The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 08 (of 12): Dresden Edition—InterviewsIngersoll, Robert Green
Religion
The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 08 (of 12): Dresden Edition—Interviews
Ingersoll, Robert Green
Free thought
No man should give the opinion of another as authority and in place
of fact and reason, unless he is willing to take all the opinions
of that man. An opinion is worth the warp and woof of fact and
logic in it and no more. A man cannot add to the truthfulness of
truth. In the ordinary business of life, we give certain weight
to the opinion of specialists--to the opinion of doctors, lawyers,
scientists, and historians. Within the domain of the natural, we
take the opinions of our fellow-men; but we do not feel that we
are absolutely bound by these opinions. We have the right to re-
examine them, and if we find they are wrong we feel at liberty to
say so. A doctor is supposed to have studied medicine; to have
examined and explored the questions entering into his profession;
but we know that doctors are often mistaken. We also know that
there are many schools of medicine; that these schools disagree
with one another, and that the doctors of each school disagree with
one another. We also know that many patients die, and so far as
we know, these patients have not come back to tell us whether the
doctors killed them or not. The grave generally prevents a
demonstration. It is exactly the same with the clergy. They have
many schools of theology, all despising each other. Probably no
two members of the same church exactly agree. They cannot demonstrate
their propositions, because between the premise and the logical
conclusion or demonstration, stands the tomb. A gravestone marks
the end of theology. In some cases, the physician can, by a post-
mortem examination, find what killed the patient, but there is no
theological post-mortem. It is impossible, by cutting a body open,
to find where the soul has gone; or whether baptism, or the lack
of it, had the slightest effect upon final destiny. The church,
knowing that there are no facts beyond the coffin, relies upon
opinions, assertions and theories. For this reason it is always
asking alms of distinguished people. Some President wishes to be
re-elected, and thereupon speaks about the Bible as "the corner-
stone of American Liberty." This sentence is a mouth large enough
to swallow any church, and from that time forward the religious
people will be citing that remark of the politician to substantiate
the inspiration of the Scriptures.
The man who accepts opinions because they have been entertained by
distinguished people, is a mental snob. When we blindly follow
authority we are serfs. When our reason is convinced we are freemen.
It is rare to find a fully rounded and complete man. A man may be
a great doctor and a poor mechanic, a successful politician and a
poor metaphysician, a poor painter and a good poet.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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