A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious. On the other hand they do less easily move against him believing that he has the gods on his side.
Let peace descending from her native heaven bid her olives spring amidst the joyful nations and plenty in league with commerce scatter blessings from her copious hand!
With copious evidence ranging from Plato's haughtiness to Beethoven's tirades we may conclude that the most brilliant people of history tend to be a prickly lot.
The balance between faith and reason is for the determination of each individual and of the people as a whole not of unauthorized government officials uttering impious humbug as they arbitrarily try to define that balance.
No student of Chinese history can say that the Chinese are incapable of religious experience even when judged by the standards of medieval Europe or pious India.
To this day I hate walnuts and I hate onions because on weekends when the walnuts and onions were in season we were out there first thing in the morning and out there until the sun went down topping onions or picking walnuts.