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Can any rational person believe that the Bible is anything but a human document? We now know pretty well where the various books came from, and about when they were written. We know that they were written by human beings who had no knowledge of science, little knowledge of life, and were influenced by the barbarous morality of primitive times, and were grossly ignorant of most things that men know today.
Clarence Darrow
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote questions the divine nature of the Bible, suggesting it is purely a human creation influenced by its historical context.

Clarence Darrow's quote critically examines the origins of the Bible, emphasizing that it is a product of human authors from primitive times, lacking knowledge of modern science and ethics. By asserting that it is shaped by the cultural and moral limitations of its authors, Darrow challenges the idea of its divine authority and invites readers to consider the historical and societal factors that shaped religious texts.

Themes

BibleHuman DocumentKnowledgeMoralityReligion

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion on the historical reliability of religious texts.

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Do I need to argue to Your Honor that cruelty only breeds cruelty? That hatred only causes hatred; that if there is any way to soften this human heart which is hard enough at its best, if there is any way to kill evil and hatred and all that goes with it, it is not through evil and hatred and cruelty; it is through charity, and love, and understanding?
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Chase after the truth like all hell.
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Liberty is the most jealous and exacting mistress that can beguile the brain and soul of man. She will have nothing from him who will not give her all. She knows that his pretended love serves but to betray. But when once the fierce heat of her quenchless, lustrous eyes have burned into the victim's heart, he will know no other smile but hers.
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The trouble with law is lawyers.
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