--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: False gods must be repudiated, but that…" description: "\"False gods must be repudiated, but that is not all: The reasons for their existence must be sought beneath their masks.\" — Alexander Herzen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0b/alexander-herzen-13536_existence_false-gods-must-be-repudiated-but-that-i_873423.jpg" --- # False gods must be repudiated, but that is not all: The… ![“False gods must be repudiated, but that is not all: The reasons for their existence must be sought beneath their masks.” quote by Alexander Herzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0b/alexander-herzen-13536_existence_false-gods-must-be-repudiated-but-that-i_873423.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0b/alexander-herzen-13536_existence_false-gods-must-be-repudiated-but-that-i_873423.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0b/alexander-herzen-13536_existence_false-gods-must-be-repudiated-but-that-i_873423.jpg) > “False gods must be repudiated, but that is not all: The reasons for their existence must be sought beneath their masks.” [Alexander Herzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-herzen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. False idols must be rejected, and their origins examined beneath appearances. **In simple terms:** Reject false idols and investigate their roots. Key Takeaway Question appearances and seek truth. Themes critical thinking philosophy religion Mood analytical skeptical Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - political analysis - media literacy - spiritual inquiry Key Concepts skepticism ideology deconstruction Questions to Reflect On - What masks hide harmful ideas? - How can we discern genuine belief? A Different Perspective It may be difficult to uncover hidden motives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [False gods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/false-gods/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mask](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mask/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“Masks! I see them everywhere. That dreadful vision of the other night - the deserted town with its masked corpses in every doorway; that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-lorrain/masks-i-see-them-everywhere-that-dreadful-vision-of-the-other-night/) [Jean Lorrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-lorrain/) > [I was brought up Catholic and, of course, I strayed and repudiated it. That's a painful thing to go through, because you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meyer/i-was-brought-up-catholic-and-of-course-i-strayed-and-repudiated-it/) [George Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meyer/) > [“he repudiated the writings of the Apostle Paul," whom he considered the (first corrupter of the doctrines of Jesus”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/he-repudiated-the-writings-of-the-apostle-paul-whom-he-considered-the/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Every step of progress means a duty repudiated, and a scripture torn up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/every-step-of-progress-means-a-duty-repudiated-and-a-scripture-torn-up/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [If the great Government of the United States were a private corporation no bank would take its name on a piece of paper, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garet-garrett/if-the-great-government-of-the-united-states-were-a-private/) [Garet Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garet-garrett/) > [And if Sarah Palin whose Web site put and today scrubbed bull's-eyes targets on 20 Representatives, including Gabby Giffords, does not repudiate her own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-olbermann/and-if-sarah-palin-whose-web-site-put-and-today-scrubbed-bull-s-eyes/) [Keith Olbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-olbermann/) > [Every time there's been an out-of-bounds remark made by a Republican, no matter where they are, I have repudiated them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/every-time-there-s-been-an-out-of-bounds-remark-made-by-a-republican/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [“Once you believe that god is not a private property of anybody, you are on your way to becoming a new messiah. Maybe your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/once-you-believe-that-god-is-not-a-private-property-of-anybody-you/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [What is the result of our investigation of the Moslem idea of God? Is the statement of the Koran true, "Your God and our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-marinus-zwemer/what-is-the-result-of-our-investigation-of-the-moslem-idea-of-god-is/) [Samuel Marinus Zwemer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-marinus-zwemer/) > [In scripture we are told of some trusting in God and others trusting in idols, and that God is our refuge, our strength, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/in-scripture-we-are-told-of-some-trusting-in-god-and-others-trusting/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [“If you are a pastor there is no way you can lose faith without losing face, you are considered the devil incarnate by your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/if-you-are-a-pastor-there-is-no-way-you-can-lose-faith-without-losing/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [The Bible was written between 3,000 and 2,000 years ago, and it's filled with the knowledge that people had in that period of time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-bible-was-written-between-3-000-and-2-000-years-ago-and-it-s/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [Material