--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have no use for gods, holy books…" description: "\"“We have no use for gods, holy books, heaven, hell, souls, salvations, sin, prayer, creed, doctrine or dogma, as these things are about as influential ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b9/al-stefanelli-10033_books_we-have-no-use-for-gods-holy-books-heave_1933731.jpg" --- # We have no use for gods, holy books, heaven, hell, souls… ![“We have no use for gods, holy books, heaven, hell, souls, salvations, sin, prayer, creed, doctrine or dogma, as these things are about as influential to us as an ice-cube on the surface of the sun.” quote by Al Stefanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b9/al-stefanelli-10033_books_we-have-no-use-for-gods-holy-books-heave_1933731.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b9/al-stefanelli-10033_books_we-have-no-use-for-gods-holy-books-heave_1933731.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b9/al-stefanelli-10033_books_we-have-no-use-for-gods-holy-books-heave_1933731.jpg) > ““We have no use for gods, holy books, heaven, hell, souls, salvations, sin, prayer, creed, doctrine or dogma, as these things are about as influential to us as an ice-cube on the surface of the sun.”” [Al Stefanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote dismisses religious and doctrinal concepts as utterly irrelevant to modern life, comparing their influence to an ice cube on the sun. **In simple terms:** Religious ideas are seen as powerless. Key Takeaway Question the relevance of dogma in your life. Themes skepticism secularism meaning Mood cynical detached Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - personal philosophy - public discourse - education - policy making Key Concepts existentialism nihilism Questions to Reflect On - What would replace these concepts for meaning? - How does this view affect moral decisions? A Different Perspective Religious beliefs still shape many cultures and laws. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) ## Related quotes > [“There's no shame in loving life above death. Otherwise I would be dead. 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The day it ends, the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/the-doctrine-dogma-existed-yesterday-it-still-exists-today-and-will/) Mak\_786 > [The dangers that face the world can, every one of them, be traced back to science. The salvations that may save the world will,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/the-dangers-that-face-the-world-can-every-one-of-them-be-traced-back/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [“. The whole idea of heaven and hell is a perfect illustration of just how the core of Christian doctrine is antithetical to reason,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/the-whole-idea-of-heaven-and-hell-is-a-perfect-illustration-of-just/) [Al Stefanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/) > [For Jesus, heaven and hell were present realities. Ways of living we can enter into here and now. 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But the one that people often know about is the transition between the moment of death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-re-in-the-transition-between-birth-and-death-but-the-one-that/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [Marriage may be the closest thing to Heaven or Hell any of us will know on this earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-louis-cole/marriage-may-be-the-closest-thing-to-heaven-or-hell-any-of-us-will/) [Edwin Louis Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-louis-cole/) > [There is no God. There's no heaven. There's no hell. There are no angels. When you die, you go in the ground, the worms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/there-is-no-god-there-s-no-heaven-there-s-no-hell-there-are-no-angels/) [Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/) > [“There is no heaven or hell. No matter what you do while you're alive, everybody goes to the same place once you die. Death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsugumi-ohba/there-is-no-heaven-or-hell-no-matter-what-you-do-while-you-re-alive/) [Tsugumi Ohba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsugumi-ohba/) > [The self is like a baseball. Throw it back to the divine pitcher who pitched it to you in the first place, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/the-self-is-like-a-baseball-throw-it-back-to-the-divine-pitcher-who/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) ## More by Al Stefanelli > [“. The understanding that what is good supports basic human rights and anything that threatens it is bad. We do not need a supernatural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/the-understanding-that-what-is-good-supports-basic-human-rights-and/) [Al Stefanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/) > [“Somewhere during the process of intellectual development there was a disconnect in the believer’s ability to discern fantasy from reality and the outlandish, scientifically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/somewhere-during-the-process-of-intellectual-development-there-was-a/) [Al Stefanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/) > [“Fundamental Christianity and Islam are diseases. They are viruses that have infected our species, and I see no reason to cease my broad-brushed punditry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/fundamental-christianity-and-islam-are-diseases-they-are-viruses-that/) [Al Stefanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/) > [“. Christianity is marketed as a religion of love and tolerance, but inwardly it is a destructive virus that causes division, promotes willful ignorance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/christianity-is-marketed-as-a-religion-of-love-and-tolerance-but/) [Al Stefanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/) > [“When mystical elements are introduced into morality, the whole system ends up being corrupted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/when-mystical-elements-are-introduced-into-morality-the-whole-system/) [Al Stefanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/) > [“Prayer – The Art Of Talking To Yourself”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/prayer-the-art-of-talking-to-yourself/) [Al Stefanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/) > [“The vilification of atheists is becoming the anchor knot of religion. The more they resist us, the tighter it gets.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/the-vilification-of-atheists-is-becoming-the-anchor-knot-of-religion/) [Al Stefanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/) > [“For unbelievers, evil can best be described as the abandonment of our minds to the minds of others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/for-unbelievers-evil-can-best-be-described-as-the-abandonment-of-our/) [Al Stefanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/) > [“One competent scientist is worth more than a thousand evangelists.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/one-competent-scientist-is-worth-more-than-a-thousand-evangelists/) [Al Stefanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/) > [“The belief in a god is irrational, and once this leap of faith is made it only takes short steps to abandon the standards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/the-belief-in-a-god-is-irrational-and-once-this-leap-of-faith-is-made/) [Al Stefanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/) > [“Basically, the field of apologetics is an entire discipline built around the concept of getting people to believe the biggest bullshit stories to ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/basically-the-field-of-apologetics-is-an-entire-discipline-built/) [Al Stefanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/) > [“When we could not explain the horizon, we simply calculated that the earth has an edge and if you go out too far, you’ll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/when-we-could-not-explain-the-horizon-we-simply-calculated-that-the/) [Al Stefanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/) > [“Take Creationism. Please.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/take-creationism-please/) [Al Stefanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/) > [“Equating abortion with murder is not only playing fast and furious with the truth, such a comparison is legally disingenuous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/equating-abortion-with-murder-is-not-only-playing-fast-and-furious/) [Al Stefanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/) > [“The scientific community thrives on probabilities, working theories and fact-based hypothesis that have resulted in the advances we have made in fields such as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/the-scientific-community-thrives-on-probabilities-working-theories/) [Al Stefanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/) [Explore all 68 Al Stefanelli quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We have no use for gods, holy books, heaven, hell, souls, salvations, sin, prayer, creed, doctrine or dogma, as these things are about as influential to us as an ice-cube on the surface of the sun.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Al Stefanelli" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/we-have-no-use-for-gods-holy-books-heaven-hell-souls-salvations-sin/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/we-have-no-use-for-gods-holy-books-heaven-hell-souls-salvations-sin/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b9/al-stefanelli-10033_books_we-have-no-use-for-gods-holy-books-heave_1933731.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b9/al-stefanelli-10033_books_we-have-no-use-for-gods-holy-books-heave_1933731.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b9/al-stefanelli-10033_books_we-have-no-use-for-gods-holy-books-heave_1933731.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We have no use for gods, holy books, heaven, hell, souls, salvations, sin, prayer, creed, doctrine or dogma…” — Al Stefanelli", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Al Stefanelli", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“We have no use for gods,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/we-have-no-use-for-gods-holy-books-heaven-hell-souls-salvations-sin/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/we-have-no-use-for-gods-holy-books-heaven-hell-souls-salvations-sin/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```