Robert Green Ingersoll
Robert Green Ingersoll
Robert Green "Bob" Ingersollwas an American lawyer, a Civil War veteran, political leader, and orator of the United States during the Golden Age of Free Thought, noted for his broad range of culture and his defense of agnosticism. He was nicknamed "The Great Agnostic"...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionLawyer
Date of Birth11 August 1833
CountryUnited States of America
leadership men people
As we become civilized we are governed less by persons and more by principles. . . . The best of all leaders is the man who teaches people to lead themselves.
republic introducing existence
Nothing could be more dangerous to the existence of this Republic than to introduce religion into politics
atheist clergy undesirable
The clergy know that I know that they know that they do not know.
thinking infinite-intelligence remember
If God created the universe, there was a time when he commenced to create. Back of that commencement there must have been an eternity. In that eternity what was this God doing? He certainly did not think. There was nothing to think about. He did not remember. Nothing had ever happened. What did he do? Can you imagine anything more absurd than an infinite intelligence in infinite nothing wasting an eternity?
work men sense-of-humor
No man with a sense of humor ever founded a religion.
justice humanity and-love
This is my creed: Happiness is the only good; reason the only torch; justice the only worship, humanity the only religion, and love the only priest.
daughter son men
Let every man teach his son, teach his daughter, that labor is honorable.
memories book atheism
If all the historic books of the Bible were blotted from the memory of mankind, nothing of value would be lost..
country religious college
All the professors in all the religious colleges in this country rolled into one, would not equal Charles Darwin.
ignorance men atheism
But honest men do not pretend to know; they are candid and sincere; they love the truth; they admit their ignorance, and they say, We do not know.
mistake lying two
He who dishonors himself [by lying about his opinions] for the sake of being honored by others will find that two mistakes have been made - one by himself, and the other, by the people.
death fate honor
When the will defies fear, when duty throws the gauntlet down to fate, when honor scorns to compromise with death - that is heroism.
done world
Shakespeare has done far more for the world than the Bible.
church miserable teach
The church teaches us that we can make God happy by being miserable ourselves.