You cannot show real respect to your parents by perpetuating their errors.... Do you consider that the inventor of a steel plow cast a slur upon his father who scratched the ground with a wooden one? I do not consider that an invention by the son is a slander upon the father; I regard each invention simply as an improvement; and every father should be exceedingly proud of an ingenious son. If Mr. Talmage has a son, it will be impossible for him to honor his father except by differing with him.

We do not need the forgiveness of God, but of each other and of ourselves.

Only those who live on the labor of the ignorant are the enemies of science. Real love and real religion are in no danger from science. The more we know the safer all good things are.

This is my creed: Happiness is the only good; reason the only torch; justice the only worship, humanity the only religion, and love the only priest.

Theology is not what we know about God, but what we do not know about Nature.

So, ministers say that they teach charity. This is natural. They live on alms. All beggars teach that others should give.

There is more real devotional feeling summoned from the temple of the mind by great music than by any sermon ever delivered.