Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Thought for the day -

“Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful.”

Seneca the Younger

3 comments:

Eugene Tan said...

With that, you have placed a vice-like grip on the Cynic Of The Year Award 2010.

The probligo said...

I have to confess, Eugene, that there is a very good chance the attribution of that little "piece of truth" is in fact totally false.

If you google it there are (from memory) three websites that have the "quotation" on board.

One of the three refers to a book first published in 1946 as the first recorded "quotation". In addition scholars of either of the Seneca's (Older or Younger) have been unable to find anything that looks like the "quotation" in the known works (of either).

I still like it. It was quoted by a continuity on local radio, seriously, and I suspect with little effort to confirm its validity.

Al said...

Which Seneca was ordered to commit suicide by Nero. I only ask, because I want to cement the memory in my head. I know I can google it.

I'm muchly(*) in agreement with it, even though I'm still singing in the church choir, served as lector in the service today and aquitted myself well as a communion assistant.

I hope my pastor never googles me. :D.

(*"Muchly" is a word used here by Mexicans mostly, who don't speak English well yet. I think both cultures find it mildly amusing.)