possessions, in themselves, are good. We would not survive for long without money, clothing and shelter. We must eat in order to stay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/material-possessions-in-themselves-are-good-we-would-not-survive-for/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [I'm not leading them to some false God or something like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-m-not-leading-them-to-some-false-god-or-something-like-that/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [“An atheist is someone who is disappointed in his search of god. He is a man who strongly needed god but couldn't find him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/an-atheist-is-someone-who-is-disappointed-in-his-search-of-god-he-is/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) ## More by Alexander Herzen > [We think the purpose of a child is to grow up because it does grow up. But its purpose is to play, to enjoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-herzen/we-think-the-purpose-of-a-child-is-to-grow-up-because-it-does-grow-up/) [Alexander Herzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-herzen/) > [Unaware of the absurdity of it, we introduce our own petty household rules into the economy of the universe for which the life of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-herzen/unaware-of-the-absurdity-of-it-we-introduce-our-own-petty-household/) [Alexander Herzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-herzen/) > [The Death of the contemporary forms of social order ought to gladden rather than trouble the soul. Yet what is frightening is that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-herzen/the-death-of-the-contemporary-forms-of-social-order-ought-to-gladden/) [Alexander Herzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-herzen/) > [Science, which cuts its way through the muddy pond of daily life without mingling with it, casts its wealth to right and left, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-herzen/science-which-cuts-its-way-through-the-muddy-pond-of-daily-life/) [Alexander Herzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-herzen/) > [It seems to me that you are solving a problem which goes beyond the limits of physiology in too simple a way. Physiology has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-herzen/it-seems-to-me-that-you-are-solving-a-problem-which-goes-beyond-the/) [Alexander Herzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-herzen/) > [Modern Western thought will pass into history and be incorporated in it, will have its influence and its place, justas our body will pass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-herzen/modern-western-thought-will-pass-into-history-and-be-incorporated-in/) [Alexander Herzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-herzen/) > [Science even more than the Gospel teaches us humility. She cannot look down on anything, she does not know what superiority means, she despises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-herzen/science-even-more-than-the-gospel-teaches-us-humility-she-cannot-look/) [Alexander Herzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-herzen/) > [I believe what I write to be the truth...every man who is not indifferent to the truth has a weakness for spreading it about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-herzen/i-believe-what-i-write-to-be-the-truth-every-man-who-is-not/) [Alexander Herzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-herzen/) > [Human development is a form of chronological unfairness, since late-comers are able to profit by the labors of their predecessors without paying the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-herzen/human-development-is-a-form-of-chronological-unfairness-since-late/) [Alexander Herzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-herzen/) > [Strong drink stupefies a man and makes it possible for him to forget; it gives him an artificial cheeriness, an artificial excitement; and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-herzen/strong-drink-stupefies-a-man-and-makes-it-possible-for-him-to-forget/) [Alexander Herzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-herzen/) > [A generation which has passed through the shop has absorbed standards and ambitions which are not of those of spaciousness, and cannot get away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-herzen/a-generation-which-has-passed-through-the-shop-has-absorbed-standards/) [Alexander Herzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-herzen/) > [Strong drink stupefies a man and makes it possible for him to forget; it gives him an artificial cheeriness, an artificial excitement; and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-herzen/strong-drink-stupefies-a-man-and-makes-it-possible-for-him-to-forget-2/) [Alexander Herzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-herzen/) > [All religions have based morality on obedience, that is to say, on voluntary slavery. That is why they have always been more pernicious than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-herzen/all-religions-have-based-morality-on-obedience-that-is-to-say-on/) [Alexander Herzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-herzen/) > [You can no more bridle passions with logic than you can justify them in the law courts. Passions are facts and not dogmas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-herzen/you-can-no-more-bridle-passions-with-logic-than-you-can-justify-them/) [Alexander Herzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-herzen/) > [One must open men's eyes, not tear them out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-herzen/one-must-open-men-s-eyes-not-tear-them-out/) [Alexander Herzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-herzen/) [Explore all 48 Alexander