religious bigots have the luck of seeing the finger of God
in revolts, in revolutions, massacres, regicides, prostitutions,
infamies, and, if these things contribute to the advantage of religion,
we can say, then, that God uses all sorts of means to secure His ends.
Is there anything better calculated to annihilate every idea of morality
in the minds of men, than to make them understand that their God, who is
so powerful and so perfect, is often compelled to use crime to
accomplish His designs?

CLIX.--REFUTATION OF THE ARGUMENT, THAT THE EVILS ATTRIBUTED TO RELIGION
ARE BUT THE SAD EFFECTS OF THE PASSIONS OF MEN.

When we complain about the violence and evils which generally religion
causes upon earth, we are answered at once, that these excesses are not
due to religion, but that they are the sad effect of men's passions. I
would ask, however, what unchained these passions? It is evidently
religion; it is a zeal which renders inhuman, and which serves to cover
the greatest infamy. Do not these disorders prove that religion, instead
of restraining the passions of men, does but cover them with a cloak
that sanctifies them; and that nothing would be more beneficial than to
tear away this sacred cloak of which men make such a bad use? What
horrors would be banished from society, if the wicked were deprived of a
pretext so plausible for disturbing it!

Instead of cherishing peace among men, the priests stirred up hatred and
strife. They pleaded their conscience, and pretended to have received
from Heaven the right to be quarrelsome, turbulent, and rebellious. Do
not the ministers of God consider themselves to be wronged, do they not
pretend that His Divine Majesty is injured every time that the
sovereigns have the temerity to try to prevent them from doing injury?
The priests resemble that irritable woman, who cried out fire! murder!
assassins! while her husband was holding her hands to prevent her from
beating him.

CLX.--ALL MORALITY IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH RELIGIOUS OPINIONS.

Notwithstanding the bloody tragedies which religion has so often caused
in this world, we are constantly told that there can be no morality
without religion. If we judge theological opinions by their effects, we
would be right in assuming that all morality is perfectly incompatible
with the religious opinions of men. "Imitate God," is constantly
repeated to us. Ah! what morals would we have if we should imitate this
God! Which God sh