““I believe in Providence, mistress.”
“But when you say Providence, do you really mean god?”
“No, mistress. I don’t believe in any of the old gods. No one does any more. No one of sense, at any rate. Providence is the rule of laws, mistress,” I said.”
Source: Culture series, Inversions (1998), Chapter 7 (p. 126)
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Iain Banks 139
Scottish writer 1954–2013Related quotes

“I believe if I were in that situation, God would provide a way to do the right thing righteously.”
TV appearances
Context: Eddie Izzard: What if someone comes to you in the middle of the Second World War and says, "Do you have any Jewish people in your house?" and you do have them. That would be a lie. That would be disrespectful to Hitler.
Christine O'Donnell: I believe if I were in that situation, God would provide a way to do the right thing righteously. I believe that!
Bill Maher: God is not there. Hitler's there and you're there.
Christine O'Donnell: You never have to practice deception. God always provides a way out.

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.17
Context: I do not ascribe to God ignorance of anything or any kind of weakness; I hold that Divine Providence is related and closely connected with the intellect, because Providence can only proceed from an intelligent being, from a being that is itself the most perfect Intellect. Those creatures, therefore, which receive part of that intellectual influence, will become subject to the action of Providence in the same proportion as they are acted upon by the intellect. This theory is in accordance with reason and with the teaching of the Scripture, whilst the other theories previously mentioned either exaggerate Divine Providence of detract from it.

Source: Attributed, Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), P. 279.

Patheos, The Cow http://www.patheos.com/blogs/reasonadvocates/2016/01/22/the-cow/ (January 22, 2016)