Rightly or wrongly,
I am for reason against dogma, for evolution against revelation; for
humanity always; for earth, not Heaven; for the holiest Trinity of
all--the Trinity of Man, Woman, and Child.

The greatest curse of humanity is ignorance. The only remedy is
knowledge.

Religion, being based on fixed authority, is naturally opposed to
knowledge.

A man may have a university education and be ignorant. A man may be a
genius, like Plato, or Shakespeare, or Darwin, and lack more knowledge.
The humblest of unlettered peasants can teach the highest genius
something useful. The greatest scientific and philosophical achievements
of the most brilliant age are imperfect, and can be added to and
improved by future generations.

There is no such thing as human infallibility. There is no finality
in human knowledge and human progress. Fixed authority in matters of
knowledge or belief is an insult to humanity.

Christianity degrades and restrains humanity with the shackles of
"original sin." Man is not born in sin. There is no such thing as sin.
Man is innately more prone to good than to evil; and the path of his
destiny is upward.

I should be inclined to call him who denies the innate goodness of
mankind an "Infidel."

Heredity breeds different kinds of men. But all are men whom it breeds.
And all men are capable of good, and of yet more good. Environment can
move mountains. There is a limit to its power for good and for evil, but
that power is almost unimaginably great.

The object of life is to improve ourselves and our fellow-creatures, and
to leave the world better and happier than we found it.

The great cause of crime and failure is ignorance. The great cause of
unhappiness is selfishness. No man can be happy who loves or values
himself too much.

As all men are what heredity and environment have made them, no man
deserves punishment nor reward. As the sun shines alike upon the evil
and the good, so in the eyes of justice the saint and the sinner are as
one. No man has a just excuse for pride, or anger, or scorn.

Spiritual pride, intellectual pride, pride of pedigree, of caste, of
race are all contemptible and mean.

The superior person who wraps himself in a cloak of solemn affectations
should be laughed at until he learns to be honest.

The masterful man who puts on airs of command and leadership insults his
fellow-creatures, and should be gently but firmly lifted down many pegs.

Genius should not