#author

I have been called arrogant myself in my time, and hope to earn the title again, but to claim that I am privy to the secrets of the universe and its creator — that's beyond my conceit. I therefore have no choice but to find something suspect even in the humblest believer. Even the most humane and compassionate of the monotheisms and polytheisms are complicit in this quiet and irrational authoritarianism: they proclaim us, in Fulke Greville's unforgettable line, "Created sick — Commanded to be well." And there are totalitarian insinuations to back this up if its appeal should fail. Christians, for example, declare me redeemed by a human sacrifice that occurred thousands of years before I was born. I didn't ask for it, and would willingly have foregone it, but there it is: I'm claimed and saved whether I wish it or not. And if I refuse the unsolicited gift? Well, there are still some vague mutterings about an eternity of torment for my ingratitude. That is somewhat worse than a Big Brother state, because there could be no hope of its eventually passing away. ↗

— Christopher Hitchens

#authoritarianism #religion #religion

Ciaran broke the silence and spoke quietly. "She means naught to me." A tear fell down her cheek and she wiped it away. "It doesnae matter--truly," she whispered. He reached out and gently brushed her arms. When she closed her eyes to avoid his probing gaze, he raised her chin with his finger. "It matters to me," he said solemnly. He wiped her tears with his thumb. "I told her we were done when I returned to Glenorchy. She wasnae pleased. I didnae know she was there, Rosalia. She saw ye and Aisling and threw her body upon me." She could not help but smirk. "Her verra bare body, my laird." He paused for a moment, a spark of some identifiable emotion in his eyes. "I didnae notice, Rosalia. All I saw was ye. ↗

— Victoria Roberts

#romance #scottish #scottish-historical-author #historical-romance

The federal government neither has the power to site transmission lines, nor do we build them. That's done, as people know, in their own communities. The siting decisions and the permitting is done at the local level, or by state governments if it's interstate in nature. And federal government - this is one area we have no authority. ↗

— Spencer Abraham

#authority #build #communities #decisions #done

Because power corrupts, society's demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases. ↗

— John Adams

#because #character #corrupts #demands #importance

In every country today, there is politics. It may be authoritarian politics, but there is politics. ↗

— Hillary Clinton

#country #every #may #politics #today

The first lie of fiction is that the author gives some order to the chaos of life: chronological order, or whatever order the author chooses. ↗

— Isabel Allende

#chaos #chooses #chronological #fiction #first

The man who prefers his country before any other duty shows the same spirit as the man who surrenders every right to the state. They both deny that right is superior to authority. ↗

— Lord Acton

#authority #before #both #country #deny

In order for a war to be just, three things are necessary. First, the authority of the sovereign. Secondly, a just cause. Thirdly, a rightful intention. ↗

— Thomas Aquinas

#cause #first #intention #just #necessary

To be free in an age like ours, one must be in a position of authority. That in itself would be enough to make me ambitious. ↗

— Hannah Arendt

#ambitious #authority #enough #free #itself

By liberty I mean the assurance that every man shall be protected in doing what he believes is his duty against the influence of authority and majorities, custom and opinion. ↗

— John Acton

#assurance #authority #believes #custom #doing