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Table of Contents

Section

1. APOLOGUE

2, 3. What is Theology?

4. Man is not born with any ideas of Religion

5. It is not necessary to believe in a God

6. Religion is founded on credulity

7. All religion is an absurdity

8. The idea of God is impossible

9. On the Origin of Superstition

10. On the Origin of all Religion

11. Religious fears expose men to become a prey to imposters

12, 13. Religion seduces ignorance by the aid of the marvellous

14. There would never have been any Religion, if there had not been

ages of Stupidity and Barbarism

15. All Religion was produced by the desire of domination

16. What serves as a basis to Religion is most uncertain

17, 18. It is impossible to be convinced of the existence of a God

19. The existence of God is not proved

20. It explains nothing to say, that God is a spirit

21. Spirituality is an absurdity

22. Whatever exists is derived from Matter

23. What is the metaphysical God of modern Theology?

24. It would be less unreasonable to adore the Sun, than to adore

a spiritual Deity

25. A spiritual Deity is incapable of volition and action

26. What is God?

27. Some remarkable Contradictions in Theology

28. To adore God, is to adore a fiction

29. Atheism is authorised by the infinity of God, and the impossibility

of knowing the Divine essence

30. Believing in God is neither safer nor less criminal than not

believing in him

31. Belief in God is a habit acquired in infancy

32. Belief in God is a prejudice established by successive generations

33. On the Origin of Prejudices

34. On the effects of Prejudices

35. The Religious principles of modern Theology could not be believed

if they were not instilled into the mind before the age of reason

36. The wonders of nature do not prove the existence of God

37, 38. Nature may be explained by natural causes

39, 40. The world has never been created: Matter moves of itself

41. Additional proofs that motion is essential to Matter, and that

consequently it is unnecessary to imagine a Spiritual Mover

42. The existence of Man does not prove the existence of God

43. Nevertheless, neither Man nor the Universe are the effects of chance

44, 45. The order of the Universe does not prove the existence of a God

46. A Spirit cannot be intelligent it is absurd to adore a divine

intelligence

47, 48. All the qualities, which Theology gives to its God are contrary

to the Essence which is attributed to him

49. It is absurd to say that the human race is the object and end

of the formation of the Universe

50. God is not made for Man, nor Man for God

51. It is not true that the object of the formation of the Universe

was to render Man happy

52. What is called Providence is a word without meaning

53. This pretended Providence is the enemy of Man

54. The world is not governed by an intelligent being

55. God cannot be considered immutable

56. Good and evil are the necessary effects of natural causes.

What is a God that cannot change any thing?

