When anyone tells me that he saw a dead man restored to life, I immediately consider with myself whether it be more probable that this person should either deceive or be deceived or that the fact which he relates should really have happened. I weigh the one miracle against the other and according to the superiority which I discover, I pronounce my decision. Always I reject the greater miracle. If the falsehood of his testimony would be more miraculous than the event which he relates, then and not till then, can he pretend to command my belief or opinion. . David Hume
About This Quote

The quote "When anyone tells me that he saw a dead man restored to life, I immediately consider with myself whether it be more probable that this person should either deceive or be deceived or that the fact which he relates should really have happened. I weigh the one miracle against the other and according to the superiority which I discover, I pronounce my decision. Always I reject the greater miracle. If the falsehood of his testimony would be more miraculous than the event which he relates, then and not till then, can he pretend to command my belief or opinion" was written by the famous philosopher Galileo Galilei in 1615.

It was a criticism of Cardinal Robert Bellarmine who said a person who tells a lie will not go to heaven. Galileo argued that a person could try to tell a lie but either God could stop them from being believed or they would just claim they didn't think they were telling a lie.

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More Quotes By David Hume
  1. Generally speaking, the errors in religion are dangerous; those in philosophy only ridiculous.
  2. Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions.
  3. Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions, and can never pretend to any other office than to serve and obey them.
  4. It is impossible for us to think of any thing, which we have not antecedently felt, either by our external or internal senses.
  5. No man ever threw away life while it was worth keeping.
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