Bible Quote by William Jennings Bryan
““Why, these men would destroy the Bible on evidence that would not convict a habitual criminal of a misdemeanor. They found a tooth in a sand pit in Nebraska with no other bones about it, and from that one tooth decided that it was the remains of the missing link. They have queer ideas about age too. They find a fossil and when they are asked how old it is they say they can't tell without knowing what rock it was in, and when they are asked how old the rock is they say they can't tell unless they know how old the fossil is.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: 1908 Presidential Campaign, William Jennings Bryan
Criticizes reliance on insufficient evidence and circular reasoning in scientific claims about age and fossils.
In simple terms: Bad evidence leads to bad conclusions.
Key Takeaway
Demand rigorous proof before accepting claims.
Themes
science
evidence
logic
Mood
skeptical
critical
Type
analytical
informative
When to use this quote
- academic debate
- public policy
- media commentary
Key Concepts
circular reasoning
burden of proof
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we ensure scientific claims are properly vetted?
- What standards should guide fossil dating?
A Different Perspective
Science must be based on reproducible data, not anecdote.
![“A true god surely cannot have been born of a girl, nor died on the gibbet, nor be eaten in a piece of dough... [or inspired] books, filled with contradictions, madness, and horror.” quote by Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c97/voltaire-173_bible_a-true-god-surely-cannot-have-been-born_142573.jpg)
