Able Quote by Bertrand Russell
“When you come to look into this argument from design, it is a most astonishing thing that people can believe that this world, with all the things that are in it, with all its defects, should be the best that omnipotence and omniscience has been able to produce in millions of years.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Why I Am Not a Christian, 1927
The argument that a flawed world is the best possible creation of an all-powerful, all-knowing deity is astonishing and contradictory.
In simple terms: A defective world cannot be the pinnacle of a perfect creator.
Key Takeaway
Question the consistency of omnipotent design.
Themes
theology
philosophy
skepticism
existence
design
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
skeptical
When to use this quote
- Debates on faith
- ethical discussions
- philosophical lectures
- academic courses
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
Problem of evil
theodicy
logical inconsistency
Questions to Reflect On
- Can a perfect being allow suffering?
- Does imperfection imply a non-divine creator?
A Different Perspective
Assumes divine perfection without empirical evidence.
![“If God did not arrange [the world] this way, then there must be an independent factor in the universe. And if there is such, one consequence and perhaps two follow. First, the doctrine of creation must be abandoned. A creation ex nihilo would be completely in God's control. Independent forces…” quote by Gordon H. Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dbb/gordon-h-clark-48142_divine-sovereignty_if-god-did-not-arrange-the-world-this-wa_2573387.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)
