--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Usually, even a non-Christian knows…" description: "\"“Usually, even a non-Christian knows something about the earth, the heavens, and the other elements of the world, about the motion and orbit of the sta..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e1/augustine-of-hippo-2589_eternal-life_usually-even-a-non-christian-knows-somet_3007917.jpg" --- # Usually, even a non-Christian knows something about the… ![“Usually, even a non-Christian knows something about the earth, the heavens, and the other elements of the world, about the motion and orbit of the stars and even their size and relative positions, about the predictable eclipses of the sun and moon, the cycles of the years and the seasons, about…” quote by Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e1/augustine-of-hippo-2589_eternal-life_usually-even-a-non-christian-knows-somet_3007917.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e1/augustine-of-hippo-2589_eternal-life_usually-even-a-non-christian-knows-somet_3007917.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e1/augustine-of-hippo-2589_eternal-life_usually-even-a-non-christian-knows-somet_3007917.jpg) > ““Usually, even a non-Christian knows something about the earth, the heavens, and the other elements of the world, about the motion and orbit of the stars and even their size and relative positions, about the predictable eclipses of the sun and moon, the cycles of the years and the seasons, about the kinds of animals, shrubs, stones, and so forth, and this knowledge he holds to as being certain from reason and experience. Now, it is a disgraceful and dangerous thing for an infidel to hear a Christian, presumably giving the meaning of Holy Scripture, talking nonsense on these topics; and we should take all means to prevent such an embarrassing situation, in which people show up vast ignorance in a Christian and laugh it to scorn. The shame is not so much that an ignorant individual is derided, but that people outside the household of faith think our sacred writers held such opinions, and, to the great loss of those for whose salvation we toil, the writers of our Scripture are criticized and rejected as unlearned men. If they find a Christian mistaken in a field which they themselves know well and hear him maintaining his foolish opinions about our books, how are they going to believe those books in matters concerning the resurrection of the dead, the hope of eternal life, and the kingdom of heaven, when they think their pages are full of falsehoods on facts which they themselves have learnt from experience and the light of reason? Reckless and incompetent expounders of Holy Scripture bring untold trouble and sorrow on their wiser brethren when they are caught in one of their mischievous false opinions and are taken to task by those who are not bound by the authority of our sacred books. For then, to defend their utterly foolish and obviously untrue statements, they will try to call upon Holy Scripture for proof and even recite from memory many passages which they think support their position, although they understand neither what they say nor the things about which they make assertion \[quoting 1 Tim 1:7\].”” [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Christian teachers must avoid factual errors that undermine credibility of their faith. **In simple terms:** Mistakes in science can damage trust in scripture. Key Takeaway Ensure accurate knowledge when discussing secular topics. Themes faith education credibility Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - theology lectures - public debates - educational curricula - interfaith dialogues Key Concepts epistemology apologetics authority Questions to Reflect On - How can believers reconcile scientific ignorance with theological authority? - What safeguards prevent misinformation in religious teaching? A Different Perspective Uncertainty in scientific facts can still coexist with faith. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Eternal life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternal-life/) [Kingdom of heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kingdom-of-heaven/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Sun And Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sun-and-moon/) ## Related quotes > [Often a non-Christian knows something about the earth, the heavens, and the other parts of the world, about the motions and orbits of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/often-a-non-christian-knows-something-about-the-earth-the-heavens-and/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [If they find a Christian mistaken in a field which they themselves know well and hear him maintaining his foolish opinions about our books,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/if-they-find-a-christian-mistaken-in-a-field-which-they-themselves/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [“When supernatural phenomena do not occur, what is the attitude of the writers of Scripture toward their absence? When there is an absence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zondervan-publishing/when-supernatural-phenomena-do-not-occur-what-is-the-attitude-of-the/) [Zondervan Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zondervan-publishing/) > [“If Christians have learned anything from our rocky two-thousand-year theological history, it’s that we make the most beautiful things ugly when we try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/if-christians-have-learned-anything-from-our-rocky-two-thousand-year/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [“How is it that Asians and Westerners can look at the exact same classroom interactions, and one group will label it “class participation” and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/how-is-it-that-asians-and-westerners-can-look-at-the-exact-same/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [I'm not a showbiz person. I just enjoy talking nonsense on the radio. I'm not bothered about going to clubs or the paparazzi, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blackburn/i-m-not-a-showbiz-person-i-just-enjoy-talking-nonsense-on-the-radio-i/) [Tony Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blackburn/) > [Out of hate, if you try to love that love will just be a hidden hate; it cannot be anything else-you are full of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/out-of-hate-if-you-try-to-love-that-love-will-just-be-a-hidden-hate/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Look at life through the wrong end of the telescope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/look-at-life-through-the-wrong-end-of-the-telescope/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [It is well for us that we are born babies in intellect. Could we understand half what mothers say and do to their infants,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-william-hare/it-is-well-for-us-that-we-are-born-babies-in-intellect-could-we/) [Augustus William Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-william-hare/) > [Theology is that discipline whereby we stop talking nonsense about