#s

By declaring our Prophet infallible and not permitting ourselves to question him, we Muslims had set up a static tyranny. The Prophet Muhammad attempted to legislate every aspect of life. By adhering to his rules of what is permitted and what is forbidden, we Muslims supressed the freedom to think for ourselves and to act as we chose. We froze the moral outlook of billions of people into the mind-set of the Arab desert in the seventh century. We were not just servants of Allah, we were slaves. ↗

— Ayaan Hirsi Ali

#politics #freedom

Honestly, I cannot understand what people mean when they talk about the freedom of the human will. I have a feeling, for instance, that I will something or other; but what relation this has with freedom I cannot understand at all. I feel that I will to light my pipe and I do it; but how can I connect this up with the idea of freedom? What is behind the act of willing to light the pipe? Another act of willing? Schopenhauer once said: Der Mensch kann was er will; er kann aber nicht wollen was er will (Man can do what he will but he cannot will what he wills). ↗

— Albert Einstein

#free-will #freedom #human-will #sam-harris #freedom

silence is the language of god, all else is poor translation. ↗

— Rumi

#power-of-words #remaining-silent #words

Have you ever stopped to ponder the amount of blood spilt, the volume of tears shed, the degree of pain and anguish endured, the number of noble men and women lost in battle so that we as individuals might have a say in governing our country?  Honor the lives sacrificed for your freedoms. Vote. ↗

— Richelle E. Goodrich

#government #military #richelle #richelle-goodrich #rights

Such is life. We grow up. Planets like Tiny get new moons. Moons like me get new planets. ↗

— John Green

#growing-up #inspirational #life #metaphor #friendship

I would be quite content to go to their children's bar mitzvahs, to marvel at their Gothic cathedrals, to 'respect' their belief that the Koran was dictated, though exclusively in Arabic, to an illiterate merchant, or to interest myself in Wicca and Hindu and Jain consolations. And as it happens, I will continue to do this without insisting on the polite reciprocal condition - which is that they in turn leave me alone. But this, religion is ultimately incapable of doing. ↗

— Christopher Hitchens

#religion #religion

I always channel my emotions into my work. That way I won't hurt anyone but myself. ↗

— Suzanne Collins

#respect

One can show no greater respect than to weep for a stranger. ↗

— José Saramago

#respect

Three Days Grace; If you had three days to change your life, would you do it? ↗

— Adam Gontier

#change

He looks uncomfortable, and in this respect the garb is apt. Kevin is uncomfortable; the tiny clothing replicates the same constriction that he feels in his own skin. ↗

— Lionel Shriver

#uncomfortable #respect