Fred quotes:

>  > "As to Jesus of Nazareth...I think the system of Morals and his
>  > Religion, as
>  > he left them to us, the best the World ever saw or is likely to see;
>  > but I
>  > apprehend it has received various corrupting Changes, and I have, with
>  > most of the present Dissenters in England, some doubts as to his
>  > divinity."
>  > --Benjamin Franklin


Erik quotes in response:

> Acts 4
>  10   Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by
>  the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised
>  from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
>  11   This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is
>  become the head of the corner.
>  12   Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other
>  name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
>  -- Simon Peter speaking to Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and
>  John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high
>  priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.


To which I might add:

"Man once surrendering his reason [to religious influence], has no remaining
guard against absurdities the most monstrous, and like a ship without rudder,
is the sport of every wind."

-Thomas Jefferson to James Smith, 1822.

"History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people
maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance of which
their civil as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for
their own purposes."

-Thomas Jefferson to Alexander von Humboldt, Dec. 6, 1813

"In every country and in every age, the priest has been hostile to liberty.
He is always in alliance with the despot, abetting his abuses in return for
protection to his own."

-Thomas Jefferson, letter to Horatio G. Spafford, March 17, 1814

Wirt Atmar

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