--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That a god like Jehovah should have…" description: "\"That a god like Jehovah should have created this world of misery and woe, out of pure caprice, and because he enjoyed doing it, and should then have cl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/181/arthur-schopenhauer-226_caprice_that-a-god-like-jehovah-should-have-crea_2241032.jpg" --- # That a god like Jehovah should have created this world of… ![“That a god like Jehovah should have created this world of misery and woe, out of pure caprice, and because he enjoyed doing it, and should then have clapped his hands in praise of his own work, and declared everything to be very good-that will not do at all!” quote by Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/181/arthur-schopenhauer-226_caprice_that-a-god-like-jehovah-should-have-crea_2241032.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/181/arthur-schopenhauer-226_caprice_that-a-god-like-jehovah-should-have-crea_2241032.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/181/arthur-schopenhauer-226_caprice_that-a-god-like-jehovah-should-have-crea_2241032.jpg) > “That a god like Jehovah should have created this world of misery and woe, out of pure caprice, and because he enjoyed doing it, and should then have clapped his hands in praise of his own work, and declared everything to be very good-that will not do at all!” [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He rejects the notion that a deity created suffering for pleasure, calling it absurd. **In simple terms:** God creating misery for fun is illogical. Key Takeaway Question assumptions about divine purpose. Themes theology suffering philosophy Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical skeptical When to use this quote - religious debate - ethical reflection - personal crisis Key Concepts problem of evil existentialism Questions to Reflect On - What alternative explanations exist for suffering? A Different Perspective Does this view address all aspects of faith? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Caprice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caprice/) [Created World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/created-world/) [Enjoyed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoyed/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Jehovah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jehovah/) [Jehovah Created](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jehovah-created-3654446/) [Like Jehovah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-jehovah-4315958/) [Misery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misery/) [Praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praise/) [Praise Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praise-work-1705632/) [Pure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pure/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Should have](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should-have/) [This world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/this-world/) [Very good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very-good/) [Woe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woe/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [We are told that when Jehovah created the world he saw that it was good what would he say now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/we-are-told-that-when-jehovah-created-the-world-he-saw-that-it-was/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [… she gave me a look that deftly combined tenderness with revulsion. To this day the memory of that look still visits me like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-toltz/she-gave-me-a-look-that-deftly-combined-tenderness-with-revulsion-to-2/) [Steve Toltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-toltz/) > [“Our Father in Heaven has given us, His children, much more than any mortal mind can comprehend. Under His direction the Great Jehovah created…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/our-father-in-heaven-has-given-us-his-children-much-more-than-any/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [Jehovah created the earth and therefore it is his by right of creation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-franklin-rutherford/jehovah-created-the-earth-and-therefore-it-is-his-by-right-of-creation/) [Joseph Franklin Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-franklin-rutherford/) > [I think every player enjoys praise and I have to work extremely hard on the training ground to bring my game together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lampard/i-think-every-player-enjoys-praise-and-i-have-to-work-extremely-hard/) [Frank Lampard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lampard/) > [Sun Tzu does not need my praise. His work has lived for over two thousand years, and will surely live for another two thousand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-van-creveld/sun-tzu-does-not-need-my-praise-his-work-has-lived-for-over-two/) [Martin Van Creveld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-van-creveld/) > [No research will answer all queries that the future may raise. It is wiser to praise the work for what it has accomplished and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theobald-smith/no-research-will-answer-all-queries-that-the-future-may-raise-it-is/) [Theobald Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theobald-smith/) > [Your work is a very sacred matter. God delights in it, and through it, He wants to best His blessings on you. This praise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/your-work-is-a-very-sacred-matter-god-delights-in-it-and-through-it/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [We must always speak of the efficacy of the ministry in such a manner that the entire praise of the work may be reserved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/we-must-always-speak-of-the-efficacy-of-the-ministry-in-such-a-manner/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [My parents created a world in which the only ­barrier to