Edward Gibbon - "Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful." -- Here is the foolhardy argument of an arrogant man who undoubtedly believed himself to be wise.  I agree with his assessment of religion as long as he doesn't mingle religion with Christianity.  Christianity is a loving, intimate relationship with a very personal God.  

The common people are far wiser than he is because the wisdom of Mr. Gibbon is foolishness with God and those who exalt themselves God will bring down.  I am sure that Mr. Gibbon is in a place that he would gladly be free from and longs to hear the word repent again.   

Study Isaiah 55:8 - 9 

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George Bernard Shaw - "The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier 

than a sober one."  -- This quote shows the author of it to be lacking in rational thinking.  

The drunkard is not truly happy because he needs his alcoholic habit to soften the blows that real life brings.  The happiness, if you can call it that, of a drunkard is superficial and temporary.  

The believer has an eternal happiness that doesn't evaporate with the next trial because believers are secure in the knowledge that whatever comes they are eternally alive in Christ and all things work together for good to those that love God.  Romans 8:28   Believers are happy to know that God strengthens them in all adversity up to and including martyrdom.  The happiness in the true believer is deep within, not superficial.

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Bertrand Russell - "And if there were a God, I think it very unlikely that He would have such an uneasy vanity as to be offended by those who doubt His existence."

Mr. Russell's first error is in using the word "if."  The fact of God is existent throughout the vast universe if only Mr. Russell had eyes to see.  Perhaps he was blind and that would be excusable.  Ignorance for a man who can see openly refutes the declaration of scripture that the 

universe is continually shouting out the existence of its creator.  His foolish accusation that God is vain in any sense is the accusation of a fool.  God is perfect in every way and has no need of the approval of any human being.  God was ruling the universe without man's help before we 

were created.  

As an artist displaying his work elicits praise so the handiwork of God causes those who have spiritual understanding to praise him for all he 

has created.  He is not offended by man's unbelief but rather he challenges mankind to seek him and find him even though he is nearer than 

their breath.  It is Mr. Russell's arrogance that causes him to spout gross error and express his own vain speculation while believing himself to 

be wise.  God always was, is and shall forever be.  Before earth or man existed God was entirely self sufficient and in need of nobody and nothing.  His gracious love and creative magnificence cause him to take delight in his creation and his omnipotence is all that is necessary to sustain all that he creates.

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Aldous Huxley -  "Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored."                        

Mr. Huxley has a definition of facts that is based on his very finite understanding.  In order to deny the existence of God he would have to ignore many blatantly obvious facts.  He would be forced to ignore man's natural bent toward worship, the many lives transformed through faith in Jesus Christ, the use of a non-existent entity to gauge time by, all creation with the many complex features of animals, human beings, plants and etc.  

He would have to explain the hypothesis of evolution and make it believable.  Nobody has done that yet; at least to the satisfaction of those millions who are self-educated and brilliant and still have exercised faith in Christ.  Facts are stubborn things because they won't change; not 

even for Mr. Huxley.  God's existence is real to him now.

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Napoleon Bonaparte - "Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet." 

This from a man who openly proclaimed Jesus Christ to be more than a mere man but a God.  Perhaps he was conflicted.  Obviously Napoleon separated religion from the God/man or he contradicted himself.