--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What I have against religion is that they…" description: "\"What I have against religion is that they start you when you are so defenseless. I mean, I was three when they started pumping this bullshit into my he..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/796/bill-maher-211_against-religion_what-i-have-against-religion-is-that-the_104772.png" --- # What I have against religion is that they start you when… ![“What I have against religion is that they start you when you are so defenseless. I mean, I was three when they started pumping this bullshit into my head. I believed in Santa Claus and the Fairy Godmother, of course I believed in a virgin birth, and a guy lived in a whale, and a woman came from a…” quote by Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/796/bill-maher-211_against-religion_what-i-have-against-religion-is-that-the_104772.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/796/bill-maher-211_against-religion_what-i-have-against-religion-is-that-the_104772.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/796/bill-maher-211_against-religion_what-i-have-against-religion-is-that-the_104772.png) > “What I have against religion is that they start you when you are so defenseless. I mean, I was three when they started pumping this bullshit into my head. I believed in Santa Claus and the Fairy Godmother, of course I believed in a virgin birth, and a guy lived in a whale, and a woman came from a rib. But then something happened that made me doubt all of it: I graduated sixth grade!” [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early indoctrination in religion is challenged by critical thinking that emerges through education, exposing contradictions in mythic narratives. **In simple terms:** School can shake religious beliefs. Key Takeaway Education can prompt religious skepticism. Themes religion education critical thinking culture Mood sarcastic critical Type satire personal anecdote When to use this quote - school curricula - family religious debates - personal belief crises Key Concepts socialization cognitive dissonance Practical Applications - encourage critical inquiry - provide secular education options Questions to Reflect On - Why do some retain faith after questioning? - How does early religious exposure shape adult worldview? A Different Perspective For many, faith persists despite education, offering community and meaning beyond logic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Against religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/against-religion/) [Birth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birth/) [Bullshit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bullshit/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Fairy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairy/) [Fairy godmother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairy-godmother/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Santa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/santa/) [Santa claus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/santa-claus/) [Sixth grade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sixth-grade/) [Virgin birth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virgin-birth/) [Whales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whales/) ## Related quotes > [I believe and have always believed in the virgin birth, and the second coming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-white/i-believe-and-have-always-believed-in-the-virgin-birth-and-the-second/) [Paula White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-white/) > [The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as his father, in the womb of a virgin, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-day-will-come-when-the-mystical-generation-of-jesus-by-the/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“When you accept serving humanity as your religion, you start to feel God within you, then you don't need to search God in any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sai-baba/when-you-accept-serving-humanity-as-your-religion-you-start-to-feel/) [Sai Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sai-baba/) > [To quit religion is to start walking in the space! Don't be afraid, you don't fall into the void, because you can hold onto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/to-quit-religion-is-to-start-walking-in-the-space-don-t-be-afraid-you/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“The fastest way to lose weight is to find religion and start fasting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/the-fastest-way-to-lose-weight-is-to-find-religion-and-start-fasting/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“If I should ever have children I will tell them what religion they are so they can start learning about it at an early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-blume/if-i-should-ever-have-children-i-will-tell-them-what-religion-they/) [Judy Blume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-blume/) > [Why is there enough religion to start war, but not enough religion to incite peace!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/why-is-there-enough-religion-to-start-war-but-not-enough-religion-to/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [“I never believed in Santa Claus. None of us kids did. Mom and Dad refused to let us. They couldn't afford expensive presents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/i-never-believed-in-santa-claus-none-of-us-kids-did-mom-and-dad/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [We laughed about all the kids who believed in the Santa Clause myth and got nothing but a bunch of cheap plastic toys. 'Years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/we-laughed-about-all-the-kids-who-believed-in-the-santa-clause-myth/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [I never believed in Santa because I no white guy would come into my hood after dark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/2pac/i-never-believed-in-santa-because-i-no-white-guy-would-come-into-my/) [2pac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/2pac/) > [I believed in Santa Claus until I was much older than the average kid. One year, my mom wrote 'Merry Christmas, Stacy' on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-keibler/i-believed-in-santa-claus-until-i-was-much-older-than-the-average-kid/) [Stacy Keibler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-keibler/) > [You remember when you were a kid growing up, and believed in Santa Claus? There's not much difference between Santa Claus and me today,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-knight/you-remember-when-you-were-a-kid-growing-up-and-believed-in-santa/) [Bobby Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-knight/) > [Christmas always sucked when I was a kid because I believed in Santa Claus. Unfortunately, so did my parents. So I never got anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-viracola/christmas-always-sucked-when-i-was-a-kid-because-i-believed-in-santa/) Charlie Viracola > [I have memories of the time when I was younger and when I believed in Santa Claus, which was the best part of Christmas.