your success is your own imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/my-parents-created-a-world-in-which-the-only-barrier-to-your-success/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [Think not thy time short in this world, since the world itself is not long. The created world is but a small parenthesis in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/think-not-thy-time-short-in-this-world-since-the-world-itself-is-not/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [God had created the world in play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramakrishna/god-had-created-the-world-in-play/) [Ramakrishna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramakrishna/) > [“While Genesis borrows the science of its day, it does so in order to make its main points about Who created the world and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-fackre/while-genesis-borrows-the-science-of-its-day-it-does-so-in-order-to/) [Gabriel Fackre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-fackre/) > [One puts into one's art what one has not been capable of putting into one's existence. It is because he was unhappy that God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-de-montherlant/one-puts-into-one-s-art-what-one-has-not-been-capable-of-putting-into/) [Henry de Montherlant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-de-montherlant/) > [I want to know how God created this world. I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/i-want-to-know-how-god-created-this-world-i-am-not-interested-in-this/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) ## More by Arthur Schopenhauer > [Virtue is as little to be acquired by learning as genius; nay, the idea is barren, and is only to be employed as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/virtue-is-as-little-to-be-acquired-by-learning-as-genius-nay-the-idea/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [“In accordance with such zeal, by reducing the external world to a matter of faith, he wanted merely to open a little door for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/in-accordance-with-such-zeal-by-reducing-the-external-world-to-a/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [That human life must be some kind of mistake is sufficiently proved by the simple observation that man is a compound of needs which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/that-human-life-must-be-some-kind-of-mistake-is-sufficiently-proved/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [“Imitation and custom are the spring of almost all human action. The cause of it is that men fight shy of all and any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/imitation-and-custom-are-the-spring-of-almost-all-human-action-the/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [ \[T\]he appropriate form of address between man and man ought to be, not monsieur, sir, but fellow sufferer, compagnon de miseres. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/t-he-appropriate-form-of-address-between-man-and-man-ought-to-be-not/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [The eternal being..., as it lives in us, also lives in every animal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/the-eternal-being-as-it-lives-in-us-also-lives-in-every-animal/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [there are very few who can think, but every man wants to have an opinion; and what remains but to take it ready-made from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/there-are-very-few-who-can-think-but-every-man-wants-to-have-an/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [It is not what things are objectively and in themselves, but what they are for us, in our way of looking at them, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/it-is-not-what-things-are-objectively-and-in-themselves-but-what-they/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [ “\[Materialism\] seeks the primary and most simple state of matter, and then tries to develop all the others from it; ascending from mere mechanism,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/materialism-seeks-the-primary-and-most-simple-state-of-matter-and/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [In order to increase his pleasures, man has intentionally added to the number and pressure of his needs, which in their original state were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/in-order-to-increase-his-pleasures-man-has-intentionally-added-to-the/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [“For the will, as that which is common to all, is for that reason also common: consequently, every vehement emergence of will is common,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/for-the-will-as-that-which-is-common-to-all-is-for-that-reason-also/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [“Alles Urdenken geschieht in Bildern: darum ist die Phantasie ein so nothwendiges Werkzeug desselben, und werden phantasielose Köpfe nie etwas Großes leisten, - es…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/alles-urdenken-geschieht-in-bildern-darum-ist-die-phantasie-ein-so/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [Intellect is invisible to the man who has none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/intellect-is-invisible-to-the-man-who-has-none/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [Newspapers are the second hand of history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/newspapers-are-the-second-hand-of-history/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [“In travelling where novelties of all kinds press in upon us, mental food is often supplied so rapidly from without that there is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/in-travelling-where-novelties-of-all-kinds-press-in-upon-us-mental/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) [Explore all 791 Arthur Schopenhauer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) ## More Caprice quotes > [In the indications of female poverty there can be no disguise. No woman dresses below herself from