Paine on national churches 5 Apr 2010 All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit. [Thomas Paine; Writings of Thomas Paine, volume 4, Age of Reason, chapter 1] This is sometimes misquoted as “All churches are human inventions…” Politics Quotes Religion Quotes
Politics Another reason why the war on terrorism is a war on democratic freedom 28 May 200818 Sep 2017 The Scientific Misconduct blog has identified a case of censorship based on fear: Briefly, a postgraduate student (Rizwaan Sabir) was conducting research (into terrorism). He was arrested after downloading material (related to terrorism) from a US government website. I believe that the material is here – take a look. His… Read More
Politics Now for the downside of the elections 5 Nov 200818 Sep 2017 The antigay marriage measures in Arizona and Florida passed, and it looks like the Californian one will also pass. I cannot see how anyone can justify refusing a large minority the rights afforded the majority. There’s a name for that. I reiterate my modest proposal. Read More
Ethics and Moral Philosophy Evolution quotes: Social Darwinism by Haldane 23 Oct 201223 Oct 2012 The actual application of Darwinism to contemporary capitalist society is quite clear. The poor leave more offspring behind them in each generation than the rich. So they are fitter from a Darwinian point of view. And if, on the average, they differ genetically from the rich, their innate characteristics are… Read More
I think the key word in this passage is “institutions”. Note Paine leaves out the word religion entirely in this context.