Following our list of quotes from St Thomas Aquinas, this is the second in our series of famous quotes from great atheists and great religious minds. Here are 15 quotes from some of the greatest atheist minds in history.
Quotes 1 – 5
1. Creationists make it sound like a ‘theory’ is something you dreamt up after being drunk all night — Isaac Asimov
2. I don’t believe in God. My god is patriotism. Teach a man to be a good citizen and you have solved the problem of life. — Andrew Carnegie
3. All thinking men are atheists. — Ernest Hemingway
4. Lighthouses are more helpful then churches. — Benjamin Franklin
5. Faith means not wanting to know what is true. — Friedrich Nietzsche
Quotes 6 – 10
6. The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one. — George Bernard Shaw
7. Say what you will about the sweet miracle of unquestioning faith, I consider a capacity for it terrifying and absolutely vile. — Kurt Vonnegut
8. I believe in God, only I spell it Nature. — Frank Lloyd Wright
9. Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest. — Denis Diderot
10. A man is accepted into a church for what he believes and he is turned out for what he knows. — Samuel Clemens
Quotes 11 – 15
11. The whole thing is so patently infantile, so foreign to reality, that to anyone with a friendly attitude to humanity it is painful to think that the great majority of mortals will never be able to rise above this view of life. — Sigmund Freud
12. Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful. — Edward Gibbon
13. The church says the earth is flat, but I know that it is round, for I have seen the shadow on the moon, and I have more faith in a shadow than in the church. — Ferdinand Magellan
14. Not only is there no god, but try getting a plumber on weekends. — Woody Allen
15. It’s an incredible con job when you think about it, to believe something now in exchange for something after death. Even corporations with their reward systems don’t try to make it posthumous. — Gloria Steinem
I find it somewhat interesting that the list of quotes from Thomas Aquinas is composed of introspective musings on the nature of man, theology, love, and faith; and then the list you have posted of quotes from famous atheists is nothing but derogatory polemics.
I find it odd as well that in compiling quotes from Aquinas, you've neglected to mention his versions of the classic arguments for the existence of God.
I think both lists could use some work, if you're trying to have more than a couple of lists of two groups hurling insults at each other. The list on Aquinas had some good stuff, but I would open it up on the religious side to all great religious thinkers. And let the atheists have a little better representation…I mean seriously…Woody Allen? One of the greatest atheist minds in history?…That's just sad.
are you arguiong that believers are searching for the existence of god? as we all know, without faith god doesnt exist. if you were to prove the existence of god then faith couldnt exist. faith-blind belief!
No, he is arguing that to represent Thomas Aquinas and not include his religious beliefs is a false representation… Which is absolutely true.
But I love this and the second list. Keep it up jfrater
BVM,
Blind belief nothing. The CHurch never thaught that you must believe blindly in God. If your so simple and believe in Him already, power to you but if you want reasons to believe how He exists, more power to you. If it was onyl blind faith, then Thomas Aquinas would never have written the Summa and the CHurch wouldn’t have adopted it as the offical blue print for teaching the faith.
You forgot to capitalize the ‘h’ in faitH and THomas!
I am literally lagHing out loud Heavily as I type tHis comment….
I just Had to register before i could leave that last sentence in the comments and i’m still lagHin.
OH PICKY PICKY PICKY..
as a believer i dont look to find the existence of what I believe, I already know
This is true.
I'm one of the greatest atheist minds in history
I have to take issue with the inclusion of some of these individuals and their quotes on this list, and also have a few comments to make:
A) We see why Ernest Hemingway was no great intellectual (I personally detest much of his work—though I acknowledge the greatness of some of his short stories) with his childishly overstated stance that "all thinking men are atheists." Ridiculous. Hemingway would therefore have us believe that none of the great intellects–who were clearly believers, from the beginnings of Christianity right up through the Renaissance–were not "thinking men." Okay, "Papa." Go tell that to St. Thomas Aquinas, to Peter Abelard, to St. Francis, to St. Augustine, to Thomas More. Of course, Hemingway might have been referring only to our own times—modernity—in which case his statement would be slightly more accurate… but then he should have qualified it. Typical sloppy and solipsistic words from our old friend, the Great Overblown and Overesteemed American Blowhard of the 20th Century.
