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My goodness! How the simple and ignorant allow themselves to be deceived by their leaders, who are themselves blind guides! And how easily great mysteries, even an entire religion, have been hammered out and for centuries have chained human reason and conscience from a few obscure words that people do not understand and whose genuine antiquity is extremely doubtful!

— Hermann Samuel Reimarus Reimarus: Fragments (1970)

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More quotes by Hermann Samuel Reimarus

It is foolish to sigh and complain about mankind's disbelief if one cannot furnish men with the persuasive evidence that the matter demands, based on a healthy reason.

Reimarus: Fragments (1970)

It was entirely possible that Jesus' body was secretly stolen from the tomb at night and that it was buried in another place.

Reimarus: Fragments (1970)

Is that why he came from heaven, to remain incognito? Not to reveal himself as one from heaven?

Reimarus: Fragments (1970)

It is clear, by their own account, and therefore requires no further proof, that the apostles and all the disciples were induced by ambitious motives, by hopes of future wealth and power, lands and worldly goods, to follow Jesus as their Messiah and king.

Fragments from Reimarus (1879)

The apostles strayed completely from their master in their teaching and in their lives, abandoning his religion and his intention and introducing a completely new system.

Reimarus: Fragments (1970)

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