Not one of the orthodox ministers dare preach what he thinks if he knows a majority of his congregation think otherwise. He knows that every member of his church stands guard over his brain with a creed, like a club, in his hand. He knows that he is not expected to search after the truth, but that he is employed to defend the creed. Every pulpit is a pillory, in which stands a hired culprit, defending the justice of his own imprisonment. .Robert G. Ingersoll
About This Quote
The author, Frederick Douglass, was speaking to the hypocrisy of the church. The church wanted men of faith to believe in a certain way, but when these men did not conform, they were scorned for their lack of faith. Today, the church wants us to believe in a set of doctrines but will not entertain different ideas. They are worried that if we all agree on certain ideas then our faith will be questioned. However, the only way to have faith is to be open-minded and think for yourself.
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