B) I don't think it's quite right to characterize Nietzsche as an atheist; he was anti-Christian, yes—he called it the religion of slaves—but he was interested in his notions of a hero-centered pagan faith (culminating in his views on the Superman). The pegging of Nietzsche as an atheist comes largely from his famous "God is dead" statement—but I believe there he was referring to the death of the Christian god—Christianity having really, in an intellectual sense, died out with the coming of the Enlightenment—and all the philosophical trappings that had grown up around "God" as a concept in the previous 2000 years. In any sense, it's safe to presume that Nietzsche would have been okay with replacing the Judeo-Christian God with one more to his liking, one more in line with his philosophy.
C) I agree wholeheartedly with Vonnegut.
D) Frank Lloyd Wright clearly says that he believes in god–only he calls it nature. This is not strictly atheism, if Wright believed in any kind of consciousness within nature.
E) Diderot's quote–while one sympathizes somewhat with the sentiment–also tends to give me the shivers. It presages the bloodshed of the Revolutionary period in France, and makes me wonder–why do some feel it so necessary to kill *people* in order to kill an old idea?
F) Magellan's quote addresses the *Church*—not god as a concept or a belief. I doubt that Magellan, given his time and background, was an atheist.
G) Steinem raises a good point about one of the main problems regarding modern religion. It focuses on an afterlife reward/punishment system, rather than the fulfillment and betterment of the life we live now.
I'll offer a quote of my own: Religion does more harm than good, faith should always be part intellectual, part spirit, part poetry… and the relationship one forms with god or the universe or nature or whatever you wish to call it—should be a personal one–not fostered upon others. Proselytization is an obsolete practice.
….STFU no ones going to read this long ass post GTFO
That is where you would be wrong. I read the post and he actually makes some good points about some of the more ridiculous quotes and who the person making the quote really is. It’s not religious people that are making the world a worse place, it’s people like you.
Good points. I’ll stop here, my english does not let my to say more.
Cool story, Bro
While I do not deny that many of those men have made great accomplishments, I still regard them as fools with regard to their religious beliefs. Take John Forbes Nash for example, a brilliant mathematician, whose work is, without a doubt, some of the most influential in mathematics. However, he had schizophrenia, and despite his accomplishments, was still insane. I regard these men in the same manner, excellent and intelligent individuals, but deluded in their belief in religion.
oh – and I really didn't expect this list to cause so much ire!
hey . i think ferdinand magellan is a christian , hes with spaniard and portugese people when they came in the philippines to spread catholic beliefs
Oddly enough, I’ve seen that same quote attributed to Francis Drake.
Actually, the church really never taught that the earth is flat – this is a pejorative lie was admitted to and created by historian A.D. White to get back at Christians who criticized his plans for Cornell.
And, it has been repeated by anti-god atheists and secularists ever since.
See The biblical origins of science
There are more palm trees in Alaska than there is science in the Bible.
"I find it somewhat interesting that the list of quotes from Thomas Aquinas is composed of introspective musings on the nature of man, theology, love, and faith; and then the list you have posted of quotes from famous atheists is nothing but derogatory polemics."
YOU READ MY MIND. *APPLAUDS* THANK YOU!
Also, Freud was a joke. 95% of the human race of his time (quoting from dim memory) believed in God (personal or not), and yet he called them all infantile. Way to be superior, dude. Get back up on your high horse.
As for Vonnegut, I just finished 'Cat's Cradle', in which he expounds on the fictional Bokononism, a 'religion based on lies to make people happy'. I don't see what's so vile and ridiculous about being happy. Why do all these 'great thinkers' have such an aversion to it? Are they so desperate to be miserable? If you're going to be an atheist, don't let your motivation be a mistaken impression that faithful happiness is impossible.
Better the cold truth than the comforting lie. But if happiness based on lies and false hope is what you choose, far be it from me to disabuse you of it.
It’s. Only a false hope to those who don’t believe and a lie to those. Who still seek a truth. They can live with, the reality is. Criticism. Produces no goal of. What you still seek therefore. That tells me you haven’t found a truth greater than the one under criticism
Yes, but at least it is an attempt to use reason on an otherwise irrational person.
To create such a list and omit Carl Sagan and is monumental failure of this list.
"Once we overcome our fear of being tiny, we find ourselves on the threshold of a vast and awesome Universe that utterly dwarfs — in time, in space, and in potential — the tidy anthropocentric proscenium of our ancestors."
-Carl Sagan-
Thank you Devin!!
Good timing with the release of “The Golden Compass.” I don’t think the series is so much atheistic as it is just intelligently written.
This topic is excitement waiting to happen. Good Job!
wow, number 9 is pretty heavy! another great list though. great to see both sides of the arguments in brilliant and witty quotes. thank you!
