The Heroes That Molded Me
(Robert Ingersoll)
“I don’t know is an answer.” This is my favorite quote from Robert Ingersoll and is probably the most honest intellectual statement ever made.
Today, I pick up the thread of the great minds who helped to forge and mold me into the person I am today.
A little bit of history. My father was a traditionalist. He was the Akogun (Defense Chief) of my hometown. Like most African fathers, mine was an enigma. Although he never attended church, he pushed us (with beatings and all) to attend church. I became a devoted, very devoted Roman Catholic. But for failure to produce a birth certificate, I would have ended up at a seminary. My mother had a Yoruba Bible, which I read several times. My impressionable young mind was fascinated by all those David and Goliath stories and the other supposedly marvels of Yahweh.
That was until I discovered Robert Ingersoll.
My father had a library. Looking back, I think my father was unique in many ways. I don't remember seeing a library in any other house in the town. The books were mostly hardcovers, meaning they must have been expensive. I don't know how old I was when I got interested in burying myself in books. I have never been an extrovert or a great talker or listener. I hate crowds and detest most social gatherings. I have always been a loner who enjoys his own company.
To cut a long story short, my life has never been the same since I discovered The Essays and Speeches of Robert G. Ingersoll in my father's library.
To say that the book upended my world would be an understatement.
Robert Green Ingersoll towers as my intellectual mentor and inspiration. Known as “The Great Agnostic,” Robert Ingersoll was a fearless advocate for reason, secularism, human freedom, and intellectual honesty.
His magnificent eloquence, courage, and unyielding commitment to liberating humanity from terrestrial and celestial tyranny make him a timeless figure in the battle for intellectual emancipation. In this regard, he is peerless. He was my first mentor, and his book was the first to stir my curiosity.
Robert Ingersoll’s brilliant words, passionate and rich in wisdom and wit, resonate with me deeply. His book became my Bible, my companion that I devour with delight. Reading Ingersoll’s speeches and writings gave me the intellectual tools to challenge every form of dogma, embrace humanity, and champion the ideals of liberty and justice, whatever the cost. His fiery denunciation of pious priests as fraudulent impostors was music to my ears. I needed his type of campaign for unfettered intellectual liberty in those formative years.
We can admire Ingersoll’s courage more when considering the society in which he so fearlessly voiced his opinions. In an era when religion dominated every aspect of life and society frowned on every form of unorthodoxy, Ingersoll dared to question the legitimacy of divine authority and condemned priests as fraudulent imposters. He believed that religion, often used by priests as a tool of oppression, must be subjected to the scrutiny of reason and rationality. He was an apostle of scientific inquiry who believed nothing must be held sacred without a scientific basis. His depth of knowledge was breathtakingly staggering. Robert Ingersoll’s incisive critique of dogma, superstition, and fear-based theology liberated countless minds shackled by faith, mine included.
How one could possess so much knowledge like Robert Ingersoll baffled my young mind. We are talking about a period when computers, smartphones, and search engines were not even in the realm of science fiction. Yet, Without pausing for breath, Ingersoll could debate myriads of subjects, from theology to agriculture to mathematics, geology, geography to astronomy.
I decided to pattern my life alongside his.
At the heart of Ingersoll’s intellectual legacy was his crusade against religious tyranny. One of his most famous quotes captures his stance succinctly:
“The inspiration of the Bible depends on the ignorance of the person who reads it.”
This statement encapsulates Ingersoll’s skepticism of religious texts that demanded not only blind acceptance but discouraged inquiry at the pain of death or eternal damnation.
I did not get the impression that Ingersoll sought to destroy faith. Instead, he believes humans must prioritize reason and evidence over unquestioning belief.
A man who was very far ahead of his time, Ingersoll was very concerned about the emotional and psychological harm inflicted by religious doctrines, particularly those that preached eternal damnation. He asked: “What man, standing by the cradle of his baby, would say, ‘This child will burn in hell forever unless it believes something it cannot understand’?
Today, we see the havoc and the violence being wrecked by those who claim to speak for gods they claim were peaceful, kind-hearted, and loving.
Ingersoll’s words struck me deeply because they exposed the cruelty and absurdity of doctrines designed to instill fear rather than inspire love. For Ingersoll, religion was not merely an intellectual error but a moral crime that people in priestly cassocks used to stifle freedom, love, and compassion that should be innate to every human being.
It would be wrong to consider Ingersoll as a one-dimensional critic of religious tyranny. He was more than that. He was a fervent advocate for human freedom in every sphere. He was as against celestial tyranny as he was of terrestrial oppression. He denounced feudalism with the same passion he fought religious dogmas. He was an enemy of anything that fettered the human mind.
Ingersoll saw the liberation of the human mind as inseparable from broader social and political emancipation. While condemning every form of oppression, his speeches celebrate the triumphs of liberty.
“Liberty is the condition of progress. Without liberty, there remains only barbarism.”
This was the foundation of my belief that pursuing political, intellectual, and personal liberty is the foundation of a just society.
