Robert Ingersoll does not understand what true faith is. It is not a leap into the dark, but rather is divine revelation given only to the elect chosen in Christ from before the foundation of the world. So the assumptions must have more correctness for any conclusion that Ingersoll makes to have any truth at all. Divine revelation is an observation. It is an inward observation that is unmistakeable, yet only given out to very very few, and not on the basis of merit or intelligence. It is done in that fashion to make foolish the logic of the world.

I thing everyone at some point should read Robert Ingersoll Brooklyn Speech (1880).

http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/robertingersoll/brooklynspeech.html

I thing it a reminder of what America should stand and strive for and what free speech means. Also I wonder what he would thing if he could see his republican party now.

Hi, guys. This is my first post to, undoubtedly, the most important blog in my life. Every day I get a new inspiring link, some funny video, an excellent quote...

I agree with this one completely. I think faith does more harm than good... and for all the wrong reasons. But I find it a little harder (call it my upbringing or just a natural progression of my elusive reasoning) to hit some other "spiritual" experiences which cannot be as easily caricatured as 'Christ' is in the quote, for they lack churches and other dogmas which are easily refutable and blatantly false. When discussing this with my more "new age" friends (those that try to contact some force and live a personal, spiritual experience and enjoy thinks like yoga and meditation which give them personal, inner satisfaction) it is complicated for me to get them to understand that that too is irrational faith in that it too extracts us from reality (this world), it too is based an unquestionable assumptions, it too alienates non-believers (a good friend said he pitied me), etc. The thing is I need to make the 'link' between all the reasons I have already understood why faith is a terrifying, unnecessary reality and why these experiences which seem not to do any wrongs are so too. The same applies to non-'new age' mystics like monks, etc.

Could you help me out by maybe referring me to other posts, some literature or some of your reflections? And cheers, guys. Thanks a lot for the blog.

Pity is the basest form of coin. Maybe those who are so quick to pity my purported tragic state of mind, should attempt empathy first. If true faith is a product of divine revelation through inward observation, then such an objective standard can never be questioned. After all, while some may pity an insane person, the mental defect can be a result of happiness. Should one pity a mentally incapacitated person who'll be always happy as the result of the mental defect, or does one try to argue with that person and convince them that they aren't really happy?

Robert Ingersoll does not understand what true faith is. It is not a leap into the dark, but rather is divine revelation given only to the elect chosen in Christ from before the foundation of the world.

It is done in that fashion to make foolish the logic of the world.

It is not arrogance to have Christ revealed in a person. But it is arrogance to have blind faith or faith based upon law, or the works of man. Most religion is the latter.

One of the extraordinary ironies of religious discourse can be seen in the frequency with which people of faith praise themselves for their humility, while condemning scientists and other nonbelievers for their intellectual arrogance. You have done a fine job of this above. And yet, there is no worldview more reprehensible in its arrogance than that of a religious believer: The Creator of the Universe takes an active interest in me, approves of me, loves me, and will reward me after death; my current beliefs, drawn from scripture, will remain the best statement of the truth until the end of the world; everyone who disagrees with me will spend eternity in hell…

An average believer has achieved a level of arrogance that is simply unimaginable in scientific discourse—and there have been some extraordinarily arrogant scientists.

--Sam Harris

Also, take a look at this clip from 00:15 to 01:08 to get a sense of the gravity of your nonsense.

Come, let us be patient. If experience teaches anything about people of faith it is that they are equally certain that they are one of the very few to whom divine revelation is given and, because it is not given on the basis of intelligence much hilarity may ensue. You go, Gary!