Mark Twain on religion

[FiveFingerMnemonic]

Enjoying reading through Mark Twain's quotes on religion.

A few favorites:

In religion and politics people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination, from authorities who have not themselves examined the questions at issue but have taken them at second-hand from other non-examiners, whose opinions about them were not worth a brass farthing.
- Autobiographical dictation, 10 July 1908. Published in Autobiography of Mark Twain, Volume 3 (University of California Press, 2015)


The easy confidence with which I know another man's religion is folly teaches me to suspect that my own is also. I would not interfere with any one's religion, either to strengthen it or to weaken it. I am not able to believe one's religion can affect his hereafter one way or the other, no matter what that religion may be. But it may easily be a great comfort to him in this life--hence it is a valuable possession to him. 
- Mark Twain, a Biography

[RubinHighlander]

Mark Twain on the whiskey the Mormons made:

“The exclusive Mormon refresher...Valley Tan... is a kind
of whisky, or first cousin to it; is of Mormon invention and manufactured
only in Utah. Tradition says it is made of [imported] fire and brimstone. If I
remember rightly, no public drinking saloons were allowed in the kingdom
by Brigham Young, and no private drinking permitted among the faithful,
except they confined themselves to Valley Tan.”

And BTW, if you want to get into whiskey, this one is probably one of the best to start with. It's a wheat based whiskey, so it's smooth and doesn't burn with fire and brimstone like most rye based whiskeys.

[FiveFingerMnemonic]

Mark Twain's review of the Book of Mormon from "Roughing it"

http://twain.lib.virginia.edu/roughingi ... rmon6.html

[2bizE]

This description of the BoM by Mark Twain is fascinating. It is full of sarcasm and wit. He could see how JS conned so many people, and enjoyed watching the spectacle from the roadside.

[Hagoth]

This description of the BoM by Mark Twain is fascinating. It is full of sarcasm and wit. He could see how JS conned so many people, and enjoyed watching the spectacle from the roadside.

I like his final summary:

The Mormon Bible is rather stupid and tiresome to read, but there is nothing vicious in its teachings. Its code of morals is unobjectionable--it is "smouched" from the New Testament and no credit given.

Even though people tend to associate the Book of Mormon more with the Old Testament because the majority of it is said to have happened before Christ, Mark Twain picked up the fact that it is far more dependent on the New Testament for it's actual language and teachings, something most Mormons fail to do - and what led to my final shelf collapse.

[1smartdodog]

Quotes negative on religion are for that other guys reliigion My religion is correct.

[Kishkumen]

I love these Twain quotes. Yet I am not as sympathetic as Mark Twain regarding religion. I would interfere when possible to harm it.

I also dissent on the whiskey part. Maybe it's because whiskey experience has been unfortunate and largely involves Jameson. Maybe wheat is better than rye.

But are this point, I'm a rum man.

[Newme]

I hadn’t heard the one about religion being a valuable posession for some in this life. I think that’s true - but religion can also be damning ironically - holding people back from truth/God.

Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain):
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to reform (or pause & reflect).”
“Never tell the truth to people who are not worthy of it.”
“Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option.”

“But who prays for Satan? Who, in eighteen centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner that needed it most?”
“I've lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.”
“The worst loneliness is to not be comfortable with yourself.”
“The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter.”