Sam Harris Quotes

...when men ignite in their hearts a religious fury, they inflict at the same time a blindness on their eyes.

Although the far territory of the extreme can exert an intoxicating pull on susceptible individuals of all bents, extremism seems to be especially prevalent among those inclined by temperament or upbringing toward religious pursuits. Faith is the very antithesis of reason, injudiciousness a crucial component of spiritual devotion. And when religious fanaticism supplants ratiocination, all bets are suddenly off.

there is no fanatic like a religious fanatic.

It is usually when men are at their most religious that they behave with the least sense and the greatest cruelty.

How many lives have been lost by men who believe God had commanded them to do so?

There seemed to be some correlation between devotion to God and a misguided zeal for marshmallows.

People who think God is on their side are capable of the most inhumane acts. (Petrov)

To what excesses do men rush for the sake of religion, of whose truth they are so little persuaded, and to whose precepts they pay so little regard!

In all times, and all countries especially in those countries which are divided within by religious faith, there are always fanatics who will be well contented to be regarded as martyrs.

Everybody knows that fanaticism is religion caricatured; bears, indeed, about the same relation to it that a monkey bears to a man; yet, with many, contempt of fanaticism is received as a sure sign of hostility to religion.

In religious and in secular affairs, the more fervent beliefs attract followers. If you are a moderate in any respect - if you're a moderate on abortion, if you're a moderate on gun control, or if you're a moderate in your religious faith - it doesn't evolve into a crusade where you're either right or wrong, good or bad, with us or against us.

That religious earnestness forever tends toward fright and hence towards brittleness and inquisition is clear enough in mythology and history.

A fanatic is a man that does what he thinks the Lord would do if He knew the facts of the case.

Good people do good things. Bad people do bad things. But it takes religion to make good people do bad things.

What superstition and fanaticism on every side!

Religion can turn holy stories into flaming swords.

Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.

There are no forces on this planet more dangerous to us all than the fanaticisms of fundamentalism…

Fanaticism is the danger of the world, and always has been, and has done untold harm. I might almost say that I was fanatical against fanaticism.

Religious extremism. We hear about it all the time. We see it all the time. Heck, most of us are just sick of talking about it all the time.

A lot of people have done things in the name of Christianity and religion and faith in a not-so-nice way.

Religiosity is suffocating in Pakistan. It invariably stokes the fire in driving society to religious extremism.

In the blood of the martyrs to intolerance are the seeds of unbelief

Cleave to no faith when faith brings blood.

Isn't killing people in the name of God a pretty good definition of insanity?