed to scholarship.
![“No one suffers so much as he [the genius] with the people, and, therefore, for the people, with whom he lives. For, in a certain sense, it is certainly only "by suffering" that a man knows. If compassion is not itself clear, abstractly conceivable or visibly symbolic knowledge, it is, at any rate…” quote by Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bec/otto-weininger-11319_acquisition_no-one-suffers-so-much-as-he-the-genius_20597.jpg)
