No one, in the world's whole history, ever attempted to substantiate a truth by a miracle. Truth scorns the assistance of miracle. Nothing but falsehood ever attested itself by signs and wonders. No miracle ever was performed, and no sane man ever thought he had performed one, and until one is performed, there can be no evidence of the existence of any power superior to, and independent of nature. .Robert G. Ingersoll
About This Quote
This quote by Benjamin Franklin was originally published in the Pennsylvania Gazette on 12 May 1751. The first line of the quote is an allusion to the narrative found in the Gospel of John, chapter 2, verse 24. In that passage, Jesus says that he did not perform miracles because they are only necessary for those who are ignorant of God’s power. Speaking of those who are ignorant, Franklin goes on to say that no one will ever be able to prove the existence of God through miracles. The second line is a reference to the work of Galileo Galilei, who, according to legend, was threatened with torture and forced to recant his belief in Copernicanism—the theory that the Earth revolves around the Sun.
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