“For strictly scientific or technological purposes all this is irrelevant. On a pragmatic view, as on a religious view, theory and concepts are held in faith.”

On the pragmatic view the only thing that matters is that the theory is efficacious, that it ‘works’ and that the necessary preliminaries and side issues do not cost too much in time and effort.

Beyond that, theory and concepts go to constitute a language in which the scientistic matters at issue can be formulated and discussed.

If God is about putting God ahead of myself then I’ve just quit being religious, because that’s what got me into such deep trouble.

Because religious training means credulity training, churches should not be surprised to find that so many of their congregations accept astrology as readily as theology, or a channeled Atlantean priest as readily as a biblical prophet.

Religious fanaticism and hatred are a world-devouring fire, whose violence none can quench.

Monarchy hardens into despotism. Aristocracy contracts into oligarchy. Democracy expands into the supremacy of numbers.

Whenever people can access deities directly without the intervention of a religious hierarchy, they don’t need to have hierarchy so much.

You don’t even want to play that game. You want to reclaim your mind and get it out of the hands of the cultural engineers who want to turn you into a half-baked moron consuming all this trash that’s being manufactured out of the bones of a dying world.

I say, Lord, do right be me, I’m tired of being lonesome, on’ry, and mean.

He gave us all a mind to think with and to know what’s right or wrong, he is that inner spirit that keeps us strong.