caprice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/in-the-indications-of-female-poverty-there-can-be-no-disguise-no/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [Talent and intelligence never yet inoculated anyone against the caprice of the fates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/talent-and-intelligence-never-yet-inoculated-anyone-against-the/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [Our fascination with weather: its caprices and changes as an antidote to the eternal repetition of daily life; a helpful illusion of novelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derren-brown/our-fascination-with-weather-its-caprices-and-changes-as-an-antidote/) [Derren Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derren-brown/) > [I see nothing quite conclusive in the art of temporal government, But violence, duplicity and frequent malversation. King rules or barons rule: The strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-smiles/i-see-nothing-quite-conclusive-in-the-art-of-temporal-government-but/) [Samuel Smiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-smiles/) > [A caprice is handled like a stew, and the pepper is added at the last minute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachilde/a-caprice-is-handled-like-a-stew-and-the-pepper-is-added-at-the-last/) [Rachilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachilde/) > [When faced with demanding situations, can you keep your heart as light as a feather? Can you laugh your way through challenges and maintain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/when-faced-with-demanding-situations-can-you-keep-your-heart-as-light/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [Travel is a caprice in childhood, a passion in youth, a necessity in manhood, and an elegy in old age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-rizal/travel-is-a-caprice-in-childhood-a-passion-in-youth-a-necessity-in/) [Jose Rizal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-rizal/) > [Broken lines do not know what they want. With their caprices they cut time up, abuse routes, slash the joyous flowers and split the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-crevel/broken-lines-do-not-know-what-they-want-with-their-caprices-they-cut/) [Rene Crevel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-crevel/) > [Dame Edna is that rarest sighting in our time of the absolute comic, an inspired personification of caprice whose comedy answered the primal call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lahr/dame-edna-is-that-rarest-sighting-in-our-time-of-the-absolute-comic/) [John Lahr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lahr/) > [The great merit of gold is precisely that it is scarce; that its quantity is limited by nature; that it is costly to discover,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/the-great-merit-of-gold-is-precisely-that-it-is-scarce-that-its/) [Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/) > [Caprice, independence and rebellion, which are opposed to the social order, are essential to the good health of an ethnic group. We shall measure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-dubuffet/caprice-independence-and-rebellion-which-are-opposed-to-the-social/) [Jean Dubuffet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-dubuffet/) > [Caprice in women often infringes upon the rules of decency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/caprice-in-women-often-infringes-upon-the-rules-of-decency/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [I love you boosie baltimore m.d caprice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-boosie/i-love-you-boosie-baltimore-m-d-caprice/) [Lil Boosie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-boosie/) > [Caprice is half man. There is something manly about her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bacon/caprice-is-half-man-there-is-something-manly-about-her/) [Richard Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bacon/) > [For the writer, the serial killer is, abstractly, an analogue of the imagination's caprices and amorality; the sense that, no matter the dictates and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/for-the-writer-the-serial-killer-is-abstractly-an-analogue-of-the/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) [Browse all 110 Caprice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caprice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That a god like Jehovah should have created this world of misery and woe, out of pure caprice, and because he enjoyed doing it, and should then have clapped his hands in praise of his own work, and declared everything to be very good-that will not do at all!", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Arthur Schopenhauer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/that-a-god-like-jehovah-should-have-created-this-world-of-misery-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Caprice" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/that-a-god-like-jehovah-should-have-created-this-world-of-misery-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/181/arthur-schopenhauer-226_caprice_that-a-god-like-jehovah-should-have-crea_2241032.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/181/arthur-schopenhauer-226_caprice_that-a-god-like-jehovah-should-have-crea_2241032.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/181/arthur-schopenhauer-226_caprice_that-a-god-like-jehovah-should-have-crea_2241032.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That a god like Jehovah should have created this world of misery and woe, out of pure caprice, and because…” — Arthur Schopenhauer", "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": "Arthur Schopenhauer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "That a god like Jehovah should...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/that-a-god-like-jehovah-should-have-created-this-world-of-misery-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/that-a-god-like-jehovah-should-have-created-this-world-of-misery-and/#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 } } ] } ```