#lief

For, from the time that the Bishop of Rome had gotten to be acknowledged for bishop universal, by pretence of succession to St. Peter, their whole hierarchy, or kingdom of darkness, may be compared not unfitly to the kingdom of fairies; that is, to the old wives' fables in England concerning ghosts and spirits, and the feats they play in the night. And if a man consider the original of this great ecclesiastical dominion, he will easily perceive that the papacy is no other than the ghost of the deceased Roman Empire, sitting crowned upon the grave thereof: for so did the papacy start up on a sudden out of the ruins of that heathen power. ↗

— Thomas Hobbes

#belief #catholic-church #fairies #heathen #materialism

The very thought of such people’s intolerant worldview, their inflated sense of self superiority, and their callous imposition of their own beliefs on others was enough to fill her with rage. ↗

— Haruki Murakami

#religion #worldview #religion

The very fact of having fixed conclusions to strive for in orthodox belief does not render the Christian philosopher dogmatic but rather intellectually fruitful, willing to take and follow reason further than the putatively undogmatic unbelieving philosopher ↗

— Gregory B. Sadler

#christian-philosophy #dogmatism #intellect #orthodoxy #philosophy

Most Religions are Social Clubs with expensive Entertainment Cheap Wine and Stale Crackers ↗

— Stanley Victor Paskavich

#church #host #religion #spirituality #stantasyyland

If others in the same Glass better see 'Tis for Themselves they look, but not for me: For my Salvation must its Doom receive Not from what others, but what I believe. ↗

— John Dryden

#religion #religion

My Uncle Malky always said the Lord Leto never responded to prayer. He said the Lord Leto looked on prayer as attempted coercion, a form of violence against the chosen god, telling the immortal what to do: Give me a miracle, God, or I won't believe in you! ↗

— Frank Herbert

#god #prayer #religion #religion

She believed in nothing. Only her scepticism kept her from being an atheist. ↗

— Jean-Paul Sartre

#belief #scepticism #skepticism #belief

I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours. ↗

— Stephen Roberts

#belief #deism #religion #scepticism #religion

No," I said simply. "I hate no one. I want only to be left in peace to understand the mysteries of the universe in my own way. ↗

— S.J. Parris

#religion #religion

God is angry with man. Unless we believe and repent we shall all be damned. It is impossible, indeed, for its advocates even to say this without instantly contradicting themselves. Their doctrine frightens them. They explain in various ways that a great many people will be saved without believing, and that eternal damnation is not eternal nor damnation. ↗

— Leslie Stephen

#christianity #god #hell #religion #religion