Herzen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-herzen/) ## More Existence quotes > [Getting on the cover of TIME guarantees the existence of opposition in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/getting-on-the-cover-of-time-guarantees-the-existence-of-opposition/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [The time that one gains cannot be accumulated in a storehouse; it is contradictory to want to save up existence, which, the fact is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/the-time-that-one-gains-cannot-be-accumulated-in-a-storehouse-it-is/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [A lot of indigenous cultures are deeply involved in working with ancestor spirits, elemental spirits, and demons. Many of these cultures feel that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pinchbeck/a-lot-of-indigenous-cultures-are-deeply-involved-in-working-with/) [Daniel Pinchbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pinchbeck/) > [It does not seem to me to be sufficiently recognized everywhere among the officials that the existence or non-existence of our people and Empire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-von-hindenburg/it-does-not-seem-to-me-to-be-sufficiently-recognized-everywhere-among/) [Paul von Hindenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-von-hindenburg/) > [Quantum physics fluctuates all the time. But now the fluctuations are not just particles coming into and out of existence, which happens all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/quantum-physics-fluctuates-all-the-time-but-now-the-fluctuations-are/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. Experiencing the innermost core of our existence is very embarrassing to a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-have-a-fear-of-facing-ourselves-that-is-the-obstacle-experiencing/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [My mind rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram, or the most intricate analysis, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/my-mind-rebels-at-stagnation-give-me-problems-give-me-work-give-me/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [May God bless each of us in our calls to serve. May our faith strengthen as we serve in righteousness, faithfully keeping the commandments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/may-god-bless-each-of-us-in-our-calls-to-serve-may-our-faith/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [Never belong to a crowd; Never belong to a nation; Never belong to a religion; Never belong to a race. Belong to the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/never-belong-to-a-crowd-never-belong-to-a-nation-never-belong-to-a/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestations of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/a-knowledge-of-the-existence-of-something-we-cannot-penetrate-of-the/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Universities are the cathedrals of the modern age. They shouldn't have to justify their existence by utilitarian criteria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/universities-are-the-cathedrals-of-the-modern-age-they-shouldn-t-have/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [Just as everybody has the vote including women, I think children should, because as a child is conscious of itself then it has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/just-as-everybody-has-the-vote-including-women-i-think-children/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [To divide one's life by years is of course to tumble into a trap set by our own arithmetic. The calendar consents to carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/to-divide-one-s-life-by-years-is-of-course-to-tumble-into-a-trap-set/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [The party in Alobar’s head, which agitation and anxiety were throwing, now was crashed by a notion: existence can be rearranged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-party-in-alobar-s-head-which-agitation-and-anxiety-were-throwing/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) [Browse all 7,646 Existence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "False gods must be repudiated, but that is not all: The reasons for their existence must be sought beneath their masks.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alexander Herzen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-herzen/false-gods-must-be-repudiated-but-that-is-not-all-the-reasons-for/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Existence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-herzen/false-gods-must-be-repudiated-but-that-is-not-all-the-reasons-for/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0b/alexander-herzen-13536_existence_false-gods-must-be-repudiated-but-that-i_873423.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0b/alexander-herzen-13536_existence_false-gods-must-be-repudiated-but-that-i_873423.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0b/alexander-herzen-13536_existence_false-gods-must-be-repudiated-but-that-i_873423.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“False gods must be repudiated, but that is not all: The reasons for their existence must be sought beneath…” — Alexander Herzen", "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": "Alexander Herzen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-herzen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "False gods must be repudiated, but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-herzen/false-gods-must-be-repudiated-but-that-is-not-all-the-reasons-for/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-herzen/false-gods-must-be-repudiated-but-that-is-not-all-the-reasons-for/#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 } } ] } ```