God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-mccabe/theology-is-that-discipline-whereby-we-stop-talking-nonsense-about-god/) [Herbert McCabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-mccabe/) > [“‎" You think I am attacking them for talking nonsense? Not a bit! I like them to talk nonsense. That's man's one privilege over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-think-i-am-attacking-them-for-talking-nonsense-not-a-bit-i-like/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Employees hate meetings because they reveal that self-promotion, sycophancy, dissimulation and constantly talking nonsense in a loud confident voice are more impressive than merely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-foley/employees-hate-meetings-because-they-reveal-that-self-promotion/) [Michael Foley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-foley/) > [“If you don't attend, Gwendolen," said the mistress, "and stop looking out of the window, I shall have to give you an order-mark." "But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/if-you-don-t-attend-gwendolen-said-the-mistress-and-stop-looking-out/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Many orthodox people speak as though it were the business of sceptics to disprove received dogmas rather than of dogmatists to prove them. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/many-orthodox-people-speak-as-though-it-were-the-business-of-sceptics/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [In every province, the chief occupations, in order of importance, are lovemaking, malicious gossip, and talking nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/in-every-province-the-chief-occupations-in-order-of-importance-are/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) ## More by Augustine of Hippo > [“We are inflamed, by Thy Gift we are kindled; and are carried upwards; we glow inwardly, and go forwards. We ascend Thy ways that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/we-are-inflamed-by-thy-gift-we-are-kindled-and-are-carried-upwards-we/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) > [“Faith seeks, understanding finds. This is why the prophet says, ‘Unless you believe, you will not understand”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/faith-seeks-understanding-finds-this-is-why-the-prophet-says-unless/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) > [“Time takes no holiday. It does not roll idly by, but through our senses works its own wonders in the mind. Time came and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/time-takes-no-holiday-it-does-not-roll-idly-by-but-through-our-senses/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) > [“So it falls out that in this world, in evil days like these, the Church walks onward like a wayfarer stricken by the world's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/so-it-falls-out-that-in-this-world-in-evil-days-like-these-the-church/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) > [“Pride is the beginning of sin. And what is pride but the craving for undue exaltation? And this is undue exaltation - when the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/pride-is-the-beginning-of-sin-and-what-is-pride-but-the-craving-for/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) > [“Variation on the middle sentence: A thing is not necessarily false because it is badly expressed, nor true because it is expressed magnificently.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/variation-on-the-middle-sentence-a-thing-is-not-necessarily-false/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) > [“Run to and fro everywhere, holy fires, beautiful fires; for you are the light of the world, nor are you put under a bushel.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/run-to-and-fro-everywhere-holy-fires-beautiful-fires-for-you-are-the/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) > [“Let Him do what pleases Him; let Him disclose Himself when it pleases Him! I now commit myself wholly to His care and clemency.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/let-him-do-what-pleases-him-let-him-disclose-himself-when-it-pleases/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) > [“and even now we labor in our residual gloom, until in your only Son we become your righteousness; for that righteousness is like God's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/and-even-now-we-labor-in-our-residual-gloom-until-in-your-only-son-we/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) > [“Thus, every entity, even if it is a defective one, in so far as it is an entity, is good. In so far as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/thus-every-entity-even-if-it-is-a-defective-one-in-so-far-as-it-is-an/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) > [“But unscrupulous ambition has nothing to work upon, save in a nation corrupted by avarice and luxury. Moreover, a people becomes avaricious and luxurious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/but-unscrupulous-ambition-has-nothing-to-work-upon-save-in-a-nation/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) > [“Faith is to believe what we do not see; and the reward of the faith is to see what we believe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/faith-is-to-believe-what-we-do-not-see-and-the-reward-of-the-faith-is/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) > [“For instantly, as the sentence ended, there was infused in my heart something like the light of full certainty and all the gloom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/for-instantly-as-the-sentence-ended-there-was-infused-in-my-heart/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) > [“And yet, will we ever come to an end of discussion and talk if we think we must always reply to replies? For replies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/and-yet-will-we-ever-come-to-an-end-of-discussion-and-talk-if-we/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) > [“If, on the contrary, they hear from you about themselves, they will be in no position to say, “The Lord is lying.” Is hearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/if-on-the-contrary-they-hear-from-you-about-themselves-they-will-be/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) [Explore all 153 Augustine of Hippo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) ## More Eternal life quotes > [Our thoughts are either focused on what's eternal, life-changing, and true, or lost in the details of our temporary, selfish, false beliefs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/our-thoughts-are-either-focused-on-what-s-eternal-life-changing-and/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) > [“What about your funeral, eh?” She asks. “You mean the one that is never going to happen ever because I am going to gather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-wolf/what-about-your-funeral-eh-she-asks-you-mean-the-one-that-is-never/) [Sara Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-wolf/) > [The Baseball Hall of Fame is something every player dreams about, but being a member of God's Hall of Fame is the greatest achievement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/the-baseball-hall-of-fame-is-something-every-player-dreams-about-but/) [Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/) > [Intellectual methods-study and reason-are essential to our progress toward eternal life, but they are not sufficient. They can prepare the way. They can get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/intellectual-methods-study-and-reason-are-essential-to-our-progress/) [Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/) > [“This life is just a bootcamp, to test and toughen us, to prepare us for the next life of service in some great adventure.