Quotes from Famous Freethinkers

The idea of a personal God is quite alien to me and seems even naïve.

~ Albert Einstein

Gods are fragile things; they may be killed by a whiff of science or a dose of common sense.

~ Chapman Cohen

The Church says the Earth is flat. But I know that it is round. For I have seen the shadow on the Moon. And I have more faith in a shadow than in the Church.

~ Robert Green Ingersoll

I am an atheist. There, I said it. Are you happy, all you atheists out there who have remonstrated with me for adopting the agnostic moniker? If "atheist" means someone who does not believe in God, then an atheist is what I am. But I detest all such labels. Call me what you like - humanist, secular humanist, agnostic, nonbeliever, nontheist, freethinker, heretic, or even bright. I prefer skeptic.

~ Michael Shermer

It is no credit to the orthodox that they do not now believe all the absurdities that were believed 150 years ago. The gradual emasculation of the Christian doctrine has been effected in spite of the most vigorous resistance, and solely as the result of the onslaughts of freethinkers.

~ Bertrand Russell

Bob the Unbeliever said:

- I Forget - Which Day Did God Make All The Fossils?

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I believe it was October 17th 4004 bc (a Thursday) after lunch, about 2:30 in the afternoon.

The problem with today’s world is that everyone believes they have the right to express their opinion AND have others listen to it. The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!
― Brian Cox

"Leave the matter of religion to the family altar, the church, and the private school, supported entirely by private contributions. Keep the church and state forever separate." ~ Ulysses S. Grant

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.
- Albert Einstein

"An infinite God ought to be able to protect himself without going in partnership with state legislatures. Certainly he ought not so to act that laws become necessary to keep him from being laughed at. No one thinks of protecting Shakespeare from ridicule, by the threat of fine and imprisonment." - Robert Green Ingersoll

"Believers: Take a couple of minutes and think about all the things you would do if you were god. After you have given that some thought, contemplate the fact that you worship a god that hasn't." - anon

"Forty-four percent of the American population is convinced that Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead sometime in the next fifty years. According to the most common interpretation of biblical prophecy, Jesus will return only after things have gone horribly awry here on earth.

"It is, therefore, not an exaggeration to say that if the city of New York were suddenly replaced by a ball of fire, some significant percentage of the American population would see a silver lining in the subsequent mushroom cloud, as it would suggest to them that the best thing that is ever going to happen was about to happen - the return of Christ.

"It should be blindingly obvious that beliefs of this sort will do little to help us create a durable future for ourselves - socially, economically, environmentally, or geopolitically. Imagine the consequences if any significant component of the U.S. government actually believed that the world was about to end and that its ending would be glorious.

"The fact that nearly half of the American population apparently believes this, purely on the basis of religious dogma, should be considered a moral and intellectual emergency." - Sam Harris

"To me, Judaism is "Happy Days", which would make Christianity, "LaVerne and Shirley" and Islam, "Mork and Mindy". Mormonism would be "Joanie loves Chachi" : bad spin-offs of an original idea that survived FAR too long." - anon

So far as I can remember, there is not one word in the Gospels in praise of intelligence.

Bertrand Russell

Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death.

Albert Einstein

Gods are fragile things; they may be killed by a whiff of science or a dose of common sense.

Chapman Cohen

“There have been some serious budget cuts from the Big Guy. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, formerly war, famine, pestilence and death, are now sniffles, menstrual cramps, acne, and gluten sensitivity.” - anon

"I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, 'denigrate' means put down." - Bob Newhart

"When inventing a god the most important thing is to claim it is invisible, inaudible and imperceptible in every way. Otherwise, people will become skeptical when it appears to no one, is silent and does nothing." - anon

Religion: it's given people hope in world torn apart by religion

Jon Stewart