Organized Religion Quotes - Page 3

• Christianity neither is, nor ever was a part of the common law.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Religious, Law, Presidential

  Thomas Jefferson (1829). “Reports of Cases Determined in the General Court of Virginia: From 1730, to 1740; and from 1768, to 1772”, p.140

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• Organized religions in general, in my opinion, are dying forms.

  Bruce Willis

  Dying, Opinion, Form

  Biography/Personal Quotes, www.imdb.com.

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• I don't necessarily believe in organized religion.

  Will Smith

  Believe, Organized

  "Will Smith Interview - I AM LEGEND". Interview with Steve Weintraub, collider.com. December 10, 2007.

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• There are things about organized religion which I resent. Christ is revered as the Prince of Peace, but more blood has been shed in his name than any other figure in history. You show me one step forward in the name of religion, and I'll show you a hundred retrogressions…I'm for decency—period. I'm for anything and everything that bodes love and consideration for my fellow man. But when lip service to some mysterious deity permits bestiality on Wednesday and absolution on Sunday—count me out.

  Frank Sinatra

  Sunday, Men, Blood

  Interview with Joe Hyams, Playboy magazine, February 1963.

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• It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Life, God, Religious

  Notes on the State of Virginia, query 17 (1781 - 1785)

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• To talk of immaterial existences is to talk of nothings. To say that the human soul, angels, god, are immaterial, is to say they are nothings, or that there is no god, no angels, no soul. I cannot reason otherwise: but I believe I am supported in my creed of materialism by Locke, Tracy, and Stewart. At what age of the Christian church this heresy of immaterialism, this masked atheism, crept in, I do not know. But heresy it certainly is.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Christian, Religious, Atheist

  Thomas Jefferson (1984). “Jefferson: Writings”, p.1932, Library of America

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• How is it that hardly any major religion has looked at science and concluded, “This is better than we thought! The Universe is much bigger than our prophets said, grander, more subtle, more elegant?

  Carl Sagan

  Prophet, Subtle, Bigger

  Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan (2011). “Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space”, p.71, Ballantine Books

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• Religion is the cause of all the problems in the world. I don’t believe in organized religion at all. It’s what separates people. One religion just represents fragments, it causes war. More people have died because of religious conflict than any other reason.

  Gwyneth Paltrow

  Religious, War, Believe

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• Yes, reason has been a part of organized religion, ever since two nudists took dietary advice from a talking snake.

  Jon Stewart

  Humorous, Talking, Snakes

  "The Daily Show". www.imdb.com. 1996 - ....

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• We need to stop giving people excuses not to believe in God. You've probably heard the expression 'I believe in God, just not organized religion'. I don't think people would say that if the church truly lived like we are called to live.

  Francis Chan

  Believe, Thinking, Expression

  Francis Chan (2013). “Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God”, p.23, David C Cook

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• Angels is a tough word, because it is so involved with organized religion and everything else. I do know, absolutely, from my experience, there are some kind of spiritual entities - force, power, intelligence - that guide me through each and every day, as long as I'm willing to accept, recognize, and surrender to their guidance. It's always there, but there are times when I insist upon having my way.

  Hubert Selby, Jr.

  Spiritual, Angel, Long

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• Humanity will never be religious unless all organized religions disappear and religion becomes an individual commitment towards existence.

  Rajneesh

  Life, Religious, Commitment

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• I see no way out of the problems that organized religion and tribalism create other than humans just becoming more honest and fully aware of themselves.

  E. O. Wilson

  Way, Becoming, Honest

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• You don't need organized religion to connect with the universe. Often a church is the only place you can go to find peace and quiet... But it shouldn't be confused with connecting with one's spirit.

  Alice Walker

  Wisdom, Confused, Church

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• Truth cannot be given to you; especially if you are following an organized religion, then truth will be as far from you as darkness is from light. Truth is not found by observing rituals, undertaking pilgrimages or reading the scriptures. It is simply a waste of time.

  Anandmurti Gurumaa

  Reading, Light, Darkness

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• Somewhere along the line, organized religion stopped being about faith, and started being about who had the power to keep the faith. You said that the purpose of religion was to bring people together. But does it, really? Or does it-knowingly, purposefully, and intentionally--break them apart?

  Jodi Picoult

  People, Together, Doe

  Jodi Picoult (2008). “Change of Heart: A Novel”, p.265, Simon and Schuster

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• To me there’s no real difference between a fortune teller or a fortune cookie and any of the organized religions. They’re all equally valid or invalid, really. And equally helpful.

  Woody Allen

  Funny, Real, Humor

  "Woody Allen on Faith, Fortune Tellers and New York". Interview with Dave Itzkoff, www.nytimes.com. September 14, 2010.

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• I have no argument with those who see in organized religion a template or an imperative to live life according to a prescribed set of beliefs. Just give others the room, within the laws of civil society, to believe or not believe whatever they like.

  Michael J. Fox

  Believe, Live Life, Law

  Michael J. Fox (2011). “Always Looking Up”, p.161, Random House

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• I don't really have a life philosophy; my thing is just rebelling against pretty much organized religion. That is my main thing, because personally I think it's a crutch for people that are too weak to get through life on their own. I'm the kind of guy that says if I don't see it, then it doesn't work. And nobody can show me God.

  Kerry King

  Philosophy, Thinking, People

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• Organized religion: The world's largest pyramid scheme.

  Bernard Katz

  Atheist, Thinking, Pyramid Schemes

  "Quotable Atheist: Ammunition for Nonbelievers, Political". Book by Jack Huberman, 2008.

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• Although every organized religion works overtime to contribute its own brand of misogyny to the myth of woman-hate, woman-fear, and woman-evil, the Roman Catholic church also carries the immense power of very directly affecting women's lives everywhere by its stand against birth control and abortion, and by its use of skillful and wealthy lobbies to prevent legislative change. It is an obscenity-an all-male hierarchy, celibate or not, that presumes to rule on the lives and bodies of millions of women.

  Robin Morgan

  Fear, Hate, Evil

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• Although both sides of my family were religious, I was never forced to practice the Jewish faith. I did not really rebel against it, but then, as today, I disliked organized religion. I have a strange inhibition about praying with others.

  Georg Solti

  Religious, Practice, Rebel

  Georg Solti, Harvey Sachs (1997). “Solti on Solti: a memoir”, Vintage

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• The Papacy was corrupt for whole centuries: especially from about 880 to 1050 and (with a short decent pontificate at rare intervals) 1290 to about 1660. No 'primacy' in any other organized religion has so disgraceful a record.

  Joseph McCabe

  Religion, Records, Century

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• I think there's been a big problem between religion, or organized religion, and spirituality.

  Dave Davies

  Thinking, Spirituality, Problem

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• I never found much comfort in overly organized religion of any sort.

  Jewel

  Comfort, Found, Organized

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