Notions of the depravity of human reason, Allen argued, were cherished by priests because, if ordinary human beings were assumed to be perfectly capable of reasoning for themselves, the clergy would be out of work.

— Susan Jacoby Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism (2004)

More quotes by Susan Jacoby

Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism (2004)

Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism (2004)

Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism (2004)

Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism (2004)

The Age of American Unreason (2008)

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Susan Jacoby (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.