A temple was worth a dozen barracks; a militia man carrying a gun could control a small unarmed crowd only for as long as he was present; however, a single priest could put a policeman inside the head of every one of their flock, for ever.

Iain M. Banks
About This Quote

A temple was worth a dozen barracks; a militia man carrying a gun could control a small unarmed crowd only for as long as he was present; however, a single priest could put a policeman inside the head of every one of their flock, for ever. This quote from the great anarchist poet, Bakunin , summarizes quite well in his day how religion can be used in conjunction with violence to enforce the will of the State. At the time of this writing in Eastern Europe (the 20th century), these ideas are still very much alive.

Some Similar Quotes
  1. Hate the sin, love the sinner. - Mahatma Gandhi
  2. No woman wants to be in submission to a man who isn't in submission to God! - T.d. Jakes
  3. Isn't it funny how the memories you cherish before a breakup can become your worst enemies afterwards? The thoughts you loved to think about, the memories you wanted to hold up to the light and view from every angle--it suddenly seems a lot safer to... - Ally Condie
  4. You made me confess the fears that I have. But I will tell you also what I do not fear. I do not fear to be alone or to be spurned for another or to leave whatever I have to leave. And I am not... - James Joyce
  5. There comes a time in your life when you have to choose to turn the page, write another book or simply close it. - Shannon L. Alder
More Quotes By Iain M. Banks
  1. I just took [my cancer diagnosis] as bad luck, basically. It did strike me almost immediately, my atheist sort of thing kicked in and I thought "ha, if I was a God-botherer, I'd be thinking, why me God? What have I done to deserve this?"...
  2. The trouble with writing fiction is that it has to make sense, whereas real life doesn't.
  3. The History Of The Universe In Three WordsCHAPTER ONEBang! CHAPTER TWOsssssCHAPTER THREEcrunch.THE END
  4. What, anyway, was he to say? That intelligence could surpass and excel the blind force of evolution, with its emphasis on mutation, struggle and death? That conscious cooperation was more efficient than feral competition?
  5. A temple was worth a dozen barracks; a militia man carrying a gun could control a small unarmed crowd only for as long as he was present; however, a single priest could put a policeman inside the head of every one of their flock, for...
Related Topics