Thomas Aquinas Quotes

There is a danger in monotheism, and it's called idolatry. And we know the prophets of Israel were very, very concerned about idolatry, the worship of a human expression of the divine.

How it came to pass that man, originally taught, as we doubt not he was, to know and to worship the true Jehovah, is found, at so early a period of his history, a worshiper of baser objects, it is foreign to our present purpose to inquire.

Jeremiah has to lament that there are as many altars as towns in Judah.

There are gods, but there is no God; and all gods become devils eventually.

Banish afar the foul worship of idols. On their alters let the blood of animals smoke no more, nor the soothsayer look for omens in warm entrails, nor the meaningless augur attend to the song of birds. Let all the images of the gods be smashed to the ground.

People should never worship images. The spread of mental darkness is due to the prevalence of idolatry.

The opposite of Christianity is not atheism, but idolatry.

An idol of the mind is as offensive to God as an idol of the hand.

The quarrels and divisions about religion were evils unknown to the heathen. The reason was because the religion of the heathen consisted rather in rites and ceremonies than in any constant belief.

If we refuse our homage to statues and frigid images, the very counterpart of their dead originals, with which hawks, and mice, and spiders are so well acquainted, does it not merit praise instead of penalty [Christians were punished for not worshiping Roman gods] that we have rejected what we have come to see is error? We cannot surely be made out to injure those whom we are certain are nonentities. What does not exist is in its nonexistence secure from suffering.

The day of the absolute is over, and we're in for the strange gods once more.

What is popularly called fame is nothing but an empty name and a legacy from paganism.

The system of idolatry, invented by modern christianity, far surpasses in absurdity anything that we have ever heard of.

Wheresoever thou findest a high mountain or a lofty hill and a green tree, know that an idol is there!

Monotheism makes me grouchy. I don't trust any religion that makes God look like one of the ruling class. I guess I'm a pagan or an animist.

Throughout the Old Testament, God warns his chosen people about the perils of assimilation, shiksappeal and false gods.

Paganism is infectious, more infectious than diphtheria or piety.

The ancient Greeks and Romans were comfortable with any number of deities and were quite open to allowing conquered nations to continue to worship in whatever ways they saw fit, as long as they didn't mind having an emperor who required taxes and tributes.

Verily, Polytheists are unclean.

The fable of a god or gods visiting the earth did not originate with Christianity

A woman playing God in a passion play is tantamount to paganism.

India has 2,000,000 gods and worships them all. In religion, all other countries are paupers; India is the only millionaire.

It is terrible when people do not know God, but it is worse when people identify as God what is not God.

Great God! I'd rather be a Pagan.

Now we must remark, that there are two parts in the Commandment-the first forbids the erection of a graven image, or any likeness; the second prohibits the transferring of the worship which God claims for Himself alone, to any of these phantoms or delusive shows.