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-penty/i-have-memories-of-the-time-when-i-was-younger-and-when-i-believed-in/) [Diana Penty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-penty/) > [When I was a kid, I believed in Santa Claus. But it was very tough because in the Dominican... there are not a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-soriano/when-i-was-a-kid-i-believed-in-santa-claus-but-it-was-very-tough/) [Alfonso Soriano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-soriano/) ## More by Bill Maher > [A lot of people say they are dyslexic; some have to realize that they are just stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/a-lot-of-people-say-they-are-dyslexic-some-have-to-realize-that-they/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [I saw this anti-drug commercial that showed a kid smoking pot in his dad's room with his friend. This kid finds a gun, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-saw-this-anti-drug-commercial-that-showed-a-kid-smoking-pot-in-his/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [To all conservative women out there: If you are so sure the embryo needed for stem cell research are precious human life that can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/to-all-conservative-women-out-there-if-you-are-so-sure-the-embryo/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [Curious people are intersting people, I wonder why that is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/curious-people-are-intersting-people-i-wonder-why-that-is/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [You see, the difference is the Republicans' hatred of Obama is based on a paranoid feeling about what he might do, what he's thinking,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/you-see-the-difference-is-the-republicans-hatred-of-obama-is-based-on/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [The food is out of this world!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/the-food-is-out-of-this-world/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [New Rule: There is no devil, so stop blaming your screw-ups on him. Last week, one of the biggest evangelical leaders in America, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/new-rule-there-is-no-devil-so-stop-blaming-your-screw-ups-on-him-last/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [If we were a dog and God owned us, the cops would come and take us away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/if-we-were-a-dog-and-god-owned-us-the-cops-would-come-and-take-us-away/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“New Rule: The White House doesn't have to release the dead Bin Laden photos, but don't pretend we can't take it. We've seen pictures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/new-rule-the-white-house-doesn-t-have-to-release-the-dead-bin-laden/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [I think religion is bad and drugs are good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-think-religion-is-bad-and-drugs-are-good/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [I don't hate America. I love America. I want it to be better. The only way we can get it to be better is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-don-t-hate-america-i-love-america-i-want-it-to-be-better-the-only/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“New Rule: Americans must realize what makes NFL football so great: socialism. That's right, the NFL takes money from the rich teams and gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/new-rule-americans-must-realize-what-makes-nfl-football-so-great/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [So many kids are fat drug addicts these days, it's almost as if Rush Limbaugh had puppies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/so-many-kids-are-fat-drug-addicts-these-days-it-s-almost-as-if-rush/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [What we don't know is about Jeb Bush and cocaine. But we do know that he did once had his brother Florida on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/what-we-don-t-know-is-about-jeb-bush-and-cocaine-but-we-do-know-that/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“I find that the world is changing much, much faster than I can even bitch about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-find-that-the-world-is-changing-much-much-faster-than-i-can-even/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) [Explore all 897 Bill Maher quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) ## More Against religion quotes > [We were convinced that the people need and require this faith. We have therefore undertaken the fight against the atheistic movement, and that not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/we-were-convinced-that-the-people-need-and-require-this-faith-we-have/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [I am an intransigent atheist, though not a militant one. This means that I am not fighting against religion - I am fighting for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/i-am-an-intransigent-atheist-though-not-a-militant-one-this-means/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [y feelings as a Christian points me to my Lord and Savior as a fighter. It points me to the man who once in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/y-feelings-as-a-christian-points-me-to-my-lord-and-savior-as-a/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/ridicule-is-the-only-weapon-which-can-be-used-against-unintelligible/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [I am for religion, against religions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/i-am-for-religion-against-religions/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as his father, in the womb of a virgin, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-day-will-come-when-the-mystical-generation-of-jesus-by-the/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [ The rebellious mood of the country during those \[60th\] years allowed me to plug right back into my old hatreds. I could scream and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/the-rebellious-mood-of-the-country-during-those-60th-years-allowed-me/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [Religious controversies are always productive of more acrimony and irreconcilable hatreds than those which spring from any other cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/religious-controversies-are-always-productive-of-more-acrimony-and/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [If you are asking me if my more global purpose is a battle against religion, it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/if-you-are-asking-me-if-my-more-global-purpose-is-a-battle-against/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [I don't believe in heaven and hell. I don't know if I believe in God. All I know is that as an individual, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/i-don-t-believe-in-heaven-and-hell-i-don-t-know-if-i-believe-in-god/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [The Bible is not my book nor Christianity my profession. I could never give assent to the long, complicated statements of Christian dogma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/the-bible-is-not-my-book-nor-christianity-my-profession-i-could-never/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Of all the animosities which have existed among mankind, those which are caused by a difference of sentiments in religion appear to be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/of-all-the-animosities-which-have-existed-among-mankind-those-which/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Richard Dawkins says he can't be sure God doesn't exist. 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Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-j-fleming/) > [This determined bias against religion, especially Christianity, is clearly evident when viewed against the religious heritage of American culture as revealed in the Church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathew-staver/this-determined-bias-against-religion-especially-christianity-is/) [Mathew Staver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathew-staver/) > [It is too late in the day for men of sincerity to pretend they believe in the Platonic mysticisms that three are one, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/it-is-too-late-in-the-day-for-men-of-sincerity-to-pretend-they/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) [Browse all 43 Against religion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/against-religion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What I have against religion is that they start you when you are so defenseless. 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