d to torment for the sake
of opinions, to meddle in thought, to trouble men for the invisible
actions of their brains? When we see polished and wise nations, such as
the English, French, German, etc., notwithstanding all their
enlightenment, continue to kneel before the barbarous God of the Jews,
that is to say, of the most stupid, the most credulous, the most savage,
the most unsocial nation which ever was on the earth; when we see these
enlightened nations divide themselves into sects, tear one another, hate
and despise each other for opinions, equally ridiculous, upon the
conduct and the intentions of this irrational God; when we see
intelligent persons occupy themselves foolishly in meditating on the
wishes of this capricious and foolish God; we are tempted to exclaim,
"Oh, men! you are still savages! Oh, men! you are but children in the
matter of religion!"

CXXII.--THE MORE ANCIENT AND GENERAL A RELIGIOUS OPINION IS, THE GREATER
THE REASON FOR SUSPECTING IT.

Whoever has formed true ideas of the ignorance, credulity, negligence,
and sottishness of common people, will always regard their religious
opinions with the greater suspicion for their being generally
established. The majority of men examine nothing; they allow themselves
to be blindly led by custom and authority; their religious opinions are
specially those which they have the least courage and capacity to
examine; as they do not understand anything about them, they are
compelled to be silent or put an end to their reasoning. Ask the common
man if he believes in God. He will be surprised that you could doubt it.
Then ask him what he understands by the word God. You will confuse him;
you will perceive at once that he is incapable of forming any real idea
of this word which he so often repeats; he will tell you that God is
God, and you will find that he knows neither what he thinks of Him, nor
the motives which he has for believing in Him.

All nations speak of a God; but do they agree upon this God? No! Well,
difference of opinion does not serve as evidence, but is a sign of
uncertainty and obscurity. Does the same man always agree with himself
in his ideas of God? No! This idea varies with the vicissitudes of his
life. This is another sign of uncertainty. Men always agree with other
men and with themselves upon demonstrated truths, regardless of the
position in which they find themselves; except the insane, all agree
that two and two make four, tha