John Viscount Morley Quote

“When it is a duty to worship the sun it is pretty sure to be a crime to examine the laws of heat.”

~ John Viscount Morley

Voltaire, 1872

Ratings and Comments


Terry Berg, Occidental, CA

Blasphemer!!!! Hahahahahaha Those 'philosopher' types, ya cain't trust 'em - no fear o' Gawd. Too mush thinkin' goin' awn - no akchin.

David L. Rosenthal, Hollywood

He never read the First Amendment?

Joe, Rochester, MI

He's not writing about religious freedom, you socialist simpleton, he's writing about questioning authority. BTW, the First Amendment ends with "... and to petition the Government for redress of grievances."

E Archer, NYC

'Dutiful worshippers' are all too quick to drag the 'heretics' before the magistrate. Those that think for themselves are a minority and thus in conflict with the majority under the thumb of authoritarian power.

David L. Rosenthal, Hollywood

Joe: I do not care whether you call me a simpleton, but do not call me a socialist. Karl Marx said, "My objective in life is to dethrone God and to destroy capitalism." He also wrote that the meaning of peace is the absence of opposition to socialism. Both ideas are repugnant, as is forcing people to work as much as possible but only get paid the same as the one who works little. Socialism as practiced historically has npot always been totalitarianistic, but it certainly has not been just. As for the First Amendment, it deals with several issues apart from religion, or had you not noticed?

Terry Berg, Occidental, CA

Joe, I'm going to make the rash assumption that David has not the first clue as to what the 'laws of heat' (thermodynamics) actually refers to. Here's a hint (or two) David: It does NOT refer to Einstein's assertion that "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." It also doesn't mean gasbags or soufflés inevitably rise. BTW - 'totalitarianistic' - it's not a word.

David L. Rosenthal

To act and to behave are synonymous in certain clearly accepted usage, according to the dictionary, despite your refusal to acknowledge it. To deny that totalitarianistic is a legitimate word only makes you look foolish. And I wonder, do your friends call you Ice?

Terry Berg, Occidental, CA

Who is David addressing? If it were me (LOL) I'd respond as follows: Examples would be nice. Dictionaries are available online for those who lack one. I've not refused to acknowledge what's true and accurate. What I've provided is the definition of two words in another entry (post). Clearly, those who confuse 'act' with 'behave' and claim that they "are synonymous in certain clearly accepted usage" have either not looked the words up or they've not understood what's in the dictionaries -or - they are careless and sloppy in their use of the language. Ignore the definitions and create your own illusions as you like David. "totalitarianistic" (it's 'totalitarian') is like "conversating" (it's 'conversing') and "eckcetera" (it's 'et cetera') - they don't exist except in slob-speak. Are they on the web? Absolutely - in posts or blog entries featuring colloquialisms like 'wazzup'. I got 489 'hits' on a search of "totalitarianistic". 'Legitimate' words return hundreds of thousands of results - not 489. Are they in a reference work (outside of 'novelty' compendia displayed in the humor sections in your local bookstore)? No. I'm not denying these 'words' are in use - somewhere. They are. While it's true that English evolves, those words are not currently recognized outside of a small, select community of dropouts who speak mainly 'Ganglish' - Ganglish; it's a word - really. I read it. - I wrote it and then I read it. LOL It's also true that supposedly educated people actually use these 'words' on national news networks among other programming. It's also true that news anchors have adopted the military's term for a 'stash' (of weapons), 'CACHE' (pronounced 'cash') and are pretentiously pronouncing it as if it were 'cachet' (rhymes with 'sashay'). Euw sew continental, dewn't yew think? It's a shame the mispronunciation of the word does NOT bestow cachet on its users. Perhaps they've adopted the military pronunciation so as not to embarrass the military. We can only hope. - Awwwww, does my little hangman want warm and fuzzy? Ok, just for you; I love you my little snuggy-pooh. All better now? I don't imagine that friends of mine are so insecure as to think of calling me Ice but you are absolutely free to call me what makes you feel good. It's always illuminating to hear the opinions of others.

m, m
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m, m    12/9/09
Mike, Norwalk

It is now a politically correct duty to worship the occupying statist theocracy infesting this land with all its moral imperatives. Duty has made It a crime to speak ill of the high priests in their presence - only in free speech zones can the heretic speak their mind. It is mandated duty to make wedding cakes for all the statist theocracy's patrons - it is a hate crime to refuse. By ecclesiastical duty, evangelists within theocratic seminaries (government schools) regularly make it a crime to wear apparel that would have advertisements, dogmas or anything that is contrary to the party line (or even spark an examination thereof). To seek or examine life styles outside the statist theocracy's canons, liberty for example, is a crime.

Liberty is: The power of acting as one thinks fit, without any restraint or control, except from the laws of nature. (Bouviers Law Dictionary) Liberty is the exemption from extraneous control. The power of the will, in its moral freedom, to follow the dictates of its unrestricted choice, and to direct the external acts of the individual without restraint, coercion, or control from other persons. Liberty is the right which nature gives to all mankind of disposing of their persons and property after the manner they judge most consistent with their happiness, on condition of their acting within the limits of the law of nature, and so as not to interfere with an equal exercise of the same rights by other men. (Blacks Law Dictionary 1st ed.) Liberty: "Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law,' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual." (Thomas Jefferson) If one examines the laws of nature and of natures God natural law and comes to admire or devote himself to live by libertys principles, it will be surely found that such is criminally in direct conflict with the duty to worship the occupying statist theocracy infesting this land with all its dogmas and theocratic canons.

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