“If we long to believe that the stars rise and set for us, that we are the reason there is a Universe, does science do us a disservice in deflating our conceits?”

— Carl Sagan , book The Demon-Haunted World

Source: The Demon-Haunted World : Science as a Candle in the Dark (1995), Ch. 1 : The Most Precious Thing, p. 12
Source: The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

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Carl Sagan 365

American astrophysicist, cosmologist, author and science ed… 1934–1996

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But trailing clouds of glory do we come”

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Carl Sagan book Broca's Brain

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“Our people are trying to break the bond set by God. That is human conceit rising against God.”

Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) German anti-Nazi theologian and Lutheran pastor

Statement on behalf of the Confessional Church, signed by nine other pastors, as quoted in TIME magazine (27 July 1936) http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,847755,00.html
Context: Our people are trying to break the bond set by God. That is human conceit rising against God. In this connection we must warn the Führer, that the adoration frequently bestowed on him is only due to God. Some years ago the Führer objected to having his picture placed on Protestant altars. Today his thoughts are used as a basis not only for political decisions but also for morality and law. He himself is surrounded with the dignity of a priest and even of an intermediary between God and man... We ask that liberty be given to our people to go their way in the future under the sign of the Cross of Christ, in order that our grandsons may not curse their elders on the ground that their elders left them a state on earth that closed to them the Kingdom of God.

“With us [in office], there will be no such human rights politicking. These bandits will die, because we will not send resources from the government to them. Instead of peace, these NGOs do a disservice to our Brazil.”

Jair Bolsonaro (1955) Brazilian president elect

At an event in Araçatuba on 23 August 2018. Bolsonaro diz que se eleito 'bandidagem vai morrer' porque União não repassará recursos para direitos humanos https://g1.globo.com/sp/sao-jose-do-rio-preto-aracatuba/noticia/2018/08/23/bolsonaro-diz-que-bandidagem-vai-morrer-em-seu-governo-porque-uniao-nao-repassara-recursos-para-direitos-humanos.ghtml. G1 (23 August 2018).

“The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.”

Carl Sagan (1934–1996) American astrophysicist, cosmologist, author and science educator

“We will begin the long process of rebuilding the world's greatest military, we will level the playing field in international trade and revitalize American industry, we will give our friends reason to trust us again. Our enemies will have reason to fear us again, and our citizens will have reason to believe again. No, you don't know America, and you don't want to find out the hard way.”

Charlie Daniels (1936) American singer and musician

2010s, 2016, Letter to America's Enemies (2016)

“If there is no point in the universe that we discover by the methods of science, there is a point that we can give the universe by the way we live, by loving each other, by discovering things about nature, by creating works of art. And that—in a way, although we are not the stars in a cosmic drama, if the only drama we're starring in is one that we are making up as we go along, it is not entirely ignoble that faced with this unloving, impersonal universe we make a little island of warmth and love and science and art for ourselves. That's not an entirely despicable role for us to play.”

Steven Weinberg (1933) American theoretical physicist

Quoted in Frankenberry The Faith of Scientists: In Their Own Words (2008), p. 336

“The earth is speaking to us, but we can't hear because of all the racket our senses are making. Sometimes we need to erase them, erase our senses. Then - maybe - the earth will touch us. The universe will speak. The stars will whisper.”

Jerry Spinelli book Stargirl

Source: Stargirl

“Science tells us that the earth is getting warmer and we are probably doing it. Science tells us that this is bad. Therefore, we want science.”

Marc Randazza (1969) American writer

“Give us the knowledge that we may continue to pray with understanding hearts.
And show us what each one of us can do to set forward the coming of the day of universal peace.”

Frank Borman (1928) NASA astronaut

Prayer from Apollo 8, on Christmas Day (25 December 1968)
Context: Give us, O God, the vision which can see Your love in the world in spite of human failure.
Give us the faith to trust Your goodness in spite of our ignorance and weakness.
Give us the knowledge that we may continue to pray with understanding hearts.
And show us what each one of us can do to set forward the coming of the day of universal peace.

“If we long to believe that the stars rise and set for us, that we are the reason there is a Universe, does science do us a disservice in deflating our conceits?”

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Carl Sagan 365

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