Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
We are all atheists about most of the gods that societies have ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further.
Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?
The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one.
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?
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.
Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear.
With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.
For good people to do evil things, it takes religion.
The God of the Old testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction.
I believe in God, only I spell it Nature.
The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.
Properly read, the Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived.
A man's ethical behaviour should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties and needs; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death.
The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses.
So far as the religion of the day is concerned, it is a damned fake ... Religion is all bunk.
I have infinite knowledge that there is no being in existence with infinite knowledge
Faith: not wanting to know what is true.
Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful.
or simply:
