"Religion is a crutch..." quote?

Question

I was always under the understanding that something along those lines was once said by Winston Churchill. Am I wrong? Was it someone else?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Yes, he said something like what you asked, however, it has to be seen in context of what he was writing about.  Churchill did have faith and strong ideas about such as facisism, communist practices and such.

in 1897, Churchill in a letter to his mother said: If the human race ever reaches a stage of development - when religion will cease to assist and comfort mankind - “Christianity will be put aside as a crutch which is no longer needed,” He wrote to his mother after reading the book (Martydom of Man by Reade) , “and man will stand erect on the...reason and science, etc..

"Religion is the root of human existence. Were it possible for man to renounce

all religion, including that which is unconscious, independent of the will,.."

Churchill contended, ...

Religion is "the stream or tendency through which man grows toward his God

Answer 2

Well, Karl Marx said that "religion is the opiate of the masses..." and Obama seemed to believe that when he said ( to a group of probably atheistic San Franciscan liberals ) that because of bitterness, small town people "cling to guns and religion". It's a bit inconsistent with his professing to be sincere about his own faith as guided by Rev. Jeremiah Wright but politicians are often caught out being hypocrites and he didn't expect the quote to get outside of the San Francisco audience.

Answer 3

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/author...