Again, he was a man who saw the future as his unwavering commitment to human freedom, extended to his support for women’s rights, abolition, and labor reform, placed him decades ahead of his time.
Ingersoll’s advocacy for women’s equality was particularly compelling and must have caused lots of consternation. At a time when society treated women as second-class citizens, he boldly stated: “I am the inferior of any man whose rights I trample underfoot. Men and women should have equal rights in everything they do.”
What set Ingersoll apart was his ideas and the eloquence with which he expressed them. His passionate and precise speeches could move audiences to tears or laughter. He understood the power of words to awaken minds and stir hearts.
The only person who comes close is Frederick Douglass. Another great hero and mentor of mine, which I will write about soon.,
Ingersoll's entire work is a quotable masterpiece. Few writers have matched his command of the English language.
One of his most poetic lines remains a guiding principle in my life: “Reason, observation, and experience—the holy trinity of science—have taught us that happiness is the only good; that the time to be happy is now, and the way to be happy is to make others so.”
This philosophy by a dogged fighter encapsulates the essence of secular humanism. Ingersoll rejected the notion that happiness could only be achieved in an afterlife. He urged humanity to seek joy and fulfillment in the present moment.
In an era when pessimism, fear, and guilt dominated public discourse, his optimism and love for life were infectious. “The hands that help are better far than lips that pray.”
This powerful statement reinforced Ingersoll’s belief that tangible actions to improve the human condition are far more meaningful than empty gestures of piety. He hated the priesthood and all it represented.
Perhaps Robert Ingersoll's most admirable trait was his courage. I can't understand what motivated him to embark on what must have been a dangerous enterprise of fighting a powerful institution like the church, but he fought it relentlessly.
Despite relentless criticism, ostracism, and threats for his outspoken views, he remained unbowed. He never wavered in his commitment to truth and justice. His defiance of popular opinion was an act of profound bravery. “The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.”
Ingersoll’s ability to persevere despite adversity reminds me that pursuing truth and justice often comes at a cost, but it is always worth the struggle. His words have been a source of comfort and strength to me during personal and professional challenges. They provide me with succor.
As I have written several times, it is impossible to say anything else motivated me to write the way I do besides my vision of a better world.
Ingersoll’s work remains endearing to me because of his enduring vision of a better world free from fear, superstition, ignorance, malice, and oppression.
Like him, I believe humanity, guided by reason and compassion, could create a society where freedom, love, and happiness prevail.
Ingersoll’s faith in education as a tool for liberation resonates deeply with me. His belief that knowledge could dismantle the walls of tyranny, feudalism, and ignorance inspired me to value learning as a lifelong endeavor. “When the whole world shall be educated, we shall look back upon the religions of the past as upon the superstitions of the savage.”
As I reflect on Ingersoll’s influence on my life, I’m m struck by the breadth and depth of his legacy. He taught me to be fearless, question authority, value reason, and fight for justice.
Without a doubt, his courage and eloquence serve as a constant reminder to me that the struggle for freedom - both intellectual and social - is one of humanity’s noblest pursuits.
Only a few other things are of interest to me.
Ingersoll taught me to think my way. “The man who does not do his own thinking is a slave and is a traitor to himself and his fellow men.”
This quote taught me the importance of intellectual independence, a principle that has guided my journey as a writer and thinker.
Robert Ingersoll was more than an intellectual mentor to me; he was a towering guide, a brilliant teacher, and a constant source of inspiration. His brilliance, courage, and humanity shine through in his writings and speeches, offering a roadmap for those seeking to liberate themselves and others from tyranny and oppression - celestial or terrestrial.
Through his words, I have found the strength to be independent, to become an iconoclast who challenges convention, the courage to speak truth to power, and the wisdom to embrace life in all its complexity and beauty.
Ingersoll’s legacy is a testament to the enduring power of reason and the boundless potential of the human spirit unencumbered by silly superstitions and fear of the goblins of the sky. His words continue to challenge and inspire me.
I end this piece with another of my favorite quotes from Ingersoll, a profound one that I take to heart every day.: “In nature, there is neither reward nor punishment, only consequences.”
©️ Fẹ̀mi Akọ̀mọ̀làfẹ̀
(Farmer, Writer, Published Author, Essayist, Polemicist, Satirist, and Social Commentator.)
My latest book, From Stamp to Click (it’s still a hello), is published and is available online at:
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Thank you for sharing this, Femi! Many of those quotes resonate with me as well. I wrote this the other day and posted it on Facebook:
Of all the religions I have studied, tried out for a while, or dabbled in, the only one that has ever made sense to me is not even a religion. And thank goodness because I don't like religions, which tend to be repressive and full of hypocrisy. The Lakota had no religion, just a spirituality framed by the understanding that everything is connected. The Great Spirit is not in their image, but in the image of all things, all living beings. I believe that connectedness is what will save the human race, if it is possible to be saved. Connectedness can only be had with maturity, which includes openness and grace, and with your humanity still intact.
Thank you for introducing me to Robert Ingersoll, Femi.