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/this-life-is-just-a-bootcamp-to-test-and-toughen-us-to-prepare-us-for/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [Suppose that we are wise enough to learn and know-and yet not wise enough to control our learning and knowledge, so that we use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/suppose-that-we-are-wise-enough-to-learn-and-know-and-yet-not-wise/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [My plea therefore is this: Let us get our instruments tightly strung and our melodies sweetly sung. Let us not die with our music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/my-plea-therefore-is-this-let-us-get-our-instruments-tightly-strung/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [Masonry inculcates faith in immortality as indispensable to moral living and urges its members to qualify for eternal life by the practice of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-e-hammond/masonry-inculcates-faith-in-immortality-as-indispensable-to-moral/) William E Hammond > [The fear of an eternal life compared to an inevitable death is that of a wise man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-queen/the-fear-of-an-eternal-life-compared-to-an-inevitable-death-is-that/) [Derek Queen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-queen/) > [“Our true reality is not a limited phenomenon, existing only between birth and death. It is eternal life that exists alone, self-existent and self-sufficient,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/our-true-reality-is-not-a-limited-phenomenon-existing-only-between/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [“We live a short period of time in this world, but we live it according to the laws of eternal life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-live-a-short-period-of-time-in-this-world-but-we-live-it-according/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“ Programs has a temporary results leading to nothingness, and the Gospel the brings the result of Eternal life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommie-scott/programs-has-a-temporary-results-leading-to-nothingness-and-the/) Tommie Scott > [“Silently a flower blooms, In silence if falls away; Yet here now, at this moment, at this place, The world of the flower, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilli-jolgren-day/silently-a-flower-blooms-in-silence-if-falls-away-yet-here-now-at/) Lilli Jolgren Day > [If we never leave our house except to drive to work, do we need to be even remotely aware of this powerful, humbling, extraordinary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/if-we-never-leave-our-house-except-to-drive-to-work-do-we-need-to-be/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [We have a commitment to serve our Lord. We have an assurance that the cause is just and worthy. But, above all, we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/we-have-a-commitment-to-serve-our-lord-we-have-an-assurance-that-the/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) [Browse all 750 Eternal life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternal-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Usually, even a non-Christian knows something about the earth, the heavens, and the other elements of the world, about the motion and orbit of the stars and even their size and relative positions, about the predictable eclipses of the sun and moon, the cycles of the years and the seasons, about the kinds of animals, shrubs, stones, and so forth, and this knowledge he holds to as being certain from reason and experience. Now, it is a disgraceful and dangerous thing for an infidel to hear a Christian, presumably giving the meaning of Holy Scripture, talking nonsense on these topics; and we should take all means to prevent such an embarrassing situation, in which people show up vast ignorance in a Christian and laugh it to scorn. The shame is not so much that an ignorant individual is derided, but that people outside the household of faith think our sacred writers held such opinions, and, to the great loss of those for whose salvation we toil, the writers of our Scripture are criticized and rejected as unlearned men. If they find a Christian mistaken in a field which they themselves know well and hear him maintaining his foolish opinions about our books, how are they going to believe those books in matters concerning the resurrection of the dead, the hope of eternal life, and the kingdom of heaven, when they think their pages are full of falsehoods on facts which they themselves have learnt from experience and the light of reason? Reckless and incompetent expounders of Holy Scripture bring untold trouble and sorrow on their wiser brethren when they are caught in one of their mischievous false opinions and are taken to task by those who are not bound by the authority of our sacred books. For then, to defend their utterly foolish and obviously untrue statements, they will try to call upon Holy Scripture for proof and even recite from memory many passages which they think support their position, although they understand neither what they say nor the things about which they make assertion [quoting 1 Tim 1:7].”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Augustine of Hippo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/usually-even-a-non-christian-knows-something-about-the-earth-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Eternal life" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/usually-even-a-non-christian-knows-something-about-the-earth-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e1/augustine-of-hippo-2589_eternal-life_usually-even-a-non-christian-knows-somet_3007917.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e1/augustine-of-hippo-2589_eternal-life_usually-even-a-non-christian-knows-somet_3007917.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e1/augustine-of-hippo-2589_eternal-life_usually-even-a-non-christian-knows-somet_3007917.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Usually, even a non-Christian knows something about the earth, the heavens, and the other elements of the…” — Augustine of Hippo", "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": "Augustine of Hippo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Usually, even a non-Christian knows something...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/usually-even-a-non-christian-knows-something-about-the-earth-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/usually-even-a-non-christian-knows-something-about-the-earth-the/#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 } } ] } ```