One of the greatest delusions in the world is the hope that the evils in this world are to be cured by legislation.
Thomas ReedRead
One, with God, is always a majority, but many a martyr has been burned at the stake while the votes were being counted.
Interpretation
Having faith in a higher power can empower an individual against the majority, yet it may come with personal sacrifice.
This quote highlights the idea that one person's conviction, especially when rooted in faith, can stand strong against the prevailing opinions or actions of the majority. However, it also acknowledges the historical reality that those who hold strong beliefs, like martyrs, often face significant consequences for their stance, especially when societal support wavers or is belated.
In practice
In a speech about personal beliefs and integrity, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of standing firm in one's convictions despite opposition.
Some of the greatest uprisings and consequent civil wars in Mexico have centered squarely on the ownership of land.
I was not looking now at an unusual flower arrangement. I was seeing what Adam had seen on the morning of his creation - the miracle, moment by moment, of naked existence.
Never have ideas about children, and never have ideas for them.
Looking at the world as a whole, the drift for many decades has been not towards anarchy but towards the reimposition of slavery. We may be heading not for general breakdown but for an epoch as horribly stable as the slave empires of antiquity.
Atheism is not a philosophy; it is not even a view of the world; it is simply a refusal to deny the obvious. Unfortunately, we live in a world in which the obvious is overlooked as a matter of principle.
Debt is a prolific mother of folly and of crime.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.