Thomas Babington Macaulay Quotes

Holy war against lackeys, Jews, Christians and atheists.

Religious wars are not caused by the fact that there is more than one religion, but by the spirit of intolerance... the spread of which can only be regarded as the total eclipse of human reason.

All religion seems to need to prove that it's the only truth. And that's where it turns demonic. Because that's when you get religious wars and persecutions and burning heretics at the stake.

Atheism is a religion itself complete with fanatics and bigots.

The whole history of the last thousands of years has been a history of religious persecutions and wars, pogroms, jihads, crusades. I find it all very regrettable, to say the least

If there are infidels here, then beat them up. Do not tolerate them…. They are like crawling worms, snakes, and maggots.

In reality, bias against ‘heretics’ is felt today just as it used to be. Many give way to it as much as their forefathers used to do. Only, they have turned it against political adversaries. Those are the only ones with whom they refuse to mix. Sectarianism has only changed its object and taken other forms, because the vital interest has shifted. Should we dare to say that this shifting is progress?

Regrettably, many religious traditions exacerbate our innate proclivity to divide the world into two clearly demarcated camps, and in doing so, this fans the flames of intolerance and hate.

Atheists are just as obnoxious if not more obnoxious than zealots.

What! Have you no monks to teach, to dispute, to govern, to intrigue and to burn people who do not agree with them?

Toward no crimes have men shown themselves so cold- bloodedly cruel as in punishing differences of belief.

I am thankful that all the people in the world who absolutely, positively, know what God wants, usually kill mostly each other.

The persecuting spirit has its origin... in the assumption that one's own opinions are infallibly correct.

I don't think people by nature are extremists. You will never find a population of extremists. Extremists have existed throughout the centuries on all religions. And what happens is, extremists start to have more leverage when the situation is bad.

The characteristic human trait is not awareness but conformity, and the characteristic result is religious warfare. Other animals fight for territory or food; but, uniquely in the animal kingdom, human beings fight for their 'beliefs.'

A Muslim fanatic and a Christian fanatic, a Jewish fanatic, a secular fanatic, an atheist fanatic, a communist fanatic - all of them are the same. The thinking that, 'If you don't think like me, that if you are not with me, then you are against me;' this is something to condemn.

The sad part about our past is that religions, ironically enough, are responsible for creating the most destructive idea that has ever been visited upon the human race: the idea that there is such a thing as 'better.'

There are atheists and Christians, and there are people in both groups who are a little too heavy-handed.

We must recognize the fact that many Nazis, Marxists and Fascists believe passionately in their fundamental rightness, and allow nothing to hinder them from their goal in the pursuit of their mission.

You're always going to have extremists in every religion.

Religion doesn't make people bigots. People are bigots and they use religion to justify their ideology.

Extremism, under whatever guise, fanaticism of whatever kind, factionalism of whatever persuasion would be faithful, poisonous plants and the soil of our country which will not be allowed to flourish.

Sectarianism, bigotry, and it's horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful Earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization, and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now.

A religion, even if it calls itself a religion of love, must be hard and unloving to those who do not belong to it

It is not skeptics or explorers but fanatics and ideologues who menace decency and progress. No agnostic ever burned anyone at the stake or tortured a pagan, a heretic, or an unbeliever.