“The telescope destroyed the firmament, did away with the heaven of the New Testament, rendered the ascension of our Lord and the assumption of his Mother infinitely absurd, crumbled to chaos the gates and palaces of the New Jerusalem, and in their places gave to man a wilderness of worlds.”

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.