“It seems that sin is geographical.”

—  Bertrand Russell

From this conclusion, it is only a small step to the further conclusion that the notion of "sin" is illusory, and that the cruelty habitually practised in punishing it is unnecessary.
A Fresh Look at Empiricism: 1927-42 (1996), p. 283
Attributed from posthumous publications

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update Sept. 29, 2023. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "It seems that sin is geographical." by Bertrand Russell?
Bertrand Russell photo
Bertrand Russell562
logician, one of the first analytic philosophers and politi… 1872–1970

Related quotes

Bertrand Russell photo

“It seems that sin is geographical. From this conclusion, it is only a small step to the further conclusion that the notion of "sin" is illusory, and that the cruelty habitually practised in punishing it is unnecessary.”

Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) logician, one of the first analytic philosophers and political activist

A Fresh Look at Empiricism: 1927-42 (1996), p. 283
Attributed from posthumous publications

Bertrand Russell photo

“Sin is geographical.”

Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) logician, one of the first analytic philosophers and political activist

Denis Diderot photo

“The blood of Jesus Christ can cover a multitude of sins, it seems to me.”

Denis Diderot (1713–1784) French Enlightenment philosopher and encyclopædist

Conversations with a Christian Lady (1774)

Theodor W. Adorno photo

“The jargon makes it seem that … the pure attention of the expression to the subject matter would be a fall into sin.”

Theodor W. Adorno (1903–1969) German sociologist, philosopher and musicologist known for his critical theory of society

Source: Jargon der Eigentlichkeit [Jargon of Authenticity] (1964), p. 9

James K. Morrow photo

“Although covetousness is not my only flaw, it seems to cause me more pain than all my other sins combined.”

James K. Morrow (1947) (1947-) science fiction author

Source: Blameless in Abaddon (1996), Chapter 11 (p. 255; spoken by the Devil)

Christopher Hitchens photo

“For me, to remember friendship is to recall those conversations that it seemed a sin to break off: the ones that made the sacrifice of the following day a trivial one.”

Christopher Hitchens Mortality

Source: Mortality

Mark Heard photo

“Sometimes it seems Christians confuse their human nature with their sinful nature. The former we were created with, the latter we chose. It does us no good to try and escape our humanness and in so doing think we are escaping our sin. -Fingerprint.”

Mark Heard (1951–1992) American musician and record producer

Liner Notes

Sören Kierkegaard photo

“In the deepest sense, the being in a state of sin is the sin, the particular sins are not the continuation of sin, they are expressions of its continuation.”

Sören Kierkegaard (1813–1855) Danish philosopher and theologian, founder of Existentialism

Source: The Sickness Unto Death: A Christian Psychological Exposition for Upbuilding and Awakening

Miguel de Unamuno photo

“The real sin — perhaps it is a sin against the Holy Ghost for which there is no remission — is the sin of heresy, the sin of thinking for oneself.”

Miguel de Unamuno (1864–1936) 19th-20th century Spanish writer and philosopher

The Tragic Sense of Life (1913), IV : The Essence of Catholicism
Context: The real sin — perhaps it is a sin against the Holy Ghost for which there is no remission — is the sin of heresy, the sin of thinking for oneself. The saying has been heard before now, here in Spain, that to be a liberal — that is, a heretic — is worse than being an assassin, a thief, or an adulterer. The gravest sin is not to obey the Church, whose infallibility protects us from reason.

Edward Bouverie Pusey photo

“Take steadily some one sin, which seems to stand out before thee, to root it out, by God's grace, and every fibre of it. Purpose strongly, by the grace and strength of God, wholly to sacrifice this sin or sinful inclination to the love of God, to spare it not, until thou leave of it none remaining, neither root nor branch.Fix, by God's help, not only to root out this sin, but to set thyself to gain, by that same help, the opposite grace. If thou art tempted to be angry, try hard, by God's grace, to be very meek; if to be proud, seek to be very humble.”

Edward Bouverie Pusey (1800–1882) British saint

Quoted in "Daily Strength For Daily Needs "

Related topics