"Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices"

Question

Was Voltaire speaking of government, or of religion?

Answer 1

"That man over there is an evil clown, out to eat your children."

"Go kill him."


Like that?

Answer 2

I'm not sure, probably Religion, I don't think many people put their full trust in the Government anywhere. Government is so corrupt and lies to it's people. Also, only belief in a supernatural perfect being could make someone believe in something so completely that they would commit many injustices because the injustices may be called moral by their beliefs. When God's on your side you can't be wrong can you?

Answer 3

Whether speaking of government or of religion, Voltaire was speaking incorrectly. No one has the power to "make" someone believe something; as soon as one is of accountable age, they are accountable for their actions, and actions should not necessarily be subject to belief. That is, a person's beliefs are not excuse for absurd actions; absurd actions are absurdities in and of themselves, and are not to be excused when they fall out of the bounds of reason.

All beliefs and all actions are to be measured against the rule of reason; where there is incompatibility, there should be no adherence.

There is no excuse for abdicating one's personal responsibility.

Answer 4

No man ever believes that the Bible means what it says: He is always convinced that it says what he means. --George Bernard Shaw

The Holy Book of the living God suffers more from its exponents today than from its opponents. -Leonard Ravenhill

The Bible is a book that has been read more and examined less than any book that ever existed. --Thomas Paine

One of these days some simple soul will pick up the Book of God, read it, and believe it. Then the rest of us will be embarrassed. --Leonard Ravenhill

Most people are bothered by those passages of Scripture they do not understand, but the passages that bother me are those I do understand. --Mark Twain

If you believe that exposing your children to violence is a problem, by all means keep them away from the Bible. --Rev. Charles Henderson

The Old Testament, as everyone who has looked into it is aware, drips with blood; there is, indeed, no more bloody chronicle in all the literature of the world. --Henry L. Mencken

When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said "Let us pray." We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land. -- Desmond Tutu

The Bible and the Church have been the greatest stumbling blocks in the way of women's emancipation. --Elizabeth Cady Stanton

The Bible itself is intolerant, and true followers of God's word should be as well.-- Bob Jones III, president of Bob Jones University

The Christian community continues to exist because the conclusions of the critical study of the Bible are largely withheld from them. --Hans Conzelmann

The Catholics have a Pope. Protestants laugh at them, and yet the Pope is capable of intellectual advancement. In addition to this, the Pope is mortal, and the church cannot be afflicted with the same idiot forever. The Protestants have a book for their Pope. The book cannot advance. Year after year, and century after century, the book remains as ignorant as ever. --Robert Ingersoll

The New Testament authors did not customarily refer to their written record as the Word of God. That subsequent Christian tradition tends to do this while the writers themselves hesitate to do it should tell us something. Evidently they distinguished the difference between the living, infinite Word and the written record more clearly than we do. If the written record is every called the Word, it is the Word only in a secondary, derivative or relational sense. It is not the Word in the absolute sense. --Robert D. Brinsmead


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Answer 5

however if this fact could be authentic in some particular narrow senses, i think of that if we learn it we would locate that it somewhat is plenty too vast a declare. Voltaire somewhat prefer to 'get people's interest' and so frequently made superb statements. He could have made a reliable blogger! however the objective of philosophy is to earnings each and every fact - even one via a noteworthy discern. So, enable's learn Voltaire's fact. To trust the fact may well be to assert that concept and action are the comparable form of element - OR - that one continually acts on one's ideals. yet that may not continually be authentic. occasion #a million. evaluate: If somebody could make you think that timber are somewhat crimson and not eco-friendly, (actual an absurdity) does that advise that this form of man or woman could make you act unjustly? eg. cheat on your taxes? Believing some thing is the case, does not advise that this form of concept will bring about any action much less an unjust action. occasion #2 . i will believe that somebody isn't a reliable worker (even nevertheless they are actual between the superb workers of their business enterprise) yet my believing this fake concept would not advise that i will fireside the guy (according to threat the guy would not artwork for me or in my business enterprise) or that i will do something in any respect according to my concept. it may be absurd to believe that the superb worker in a business enterprise isn't a reliable worker...yet that absurd concept will possibly not bring about any injustices. observe- i'm not saying that believing absurdities can not bring about appearing unjustly - albeit unknowingly ...What I i'm saying is that Voltaire's declare if too reliable because of the fact it covers cases while it would be patently fake. i think of that his could be revised to assert that if somebody has the potential to make you think in absurdities...it may be that the guy could use that comparable potential to objective to cajole you to dedicate an injustice or to act on an absurdity --- yet this form of persuader would or would not succeed because of the fact mere concept would not continually bring about action.

Answer 6

No one can make you believe anything you do not accept to believe. Injustice is a fact of life. We are, the members of our national society, victimized by the injustice of our political leaders constantly. I have no suggestion that is viable to change this condition.

Answer 7

It is one of the fundamentals of brainwashing. The initiate is forced to believe something outlandish - or rather, pressured into making themselves believe - and one they've done enough of that, they will accept anything they're told and will follow directives that normal people wouldn't accept.

I haven't read Voltaire but but unscrupulous governments and religions have both done it regularly throughout history. Like the Nazis or like Jim Jones.

(If you think about it, abusive parents and spouses often use the same principle.)

Answer 8

Like all liberals you mistakenly assume that people who do not believe the same way you do, can only do so through some kind of coercion, influence or power; I think primarily because you think that is how your ideas are promulgated, through undue persuasion.

For some reason it never occurs to you that no one has to force their beliefs on us at all.

We all just believe the same thing for one very simple reason.

It's the truth.

Answer 9

Both. It's not hard to see how both have caused their own people to believe in some very ludicrous things.

Answer 10

Both and more. Anyone with the power to influence your thoughts.

Answer 11

Both can apply, any individual or group can apply to this saying. It is general.