Quotes: on Religion
Mar. 10th, 2010 10:56 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mahnmutBecause it's Religion week on TP, let's see what Pratchett has to say on the matter.
And it came to pass that in time the Great God Om spake unto Brutha, the Chosen One: "Psst!"
(Small Gods)
Gods don't like people not doing much work. People who aren't busy all the time might start to think.
(Small Gods)
It's a god-eat-god world.
(Small Gods)
He says gods like to see an atheist around. Gives them something to aim at.
(Small Gods)
The trouble with being a god is that you've got no one to pray to.
(Small Gods)
"You're not one of us." "I don't think I'm one of them, either," said Brutha. "I'm one of mine."
(Small Gods)
All holy piety in public, and all peeled grapes and self-indulgence in private.
(Small Gods)
When you can flatten entire cities at a whim, a tendency towards quiet reflection and seeing-things-from-the-other-fellow's-point- of-view is seldom necessary.
(Small Gods)
Take it from me, whenever you see a bunch of buggers puttering around talking about truth and beauty and the best way of attacking Ethics, you can bet your sandals it's all because dozens of other poor buggers are doing all the real work around the place.
(Small Gods)
"Why do you bother with him? He's had thousands of people killed!" "Yes, but perhaps he thought that you wanted it."
(Small Gods)
The figures looked more or less human. And they were engaged in religion. You could tell by the knives (it's not murder if you do it for a god).
(Small Gods)
"He's muffed it," said Simony. "he could have done anything with them. And he just told them the facts. You can't inspire people with facts. They need a cause. They need a symbol."
(Small Gods)
"All the other prophets came back with commandments!" "Where they get them?" "I ... suppose they made them up." "You get them from the same place."
(Small Gods)
"Now we've got a truth to die for!" "No. Men should die for lies. But the truth is too precious to die for."
(Small Gods)
YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES [before you can believe the big ones]. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING….TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—AND YET YOU ACT LIKE THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME…SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED. ~Death
(Hogfather)
This is very similar to the suggestion put forward by the Quirmian philosopher Ventre, who said, "Possibly the gods exist, and possibly they do not. So why not believe in them in any case? If it's all true you'll go to a lovely place when you die, and if it isn't then you've lost nothing, right?" When he died he woke up in a circle of gods holding nasty-looking sticks and one of them said, "We're going to show you what we think of Mr. Clever [Guy] in these parts..."
(Hogfather)
Between every rational moment were a billion irrational ones.
(Hogfather)
Dios, First Minister and high priest among high priests, wasn’t a naturally religious man. It wasn’t a desirable quality in a high priest, it affected your judgment, made you unsound. Start believing in things and the whole business became a farce.
(Pyramids)
Dil was realising that there are few things that so shake belief as seeing, clearly and precisely, the object of that belief. Seeing, contrary to popular wisdom, isn’t believing. It’s where belief stops, because it isn’t needed anymore.
(Pyramids)
There’s no point in believing in things that exist. ~Didactylos
(Small Gods)
“But that doesn’t mean I know everything.” ~The Great God Om in response to “But you…you’re omnicognisant.”
(Small Gods)
“Blasphemy? How can I blaspheme? I’m a god!” ~The Great God Om
(Small Gods)
This was the definition of eternity; it was the space of time devised by the Great God Om to ensure that everyone got the punishment that was due to them.
(Small Gods)
“This doesn’t change anything, you know! Don’t think you can get round me by existing!” ~Simony, a devout atheist, when confronted by the Great God Om
(Small Gods)
And it came to pass that in time the Great God Om spake unto Brutha, the Chosen One: "Psst!"
(Small Gods)
Gods don't like people not doing much work. People who aren't busy all the time might start to think.
(Small Gods)
It's a god-eat-god world.
(Small Gods)
He says gods like to see an atheist around. Gives them something to aim at.
(Small Gods)
The trouble with being a god is that you've got no one to pray to.
(Small Gods)
"You're not one of us." "I don't think I'm one of them, either," said Brutha. "I'm one of mine."
(Small Gods)
All holy piety in public, and all peeled grapes and self-indulgence in private.
(Small Gods)
When you can flatten entire cities at a whim, a tendency towards quiet reflection and seeing-things-from-the-other-fellow's-point- of-view is seldom necessary.
(Small Gods)
Take it from me, whenever you see a bunch of buggers puttering around talking about truth and beauty and the best way of attacking Ethics, you can bet your sandals it's all because dozens of other poor buggers are doing all the real work around the place.
(Small Gods)
"Why do you bother with him? He's had thousands of people killed!" "Yes, but perhaps he thought that you wanted it."
(Small Gods)
The figures looked more or less human. And they were engaged in religion. You could tell by the knives (it's not murder if you do it for a god).
(Small Gods)
"He's muffed it," said Simony. "he could have done anything with them. And he just told them the facts. You can't inspire people with facts. They need a cause. They need a symbol."
(Small Gods)
"All the other prophets came back with commandments!" "Where they get them?" "I ... suppose they made them up." "You get them from the same place."
(Small Gods)
"Now we've got a truth to die for!" "No. Men should die for lies. But the truth is too precious to die for."
(Small Gods)
YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES [before you can believe the big ones]. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING….TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—AND YET YOU ACT LIKE THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME…SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED. ~Death
(Hogfather)
This is very similar to the suggestion put forward by the Quirmian philosopher Ventre, who said, "Possibly the gods exist, and possibly they do not. So why not believe in them in any case? If it's all true you'll go to a lovely place when you die, and if it isn't then you've lost nothing, right?" When he died he woke up in a circle of gods holding nasty-looking sticks and one of them said, "We're going to show you what we think of Mr. Clever [Guy] in these parts..."
(Hogfather)
Between every rational moment were a billion irrational ones.
(Hogfather)
Dios, First Minister and high priest among high priests, wasn’t a naturally religious man. It wasn’t a desirable quality in a high priest, it affected your judgment, made you unsound. Start believing in things and the whole business became a farce.
(Pyramids)
Dil was realising that there are few things that so shake belief as seeing, clearly and precisely, the object of that belief. Seeing, contrary to popular wisdom, isn’t believing. It’s where belief stops, because it isn’t needed anymore.
(Pyramids)
There’s no point in believing in things that exist. ~Didactylos
(Small Gods)
“But that doesn’t mean I know everything.” ~The Great God Om in response to “But you…you’re omnicognisant.”
(Small Gods)
“Blasphemy? How can I blaspheme? I’m a god!” ~The Great God Om
(Small Gods)
This was the definition of eternity; it was the space of time devised by the Great God Om to ensure that everyone got the punishment that was due to them.
(Small Gods)
“This doesn’t change anything, you know! Don’t think you can get round me by existing!” ~Simony, a devout atheist, when confronted by the Great God Om
(Small Gods)