“If rascals knew how much money could be made in being righteous, they would be righteous out of plain rascality!” – Mark Twain
Dont know if he was an atheist, but I have always held this quote near my heart. and it seemed to parallel the topic.
Why do athiest get so offended at stupid stuff. Some are just as bad as bible thumpers.
Its not "stupid stuff" I'ts the brutality of those who kill in the name of god that we find beyond reason. Millions of lives have been lost due to religion over the ages in the "name of god". Start with reading Joshua with the barbaric invasion of Canaan, work your way through the crusades (both sides), conversion by sword by the Muslims, the wars in the middle east, the wars wage in the name of the pope, brutal colonization, slavery, etc. The list is endless. Christians war with Christians, Muslims war with Muslims, Muslims war with Christians and Hindus, Jew war with Muslims. All in the "name of god".
god is not matured consideration
Truth and error That’s just it they’re fighting in the name of God, the question is who have they made their to be,?this is
These are all great – fab list!
Awesome list (Diderot!), although Ben Franklin was not an atheist, he was more of a deist who believed in a higher power but disregarded the superstition of organized religion. Also, Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) although very clever and a man of great observational commentary particularly in regards to religion vs. faith was also not an atheist. Both men had similar opinions about organized religion, and it would be very easy to assume they are atheist, but they both had a favorable attitude towards the concept of faith in a higher power as written in some of their memoirs and biographies. They both felt that faith was a healthy part of the human condition, but thought that organized churches were somewhat exploiting the purpose of faith and restricting people’s ability to explore the tenets philosophies of their faith on their own. P.S. This site kicks ass.
My new favorite list.
Many great quotes from many great people, what’s not to love?
a great list i agree with all the quotes as a massive atheist
I absolutely love #13!! I think we all know how that one turned. Perhaps the only thing everyone will agree on – scratch that. People will fight over anything if it means they don’t have to get back to work!! – lol.
For “God’s” sake Randall its just a list! Really Good one though! I liked the last few.
Aardy , the list’s title does not claim that these are the greatest atheist minds in history?
The list is about famous atheist that happens to say something intriguing or interesting.
There is a difference. And I have faith in the “The List Universe ” that this is true.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s quote is also not atheistic. There are many sects of faith that revere nature as their higher power, such as taoism, wicca, parts of buddhism and other relgions of native/aboriginal peoples in just about every habitable continent.
when i joined the military we were required to list an approved religion. ordered to by our “superiors”. much as in the past,if you did not profess to the religion of the area you would be tarred or put to sea or driven into the wilderness. check into why many people came over. now some insist those folks were religious.
Sorry, I just read the discription under the title but I still have faith.
really admire you to be able to enjoy things without taking personal offense.
I would have to agree with Aardy–the first list had very little quotes on it concerning God in general, but these all do. I would have preferred it to have been more similar to the first list, with quotes regarding other aspects of the world and not just “God does not exist and everyone who thinks so is a damn fool.” (paraphrased, lol) but there are still some really good quotes here, and I am also glad to see another list of quotes anyway! As I have said before, I love them. =)
This is more anti-Christian/church than anti-existance-of-God. The christian explanation/concept of God is not the only one out there.Also correct me if im wrong. Jesus never said the earth is flat. That was prolly said by those evil powerdrunk popes, right?
Shabab: no, Jesus never said the earth is flat. Neither does the Bible (unless you take a metaphorical passage about being able to see the 4 corners of the world as “proof”). But, then, the Bible never says anything about the Rapture or the earth being 6000 years old or Jesus being born in December, either. That would be a great list: 10 things the Bible doesn’t really say, but that people think it does. Anyways, strong Christian here, I just hate having to chip away the stuff added to the Bible by people in the last 2000 years.
The last 200 years?? so you guys only had your ***** straight for 10 years?? hell of a way to build a religion CRE.
What about all the things that were taken out of the bible?
I don’t know if he was an atheist, but I’ve got a nice Voltaire quote in my sig file:
“The atheist preserves his reason, which checks his propensity to mischief, while the fanatic is under the influence of a madness which is constantly urging him on.”
What’s the last thing the parachuting atheist said when his rip cord did’t work?… “Oh God!”
Nope Danohh, it's Oh *****. then I pull the secondary
CRE, you don’t like the stuff added to the bible in the last 2000 years? That’s the entire new testament!
The 6000 yo Earth theory is from addition done from the bible.
I have to say I agree with #11 and #12
Harsha, there are no small lists… just small list readers.
Shabab: frankly, the powerdrunk popes are no worse than the murderous teachings of many Islamic leaders old and new.
“A casual stroll through a lunatic asylum shows that faith proves nothing.” – Nietzsche
“I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.” – Stephen Roberts
“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God?”
- Epicurus
Great list jfrater. I love Woody Allen! Although calling him one of the great atheist minds in history is a bit hyperbolic
especially when you could have included stuff by Dawkins, Sagan, Russell etc
BTW you should do a list of Woody Allen’s best quotes. I have a book of his various writings called Without Feathers and it’s literally the funniest book I have ever read.
I’d also like to note that Hemingway, though an open atheist, never actually said that quote in #3. It’s spoken by the main character in A Farewell to Arms.
Freud calling something infantile and foreign to reality is laughable.
And even as a Christian, I’d have to agree with #4 and #10 on a sadly large scale.
Great list, inappropriate title. These are not all athiests. It is a dangerous thing to label one who does not believe or agree with the church (really, your church) an athiest. Deists, like Franklin, believe in a God even if that God is so perfect that micromanagement of Creation is not needed. Others find their own paths of worship that do not involve established churches (to the chagrin of most governments). Please change the title.
Just registered! Yay! About time.
Also, I agree somewhat with Black Lutefisk. My suggested new title: Top 15 Quotes From People Who Really Don’t Like Organized Religion.
Alternate suggestion: Top 15 Quotes From Dawgs Who Just Don’t Dig It, Yo.
I like the Dawgs one. How about “Top 15 Anti-Church Quotations” or “Top 15 Challenges to Traditional Religion”? To be clear: these are essentially arguments against the existance of established churches, not God.
I mean established religions, not just churches.
Actually, now that I reread it, a good title would be ‘Top 14 Anti-Religious Quotations, and 1 from Woody Allen’. (#14 made me roffle)
And also, I disagree. A few of the quotes (#3, #8, and #14) are atheistic challenges. Though now that you mention it, yes, this list is definitely less about atheism and more about anti-religion.
I hate to say it, jfrater, but I think you dropped the ball on this one. I’d guess that the problem was that you tried to go too general (as opposed to the St. Aquinas one, which was a specific person).
Well guys – you all dislike the quotes I presented – how about giving ones you think are more apt? Obviously I failed at finding ones that Atheists are happy to be represented by – so show us what you want to be represented by
That way everyone wins! And we all like that 
Benjamin Franklin was not an atheist. He turned away from organized religion, but not faith in a higher power.
Oh – and JT – I will definitely do a Woody Allen list. Maybe you could whip up a Best Woody Allen films one too?
9. Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest. — Denis Diderot
12. Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful. — Seneca the Younger
of this list, these are 2 of my all time fav quotes..whether indicated as atheist or not.
each having to do more w/ government/politics than religion/faith. which has always been a major sore point w/ me as regards religion. how religion is perverted to serve the hidden agendas of the political powers that be.
as one who’s grown weary of the term ‘atheist’ since its become so damned fashionable of late, i prefer nontheist or no label at all.
its real simple. there is no god. period.
but i was raised Baptist. attended Catholic mass routinely as a child. had Muslim roomies at college. have also spent most of my life on a ‘spiritual quest’ via much study and yes, prayer. to the point that i finally realized…there is no god. (the fact it coincided w/ this atheist fad irks me to no end..took me 50 years to get to this point damnit!)
that said…i do understand how someone who is not an atheist and is extremely well schooled in a particular faith would have difficulty in selecting specific atheist quotes that show a broader range of perspective.
still…i am listverse addict. i have a profound appreciation for what J does here. and i applaud this effort to showcase this genre of quotes.
it would be interesting for a real atheist to come up w/ a more wide ranging set of quotes though.
and no, t’ain’t me. cuz i’ve tried to come up lists and wind up drowning in the details.
so that’d be a challenge to one our fellow listers.
JFrater: This is a great list. You did not drop the ball on the content/quality of the list (Carl Sagan would be a good addition, I agree). What is wrong is the title. I don’t know technically if it is difficult to do that. But it should be done. How about “Top 15 Quotations that Question/Challenge Faith”
Cyn: I prefer the term “secular humanist”.
jfrater: I’ll see if I can come up with some good additional quotes for this topic.
Black Lutefisk: thanks
I appreciate the support 
I am clearly going to have to extend this atheism/religion series further 
Merry Christmas
BL reminded me to clarify: When I said that jfrater ‘dropped the ball’, I mean that he failed to provide a proper counterpoint to the St. Aquinas list. He presented a thinking, reasonable, and articulate religious intellectual, followed by a list of mostly-typical and -polemic drivel. If I were an atheist, I’m sure I’d be insulted.
Not being one, I can’t suggest any other appropriate quotes, but I _do_ suggest you make your next counterpoint a list of quotes by a specific person (Carl Sagan seems popular).
All I can say is … Amen
“I believe in only me, and what i can do”
famous samurai line, not sure exactly who said it through, but i think that would fit here
I think the problem is that atheism is not the opposite of Christianity, it is the opposite of theism. In other words, atheism does not count as a philosophy, merely a belief (or lack of) in a supernatural deity – no further. Atheism is divided into various philosophies, the same way theism is divided into different denominations or religions. The most popular atheistic philosophy is secular humanism.
A good example of some secular humanist quotes can be found here (not all the people here are secular humanists, but the quotes are thought to have meaning to secular humanists):
http://www.humanismbyjoe.com/humanism_quotes.htm
A few examples include:
“There is not sufficient love and goodness in the world to permit us to give some of it away to imaginary beings.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
“Man is the measure of all things.” – Protagoras
Both promote the central thesis of secular humanism which is finding the meaning of life purely on human terms.
no 4 …
Benjamin Franklin actually said that …
hehe …. i thought he was too busy discovering electricity and stuff …
There is an excellent site called Positive Atheism which has a very extensive list of quotations at the following address: http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/quotes/qframe.htm
JT: that is a very good observation – and perhaps the root of the problem for me with this list – I have not really studied atheism enough to know the subtleties of it. Why not write my second atheist list for me (after you do Woody Allen)
Carrie: do please!
Franklin, a noted deist, also said the following:
“ God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this. I also believe that, without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel” –Constitutional Convention of 1787 | original manuscript of this speech
“In the beginning of the contest with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for Divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered… do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?” [Constitutional Convention, Thursday June 28, 1787]
In Benjamin Franklin’s 1749 plan of education for public schools in Pennsylvania, he insisted that schools teach “the excellency of the Christian religion above all others, ancient or modern.”
In 1787 when Franklin helped found Benjamin Franklin University, it was dedicated as “a nursery of religion and learning, built on Christ, the Cornerstone.”
“If I were an atheist, I’m sure I’d be insulted.”
-FekketCantenel
===================================================
That was basically my point. As a non-atheist myself, I feel, that to believe this was the pinnacle of atheistic thought would be to create a straw man characterization of those who disagree with me.
However.
I do think a polemics list could be fun from the religious side as well. Basically what people have said about God, the Bible, or faith from a religious perspective. (I include the Bible simply because, lets face it…Most apologetic thought and debate seems to focus on Christianity.
A fun starter quote would be:
“When the French monarch proposed the persecution of Christians in his dominion, an old statesman and warrior said to him, ‘Sire, the church of God is an anvil that has worn out many hammers.’ So the hammers of infidels have been pecking away at this book for ages, but the hammers are worn out, and the anvil still endures. If this book had not been the book of God, men would have destroyed it long ago. Emperors and popes, kings and priests, princes and rulers have all tried their hand at it; they die and the book still lives.”
-H.L. Hastings
Carrie..’secular humanist’
…er…no offense but probably from my being in the ‘Bible Belt’ where that particular term has been beat to death…it just makes me shudder. also, i take issue w/ labels as a whole. and yes, i know, its a hella lot more convenient to just say, ‘i’m an atheist’ than to go on about knowing there is no god. it is complicated issue ill served by what to me is a too simplistic label.
Cyn: No offense taken! It’s funny, but here in California I don’t hear that term very often.
For anyone else who wants to know more about it go to http://www.secularhumanism.org/
I love it! Some are callous, some funny, some so very true. Sometimes I feel like the only atheist in the world. It’s good to know other people feel the same way I do.
“My mind is incapable of conceiving such a thing as a soul. I may be in error, and man may have a soul; but I simply do not believe it.”
– Thomas Edison
“It is, I think, an error to believe that there is any need of religion to make life seem worth living.”
– Sinclair Lewis
Here are two more quotes…
“My mind is incapable of conceiving such a thing as a soul. I may be in error, and man may have a soul; but I simply do not believe it.”
– Thomas Edison
“It is, I think, an error to believe that there is any need of religion to make life seem worth living.”
– Sinclair Lewis
Randall, will you marry me??
Just kidding, but you gotta love a person who is not afraid of using what they got between their ears…