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If oxen and horses and lions could draw and paint, they would delineate the gods in their own image.

Xenophanes

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Xenophanes
Elegist
Epigrammatist
Philosopher
Poet
Xenophanes of Colophon
Horse
Oxen
Atheism
Horses
Would
Lions
Gods
Draw
Draws
Image
Paint
Delineate

More quotes by Xenophanes

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The clear and perfect truth no man has seen, nor will there be anyone who knows about the gods and what I say about all things... for, however perfect what he says may be, yet he does not know it all things are matters of opinion.
Xenophanes
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The sea is the source of water and the source of wind for neither would blasts of wind arise in the clouds and blow out from within them, except for the great sea, nor would the streams of rivers nor the rain-water in the sky exist but for the sea but the great sea is the begetter of clouds and winds and rivers.
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All men begin their learning with Homer.
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But without effort [God] sets in motion all things by mind and thought.
Xenophanes
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If horses had Gods, they would look like horses.
Xenophanes
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This upper limit, of earth at our feet is visible and touches the air, but below it reaches to infinity
Xenophanes
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If cows and horses had hands and could draw, cows would draw gods that look like cows and horses would draw gods that look like horses.
Xenophanes
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God is one, greatest of gods and men, not like mortals in body or thought.
Xenophanes
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The Ethiopians say that their gods are snub-nosed and black the Thracians that theirs have light blue eyes and red hair.
Xenophanes
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It isn't right to judge strength as better than good wisdom.
Xenophanes
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No man knows distinctly anything, and no man ever will.
Xenophanes
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If oxen and lions had hands and could paint with their hands and produce works of art, as men do, horses would paint the forms of the gods likes horses and oxen like oxen. Each would represent them with bodies according to the bodies of each. So the Ethiopians make their gods black and snub-nosed the Thracians give theirs red hair and blue eyes.
Xenophanes
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Ethiopians imagine their gods as black and snub-nosed Thracians blue-eyed and red-haired. But if horses or lions had hands, or could draw and fashion works as men do, horses would draw the gods shaped like horses and lions like lions, making the gods resemble themselves.
Xenophanes
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Men always makes gods in their own image.
Xenophanes
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If cattle and horses, or lions, had hands...
Xenophanes
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For we are all sprung from earth and water
Xenophanes
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All things that come into being and grow are earth and water.
Xenophanes
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If God had not made brown honey, men would think figs much sweeter than they do.
Xenophanes
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God is one, supreme among gods and men, and not like mortals in body or in mind.The whole [of god] sees, the whole perceives, the whole hears. But without effort he sets in motion all things by mind and thought.
Xenophanes
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Even if a man should chance to speak the most complete truth, yet he himself does not know it all things are wrapped in appearances
Xenophanes