57. The consolations of Theology and the hope of paradise and of

a future life, are imaginary

58. Another romantic reverie

59. It is in vain that Theology attempts to clear its God from human

defects: either this God is not free, or else he is more wicked

than good

60, 61. It is impossible to believe that there exists a God of

infinite goodness and power

62. Theology makes its God a monster of absurdity, injustice,

malice, and atrocity

63. All Religion inspires contemptible fears

64. There is no difference between Religion, and the most somber

and servile Superstition

65. To judge from the ideas which Theology gives of the Deity, the

love of God is impossible

66. An eternally tormenting God is a most detestable being

67. Theology is a tissue of palpable contradictions

68. The pretended works of God do not prove Divine Perfections

69. The perfection of God is not rendered more evident by the

pretended creation of angels

70. Theology preaches the Omnipotence of its God, yet constantly

makes him appear impotent

71. According to all religious systems, God would be the most

capricious and most foolish of beings

72. It is absurd to say that Evil does not proceed from God

73. The foreknowledge attributed to God would give men a right

to complain of his cruelty

74. Absurdity of the theological stories concerning Original Sin,

and concerning Satan

75. The Devil, like Religion, was invented to enrich the priests

76. If God has been unable to render human nature incapable of sin,

he has no right to punish man

77. It is absurd to say, that the conduct of God ought to be a mystery

for man

78. Ought the unfortunate look for consolation, to the sole author

of their misery

79. A God, who punishes the faults which he might have prevented,

is a mad tyrant, who joins injustice to folly

80. What is called Free Will is an absurdity

81. But we must not conclude that Society has no right to punish

82, 83. Refutation of the arguments in favour of Free Will

84. God himself, if there were a God, would not be free: hence the

inutility of all Religion

85. According to the principles of Theology, man is not free a

single instant

86. There is no evil, no disorder, and no sin, but must be attributed

to God: consequently God has no right either to punish or recompence

87. The prayers offered to God sufficiently prove dissatisfaction of

the divine will

88. It is the height of absurdity to imagine, that the injuries and

misfortunes, endured in this world, will be repaired in another world

89. Theology justifies the evil and the wickedness, permitted by its God,

only by attributing to him the principle, that "Might makes Right,"

which is the violation of all Right

90. The absurd doctrine of Redemption, and the frequent exterminations

attributed to Jehovah, impress one with the idea of an unjust and

barbarous God

91. Can a being, who has called us into existence merely to make us

miserable, be a generous, equitable, and tender father?

