Na aldeia de Montaillou, durante as perseguições medievais, os inquisidores pediram que uma mulher dissesse de quem tinha tirado suas dúvidas heréticas sobre inferno e ressureição. Ela deveria saber que corria o terrível perigo de uma morte lenta nas mãos dos devotos, mas respondeu que não as tinha tirado de ninguém, e sim chegado a elas por conta própria. (Você frequentemente ouve os crentes louvarem a simplicidade de seu rebanho, mas não no caso dessas espontâneas e conscientes sanidade e lucidez, cujos autores foram reprimidos e queimados em número maior do que somos capazes de imaginar.
Present-day society is wholly based on the exploitation of the vast masses of the working class by a tiny minority of the population, the class of the landowners and that of the capitalists. It is a slave society, since the “free” workers, who all their life work for the capitalists, are “entitled” only to such means of subsistence as are essential for the maintenance of slaves who produce profit, for the safeguarding and perpetuation of capitalist slavery. Religion is one of the forms of spiritual oppression which everywhere weighs down heavily upon the masses of the people, over burdened by their perpetual work for others, by want and isolation. Impotence of the exploited classes in their struggle against the exploiters just as inevitably gives rise to the belief in a better life after death as impotence of the savage in his battle with nature gives rise to belief in gods, devils, miracles, and the like. Those who toil and live in want all their lives are taught by religion to be sub...