"The Bible, contrary to the teachings of the churches, is not any more sacred than a monkey or a sea shell, since all three but serve the purpose of proclaiming the great law of evolution upon which the universe depends for its development, and without which no progress, material or spiritual, could in any manner be made.
Naturally, to the devout Christian, the assertion that the Bible is not what it appears to be, calls forth a stern command to produce the evidence in support of such a melancholy fact. But THE CHRISTIAN DOES NOT REALIZE THAT HE IS HIMSELF THE PRODUCT OF HIS ENVIRONMENT, and that, had he been born in China or Mongolia instead of in America or England, he would have no more interest in the New Testament than a Chinaman or a Thibetian Lama.
For, assuredly these old and mighty nations have plenty of bibles of their own, just as sacred, just as reliable and just as much venerated. THE CHRISTIAN, TRAINED FROM YOUTH TO BELIEVE THAT HE IS THE CENTRAL SUN IN THE MORAL UNIVERSE ABOUT WHOSE MAJESTIC PERSON ALL THE OTHER LESSER STARS CIRCLE IN THEIR APPOINTED PATHS, MUST DIVEST HIMSELF OF THIS SELFISH EGOTISTICAL AND UNWORTHY BELIEF. He must realize that in a universe of whirling religious planets, he is but an atom of star dust, scarcely large enough to be seen in the cosmic telescope! At this point we may agree with George Eliot and other thinkers, that not only morality but Religion, is the direct product of environment or geography ("accident of birth" (Dawkins))], controlled to a great degree by the birth rate."
"It is indeed a singular fact that the clergy would have no case at all in a court of law.
Here they would come into court declaring that they held a chattel mortgage upon the souls of countless millions of individuals; yet, when asked to present their proof, all they have to show is four contradictory Gospels, not a single one of which bears a date or a signature, nor indeed anything that could be identified as an original affidavit properly attested to before a Notary or other Civil power!"
