The impotence of God is infinite.
5
—Anatole France, 1925
***
Not only is there no God, but try getting a plumber on weekends.
—Woody Allen, 1969
It is bad luck to be superstitious.
—Anonymous
6
Every creed promises a paradise which will be absolutely uninhabitable for anyone of
civilized taste.
—Evelyn Waugh, 1942
***
A belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of
every wickedness.
—Joseph Conrad, 1911
Don’t let us make imaginary evils, when you know we have so many real ones to
encounter.
—Oliver Goldsmith, 1768
To such heights of evil has religion been able to drive men.
—Lucretius, first century BC
Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious
conviction.
—Blaise Pascal, 1670
There is no crime, which men have not committed under the idea of pleasing the Divinity,
or appeasing his wrath.
—Baron d’Holbach, 1772
Preparations for the slaughter of mankind have always been made in the name of God.
—Jaroslav Hašek, 1921
We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.
—Jonathan Swift, 1706
5
This joke, as well as the four ones just before it, come close to a major line of serious critical
inquiry of religion, whose beginning may be traced back at least to Epicurus: “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?” Unfortunately, this collection is too short to trace this inquiry at earnest.
6
This quote is frequently attributed to some Andrew W. Mathis, but I could not find a reliable
confirmation of this authorship, or even identify this person.
On Faith and Religion
75
5
—Anatole France, 1925
***
Not only is there no God, but try getting a plumber on weekends.
—Woody Allen, 1969
It is bad luck to be superstitious.
—Anonymous
6
Every creed promises a paradise which will be absolutely uninhabitable for anyone of
civilized taste.
—Evelyn Waugh, 1942
***
A belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of
every wickedness.
—Joseph Conrad, 1911
Don’t let us make imaginary evils, when you know we have so many real ones to
encounter.
—Oliver Goldsmith, 1768
To such heights of evil has religion been able to drive men.
—Lucretius, first century BC
Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious
conviction.
—Blaise Pascal, 1670
There is no crime, which men have not committed under the idea of pleasing the Divinity,
or appeasing his wrath.
—Baron d’Holbach, 1772
Preparations for the slaughter of mankind have always been made in the name of God.
—Jaroslav Hašek, 1921
We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.
—Jonathan Swift, 1706
5
This joke, as well as the four ones just before it, come close to a major line of serious critical
inquiry of religion, whose beginning may be traced back at least to Epicurus: “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?” Unfortunately, this collection is too short to trace this inquiry at earnest.
6
This quote is frequently attributed to some Andrew W. Mathis, but I could not find a reliable
confirmation of this authorship, or even identify this person.
On Faith and Religion
75