Atheism Quote by Ambrose Bierce
“Reverence for the Supreme Being, based upon His supposed resemblance to man. The pig is taught by sermons and epistles / To think the God of Swine has snout and bristles.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Devil's Dictionary, 1906
It mocks the tendency to anthropomorphize divine concepts, equating reverence with absurd animal imagery.
In simple terms: Mocking false reverence by comparing God to a pig.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions about divine representations.
Themes
religion
philosophy
satire
Mood
critical
skeptical
Type
satirical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- theological debate
- literary criticism
- humor writing
- personal reflection
- cultural analysis
Key Concepts
anthropomorphism
iconoclasm
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we project human traits onto deities?
- What does the pig metaphor reveal about belief?
