In religion and politics people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at secondhand, and without examination, from authorities who have not themselves examined the questions at issue but have taken them at secondhand from other nonexaminers, whose opinions about them were not worth a brass farthing.

Summary

This quote by Mark Twain suggests that both religion and politics often involve individuals adopting beliefs and convictions without critical examination. People tend to rely on authorities who have not explored the issues themselves, but have taken their opinions from others who may not have thoroughly examined the subject. Twain implies that such secondhand beliefs, gathered from unreliable sources, hold little value or credibility.

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