92. Man's life, and all that occurs, deposes against the liberty of Man,

and against the justice and goodness of a pretended God

93. It is not true, that we owe any gratitude to what is called

Providence 94. It is folly to suppose that Man is the king of nature, the favourite of God, and unique object of his labours 95. A comparison between Man and brutes 96. There are no animals so detestable as Tyrants 97. A refutation of the excellence of Man 98. An oriental Tale 99. It is madness to see nothing but the goodness of God, or to think that this universe is only made for Man 100. What is the Soul? 101. The existence of a Soul is an absurd supposition; and the existence of an immortal Soul still more absurd 102. It is evident that Man dies in toto 103. Incontestible arguments against the Spirituality of the Soul 104. On the absurdity of the supernatural causes, to which Theologians are constantly having recourse 105, 106. It is false that Materialism degrades 107. The idea of a future life is only useful to those, who trade on public credulity 108. It is false that the idea of a future life is consoling 109. All religious principles are derived from the imagination. God is a chimera; and the qualities, attributed to him, reciprocally destroy one another 110. Religion is but a system imagined in order to reconcile contradictions by the aid of mysteries 111, 112, 113. Absurdity and inutility of all Mysteries, which were only invented for the interests of Priests 114. An universal God ought to have revealed an universal Religion 115. What proves, that Religion is unnecessary, is, that it is unintelligible 116. All Religions are rendered ridiculous by the multitude of creeds, all opposite to one another, and all equally foolish 117. Opinion of a famous Theologian 118. The God of the Deists is not less contradictory, nor less chimerical than the God of the Christians 119. It by no means proves the existence of God to say, that, in every age, all nations have acknowledged some Deity or other 120. All Gods are of a savage origin: all Religions are monuments of the ignorance, superstition, and ferocity of former times: modern Religions are but ancient follies, re-edited with additions and corrections 121. All religious usages bear marks of stupidity and barbarism 122. The more a religious opinion is ancient and general, the more it ought to be suspected 123. Mere scepticism in religious matters, can only be the effect of a very superficial examination 124. Revelations examined 125. Where is the proof that God ever shewed himself to Men, or ever spoke to them? 126. There is nothing that proves miracles to have been ever performed 127. If God has spoken, is it not strange that he should have spoken so differently to the different religious sects? 128. Obscurity and suspicious origin of oracles 129. Absurdity of all miracles 130. Refutation of the reasoning of Pascal concerning the manner in which we must judge of miracles 131. Every new revelation is necessarily false 132. The blood of martyrs testifies against the truth of miracles, and against the divine origin attributed to Christianity 133. The fanaticism of martyrs, and the interested zeal of missionaries, by no means prove the truth of Religion 134. Theology makes its God an enemy to Reason and Common Sense 135. Faith is irreconcilable with Reason; and Reason is preferable to Faith 136. To what absurd and ridiculous sophisms every one is reduced, who would substitute Faith for Reason! 137. Ought a man to believe, on the assurance of another man, what is of the greatest importance to himself 138. Faith can take root only in feeble, ignorant, or slothful minds 139. To teach, that any one Religion has greater pretensions to truth than another, is an absurdity, and cause of tumult 140. Religion is unnecessary to Morality 141. Religion is the weakest barrier that can be opposed to the passions 142. Honour is a more salutary and powerful bond than Religion 143. Religion does not restrain the passions of kings 144. Origin of "the divine right of kings," the most absurd, ridiculous, and odious, of usurpations 145. Religion is fatal to political ameliorations: it makes despots licentious and wicked, and their subjects abject and miserable 146. Christianity has propagated itself by preaching implicit obedience to despotism 147. One object of religious principles is to eternize the tyranny of kings 148. How fatal it is to persuade kings that they are responsible for their actions to God alone 149. A devout king is the scourge of his kingdom 150. Tyranny sometimes finds the aegis of Religion a weak obstacle to the despair of the people 151. Religion favours the wickedness of princes by delivering them from fear and remorse 152. What is an enlightened Sovereign? 153. Of the prevailing passions and crimes of the priesthood 154. The quackery of priests 155. Religion has corrupted Morality, and produced innumerable evils 156. Every Religion is intolerant 157. The evils of a state Religion 158. Religion legitimates and authorizes crime 159. Refutation of the argument, that the evils attributed to Religion are but the bad effects of human passions 160. Religion is incompatible with Morality 161. The Morality of the Gospel is impracticable 162. A society of Saints would be impossible 163. Human nature is not depraved 164. Concerning the effects of Jesus Christ's mission 165. The dogma of the remission of sins was invented for the interest of priests 166. Who fear God? 167. Hell is an absurd invention 168. The bad foundation of religious morals 169. Christian Charity, as preached and practised by Theologians!!! 170. Confession, priestcraft's gold mine, and the destruction of the true principles of Morality 171. The supposition of the existence of a God is by no means necessary to Morality 172. Religion and its supernatural Morality are fatal to the public welfare 173. The union of Church and State is a calamity 174. National Religions are ruinous 175. Religion paralyses Morality 176. Fatal consequences of Devotion 177. The idea of a future life is not consoling to man 178. An Atheist is fully as conscientious as a religious man, and has better motives for doing good 179. An Atheistical king would be far preferable to a religious king 180. Philosophy produces Morality 181. Religious opinions have little influence upon conduct 182. Reason leads man to Atheism 183. Fear alone makes Theists 184. Can we, and ought we, to love God? 185. God and Religion are proved to be absurdities by the different ideas formed of them 186. The existence of God, which is the basis of Religion, has not yet been demonstrated 187. Priests are more actuated by self-interest, than unbelievers 188. Pride, presumption, and badness, are more often found in priests, than in Atheists 189. Prejudices last but for a time: no power is durable which is not founded upon truth 190. What an honourable power ministers of the Gods would obtain, if they became the apostles of reason and the defenders of liberty! 191. What a glorious and happy revolution it would be for the world, if Philosophy were substituted for Religion! 192. The recantation of an unbeliever at the point of death proves nothing against the reasonableness of unbelief 193. It is not true that Atheism breaks the bonds of society 194. Refutation of the often repeated opinion, that Religion is necessary for the vulgar 195. Logical and argumentative systems are not adapted to the capacity of the vulgar 196. On the futility and danger of Theology 197, 198. On the evils produced by implicit faith 199. History teaches us, that all Religions were established by impostors, in days of ignorance 200. All Religions, ancient or modern, have borrowed from one another ridiculous ceremonies 201. Theology has always diverted philosophy from its right path 202. Theology explains nothing 203, 204. Theology has always fettered Morality, and retarded progress 205. It cannot be too often repeated and proved, that Religion is an extravagance and a calamity 206. Religion prevents us from seeing the true causes of misfortunes