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yusime
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"Let us, also, endeavor to realize the unutterable torments endured by men and maidens in their efforts to subdue the natural desires of their senses and their affections to the unnatural celibacy of the cloister, and we shall see that the tortures inflicted by Christianity have been more cruel than the cruelties of death. Christianity has ever been the enemy of human love; it has forever cursed and expelled and crucified the one passion which sweetens and smiles on human life, which makes the desert blossom as the rose, and which glorifies the common things and common ways of earth. It made of this, the angel of life, a shape of sin and darkness, and bade the woman whose lips were warm with the first kisses of her lover believe herself accursed and ashamed. Even in the unions which it reluctantly permitted, it degraded and dwarfed the passion which it could not entirely exclude, and permitted it coarsely to exist for the mere necessity of procreation. . . . Love, the winged god of the immortals, became, in the Christian creed, a thrice-damned and earth-bound devil, to be exorcised and loathed. This has been the greatest injury that Christianity has ever done to the human race. Love, the one supreme, unceasing source of human felicity, the one sole joy which lifts the whole mortal existence into the empyrean, was by it degraded into the mere mechanical act of reproduction. It cut the wings of Eros." Ouida
He who joyfully marches in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake since for him a spinal cord would suffice. Albert Einstein
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Dear Pat,
How interesting - and she died in 1908. One reason Sylvia and I let our children bring their boyfriends home to bed was that we had felt that life between puberty and getting married (which we did at 28 and 29) was a sexual desert and that it didn't need to be like that since adequate contraception had been available.
Do you know in which of her many books Ouida wrote that? Do you know how it was taken by society then? I'd like to read a review of the book.
Overall, I'm inclined to agree with her, but the harm done by religion in sexual repression is almost matched by the harm done in fomenting hate between peoples and the wars resulting.
Plainly we are likely to agree that almost all religion does more harm than good.
Love,
Anthony
[Updated on: Thu, 08 May 2008 10:14] |
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yusime
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I don't really know which book its written in I found it on a website dealing with quotes representing separation of church and state. I'll see if i can find it though.
He who joyfully marches in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake since for him a spinal cord would suffice. Albert Einstein
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Dear Pat,
Project Gutenburg has a few of her books but the collection of quotations from her writings doesn't have your quotation in it. I downloaded it and searched!
Love,
Anthony
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yusime
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I found it at
http://www.humanismbyjoe.com
might be in the failure of Christianity but I'm not sure.
He who joyfully marches in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake since for him a spinal cord would suffice. Albert Einstein
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Thank you, Pat,
That is really a marvellous site. I found the quotation from Ouida but the site doesn't give any more detail.
It's most encouraging to find such people as Joe Sommer. Wouldn't a guy like that be a wonderful President?
I think it may be true what they say - that no-one who wants the job ought to be allowed near it. Wanting it ought to be a disqualification!
Anyway I've bookmarked the site and shall be going back to it.
Love,
Anthony
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Dear Pat,
I asked Joe Sommer about the quote from Ouida and he replied:
The quote from Ouida is from the book Women Without Superstition, edited by Annie Laurie Gaylor. It's on pages 257 to 258 in an article titled "The Failure of Christianity," by Ouida. The book is published by the Freedom From Religion Foundation (www.ffrf.org). Annie Laurie is co-president of that group.
Not only is he one of the good guys, he answers questions. That is outstanding, don't you think!
Love,
Anthony
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yusime
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Location: United States
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Messages: 195
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Hi Anthony, Thanks for the information i've just been a little busy for the last week. We do need all the help we can get especially in America right now. If the terrifying Christian conservatives win in 2008 then I'm afarid the Muslim terriorist are going to have a lot of help in destroying the US.
He who joyfully marches in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake since for him a spinal cord would suffice. Albert Einstein
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Quote: Christianity and its tragic impact on Love 
