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
blindness conceive cruelty fugitive hard independence patriotic people utter
It is hard to conceive of the utter demoralization, of the political blindness and immorality, of the patriotic dishonesty, of the cruelty and degradation of a people who supplemented the incomparable Declaration of Independence with the Fugitive Slave Law.
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.
chain doctrine infamous man perish resent
Perish the infamous doctrine that man can have property in man. Let us resent with indignation every effort to put a chain upon our minds.
conviction divine life religion theory
Religion is not theory - it is life. It is not intellectual conviction - it is divine humanity, and nothing else.
common facts religion science
Science has nothing in common with religion. Facts and miracles never did and never will agree.
characters highway pursued shakespeare
Shakespeare pursued the highway of the right. He did not seek to put his characters in a position where it was right to do wrong.
man people side
The American people do not like neutrality. They would rather a man were on the wrong side than on neither.
authors children great
The children of great authors do not, as a rule, become writers.
doctrine human love rests
The doctrine of immortality rests upon human affection. We love; therefore, we wish to live.
common compared glittering sacred stones worthless
The sacred books of all the world are worthless dross and common stones compared with Shakespeare's glittering gold and gleaming gems.
edifice good grand life walls worked
The walls of that grand edifice called a good character have to be worked at during life.