“The sciences are not sectarian. People do not persecute each other on account of disagreements in mathematics. Families are not divided about botany, and astronomy does not even tend to make a man hate his father and mother. It is what people do not know, that they persecute each other about. Science will bring, not a sword, but peace.”

American lawyer, writer, and orator

Robert Green Ingersoll, known as “the Great Agnostic,” was an American lawyer, writer, and orator in the Golden Age of Free Thought. He became known for defending agnosticism in public life. He argued forcefully for free inquiry and skepticism, and his reputation rested as much on his speaking as on his writing. His work is associated with the broader free thought movement, where he stood out as a prominent advocate for agnostic ideas.