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
destroy family good government perfectly tends unit
Every good government is made up of good families. The unit of good government is the family, and anything that tends to destroy the family is perfectly devilish and infamous.
bribed cannot disaster failure fear highway promise refuses stands success walks
He who refuses to stoop, who cannot be bribed by the promise of success or the fear of failure - who walks the highway of the right, and in disaster stands erect, is the only victor.
guardians known society thrill
If the guardians of society, the protectors of 'young persons,' could have had their way, we should have known nothing of Byron or Shelley. The voices that thrill the world would now be silent.
apt education ignorant people sons suffered value wealth
Ignorant people are apt to overrate the value of what is called education. The sons of the poor, having suffered the privations of poverty, think of wealth as the mother of joy.
everywhere fell happiest home people sports
In France, the people were the sport of a king's caprice. Everywhere was the shadow of the Bastille. It fell upon the sunniest field, upon the happiest home.
measured tendency word work
No writer must be measured by a word or paragraph. He is to be measured by his work - by the tendency, not of one line, but by the tendency of all.
intended knew man
Our fathers knew that the flag was never intended to protect any man who wanted to assail it.
fathers worships
Our fathers worshiped the golden calf. The worst you can say of an American now is, he worships the gold of the calf.
entirely government kept purely religious views
Our government should be entirely and purely secular. The religious views of a candidate should be kept entirely out of sight.
doctrine human love rests
The doctrine of immortality rests upon human affection. We love; therefore, we wish to live.
edifice good grand life walls worked
The walls of that grand edifice called a good character have to be worked at during life.
human lower sympathy
What is it that distinguishes you and me from the lower animals - from the beasts? More, I say, than anything else, human sympathy - human sympathy.
belong filled four nor religion thousand wherever
You need not go back four thousand years for heroines. The world is filled with them today. They do not belong to any nation, nor to any religion, nor exclusively to any race. Wherever woman is found, they are found.
ideal relation statue sustains
The real sustains the same relation to the ideal that a stone does to a statue - or that paint does to a painting. Realism degrades and impoverishes.