"I will not attack your doctrines nor your creeds if they accord liberty to me. If they hold thought to be dangerous - if they aver that doubt is a crime, then I attack them one and all, because they enslave the minds of men"

Robert G. Ingersoll’s statement expresses a principled stance on intellectual freedom and the role of doctrines and creeds in society. His approach is not to oppose belief systems per se, but to scrutinize them by a singular standard: whether they grant or restrict liberty of thought. Freedom is paramount; any doctrine or creed that permits individuals to think, question, and explore ideas without fear of reprisal or condemnation is unproblematic. Ingersoll respects such belief systems, seeing them as compatible with the fundamental rights of human beings.

The pivot in Ingersoll’s argument comes when a worldview or dogma frames independent thought as a danger or heresy. When doctrines claim that doubt or inquiry is not merely mistaken, but criminal or immoral, his tolerance shifts to active opposition. His reasoning is based on the conviction that to label doubt as a crime is not only intellectually dishonest but also profoundly damaging to human progress and dignity. Thought, skepticism, and the willingness to question are essential elements of personal and societal growth. Calling doubt a “crime” is, for Ingersoll, tantamount to shackling the mind and extinguishing the spirit that fuels discovery, reform, and art.

By declaring that he “attacks” such doctrines that enslave the mind, Ingersoll casts himself as an advocate for mental emancipation. He equates intellectual suppression with literal enslavement, drawing a sharp moral distinction between belief systems that are open to scrutiny and those that demand obedience and stifle curiosity. Ultimately, he champions the right to doubt, criticize, and investigate as inseparable from human liberty. For him, the greatest enemy is not belief itself but the elevation of any creed to a position beyond question, for it is there that oppression grows and the progress of civilizations stalls.