Quotes about Erroneous

Giuseppe Alberghini

Heretical—one which is contrary to Catholic truth. Erroneous—that which does not directly contradict the faith, but some conclusion evidently deducible from the faith. Savoring of heresy—not contradicting the faith by evident consequence, but by very probable and morally certain consequence. Ill-sounding—that which has a double sense, one Catholic and the other heretic, but usually accepted in the latter. Rash—that which is not governed by reason and lacks all authority. Scandalous or offensive to pious ears—that which gives occasion to another to err, such as ‘heretics are to be tolerated and not to be slain.’ Schismatic or seditious—tending to disrupt the unity of the Church. Impious—contrary to Catholic piety. Insulting—defamatory of some Christian profession or illustrious person. Blasphemous—insulting to God.

The Church exercised the law enforcement and censorship authority in all Catholic countries. Note the offense of saying anything which is “offensive to pious ears”. The particular example that “offended” the pious was that a heretic should not be executed. These were the cultural values of the day.

Wolfgang Ernst Pauli

This isn't right. This isn't even wrong.

This quotation illustrates a scientific principle that is at the heart of several political issues. Specifically the debate over whether creationism should be taught in science classes along with evolution. The major reason that almost all serious scientists (religious and secular both) oppose teaching creationism is that it is not a “falsifiable” set of statements—that is there is no way to prove it or disprove it. There are scientific statements that can be proved or disproved but have not yet been so. To be a scientific statement, it must be falsifiable—logically provable or disprovable. And this is the logic which the Federal Courts have used in ruling that creationism may not be taught in science classes in public schools. This quotation, Pauli is saying that the paper is not falsifiable—it cannot be proved and cannot be refuted. As such it is not scientific and belongs in the realm of philosophy, literature, theology, or other disciplines, but not science. An example of non-falsifiable statements are: “Blue is the most attractive color.”; “Freedom is essential to capitalism”; “Monarchy is more efficient than theocracy”.

Abraham Lincoln

If you have ever studied geometry, you remember that by a course of reasoning Euclid proves that all the angles in a triangle are equal to two right angles. Euclid has shown you how to work it out. Now, if you undertake to disprove that proposition, and to show that it is erroneous, would you prove it to be false by calling Euclid a liar?

John Locke

Every church is orthodox to itself; to others, erroneous or heretical.

Edward Gibbon

Instructed by history and reflection, Julian was persuaded that, if the diseases of the body may sometimes be cured by salutary violence, neither steel nor fire can eradicate the erroneous opinions of the mind.

John Rawls

The only thing that permits us to acquiesce in an erroneous theory is the lack of a better one, analogously, an injustice is tolerable only when it is necessary to avoid an even greater injustice.

Mary Baker Eddy

The realm of the real is Spirit. The unlikeness of Spirit is matter, and the opposite of the real is not divine, it is a human concept. Matter is an error of statement. This error in the premise leads to errors in the conclusion in every statement into which it enters. Nothing we can say or believe regarding matter is immortal, for matter is temporal and is therefore a mortal phenomenon, a human concept, sometimes beautiful, always erroneous.

Abraham Lincoln

We think the Dred Scott decision is erroneous. We know the court that made it, has often over-ruled its own decisions, and we shall do what we can to have it to over-rule this. We offer no resistance to it.

Joseph Dennie

... that false and flatulent and foolish paper.

Characterizing the Declaration of Independence:

American Bankers Associating

Unsound, unscientific, unjust and dangerous.

Cornelius Losaeus Callidius

In certain letters of mine on the same subject sent clandestinely to the clergy and town council of Trier, and to others—for the purpose of hindering the execution of justice against the witches, male and female—are contained many articles which are not only erroneous and scandalous, but also suspected of heresy and smacking of the crime of treason, as being seditious and foolhardy, against the common opinion of theological teachers and the decisions and bulls of the Supreme Pontiffs, and contrary to the practice and to the statutes and laws of the magistrates and judges, not only of this Archdiocese of Trier, but of other provinces and principalities, I do therefore revoke, condemn, reject, and repudiate the said articles

After he wrote that there was no such thing as witches he was imprisoned.

W. Averell Harriman

He is a very handsome man, and a very impressive one, and he is always wrong.

Describing General Maxwell Taylor, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff:

Erroneous Quotes