91 Quotes About Religious-violence

I almost shudder at the thought of alluding to the most fatal example of the abuses of grief which the history of mankind has preserved - the Cross. Consider what calamities that engine of grief has produced! With the rational respect that is due to it, knavish priests have added prostitutions of it, that fill or might fill the blackest and bloodiest pages of human history.{Letter to Thomas Jefferson, September 3, 1816]

[L]e philosophe n'a jamais tué de prêtres et le prêtre a tué beaucoup de philosophes...(The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has killed a great many philosophers.)

Dare to contradict the scientist, not because of your scripture, but because of your own rational thinking.

If you wish to worship the lord, do so with love, not terror - if you desire to practice faith, let that faith be guided by tenderness, not bitterness - if you want others to understand your outlook, use friendliness, not force.

Those who obey without contemplation, never attains holiness.

Any religion that has to do with dogmas and doctrines, and does not evolve with time is only the most immature form of religion – it’s only the most barbarian form of religion.

A religious individual may most gloriously carry out his or her own rituals, as a part of his or her cultural identity, but the moment, that person starts to build a wall of separation between the self and the rest of humanity, coaxed by the textual commands of a scripture, the healthy religiousness turns into dangerous fundamentalism, which is a threat to both the self and the society.

A Christian sits in his or her well and thinks that the whole world is his or her well. The Jew sits in his or her little well and thinks that it is the whole world. A Muslim sits cooped up in his or her tiny well and believes it to be the whole universe. The same goes for a Hindu and all others. Also, atheists are no different from all those orthodox believers.

Plenty are the tastes and plenty are the paths.