Single Idea 5957

[catalogued under 28. God / C. Attitudes to God / 5. Atheism]

Full Idea

Men have never thought the universe godless on the ground of detecting some fault in stars or seasons; ..it is the ridiculous things that superstition does that makes people say it would be better if there were no gods at all.

Gist of Idea

Absurd superstitions make people atheist, not disharmony in nature

Source

Plutarch (14: Superstition [c.85], §12)

Book Reference

Plutarch: 'Selected Essays and Dialogues', ed/tr. Russell,Donald [OUP 1993], p.11


A Reaction

Not true, I would say. Absurd superstitions do discredit belief in the supernatural, but earthquakes are a disharmony in nature, and a nasty one at that. Nowadays we have other explanations to rival those of religion.