Throughout the three decades preceding the Civil War, the anticlerical ethos of the radical abolitionists was used against them by religious opponents of emancipation, who . . . even described abolitionism itself as an atheist plot. Susan Jacoby More Quotes by Susan Jacoby More Quotes From Susan Jacoby This mindless tolerance, which places observable scientific facts, subject to proof, on the same level as unprovable supernatural fantasy, has played a major role in the resurgence of both anti-intellectualism and anti-rationalism. Susan Jacoby tolerance levels roles Americans are in serious intellectual trouble - in danger of losing our hard-won cultural capital to a virulent mixture of anti-intellectualism, anti-rationalism and low expectations. Susan Jacoby intellectual truth expectations I have received many touching letters and emails from people who live in the most religious parts of the country, in places like rural Texas, saying it is so good to see someone be able to say I am an atheist without shame. Susan Jacoby atheist religious country Too many Americans have twisted the sensible right to pursue happiness into the delusion that we are entitled to a guarantee of happiness. If we don't get exactly what we want, we assume someone must be violating our rights. We're no longer willing to write off some of life's disappointments to simple bad luck. Susan Jacoby disappointment simple writing We do want our fellow citizens to respect our deeply held conviction that the absence of an afterlife lends a greater, not a lesser, moral importance to our actions on earth. Susan Jacoby afterlife citizens earth God Bless America started to become an almost ritualistic incantation at the end of political speeches really with Ronald Reagan. It appears occasionally before, but it was not that common. And of course since it was a song that wasn't written by Irving Berlin until the 20th century (laughter), none of the 19th century presidents said God Bless America at the end of speeches, either. I think that the symbolism which suggests that everybody is religious and that even presidents who believe in church and state feel obliged to do this. Susan Jacoby laughter religious song Atheism is not a religion. One of the things, in fact, that atheism lacks are the kinds of rituals that religion does provide and I would be the first to say that. Susan Jacoby atheism would-be doe At its heart, all intellectual and emotional life is a conversation, and the conversation begins at birth. Susan Jacoby women emotional heart The biggest religious wars and persecutions in history occur when religions, each claiming their own absolute truths, come into conflict. Susan Jacoby conflict religious war The forgetting of the history of marginalized groups is both a cause and effect of their marginalization. Susan Jacoby groups causes history I don't ever participate in debates about the existence or nonexistence of God because I can't imagine why anyone would be persuaded one way or the other by such things. Susan Jacoby debate would-be way Whether you are religious or nonreligious, may you find solace in the knowledge that the suffering is ours, but that those we love suffer no more. Susan Jacoby religious suffering grieving one of the great weaknesses of the women's rights movement over the past two hundred years has been the tendency of its history to disappear, so that it must be resurrected for each new generation. Susan Jacoby rights past years The government should not be in the business of funneling money for social services through any faith-based organization Susan Jacoby government organization social I don't deny that religion is very healthful to a lot of people. And as long as they don't try to convert me, I have, you know, nothing - and to interfere with the rights of people to believe other religions or to not believe in any religion at all - as long as they mind their own religion - perfectly all right with me... Susan Jacoby rights long believe That so many manage to accommodate belief systems encompassing both the natural and the supernatural is a testament not to the compatibility of science and religion but to the flexibility, in both the physical and metaphysical senses, of the human brain. Susan Jacoby belief natural brain I feel Jewish in the sense of culturally Jewish, I suppose the way Bernie Sanders feels Jewish, but not Jewish in a religious sense. Susan Jacoby religious feels way I'd be the last person in the world to deny that there are many people for whom faith is - can be a great sustaining force. Susan Jacoby lasts people world I'm not saying that I think atheists are better than other people. God, no. What I am saying is I do feel that this an integral part of who I am. And it's not something that I could comfortably think of not sharing with the person I loved most in the world. Susan Jacoby who-i-am atheist thinking It's something fundamental to me, human rights that people are equal under law simply because they are human beings. And I can no more imagine falling in love with someone who believed, for instance, as Orthodox Jews do, that women are unclean during their menstrual periods. Susan Jacoby falling-in-love rights law
