--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can't deny that religion has done…" description: "\"You can't deny that religion has done some good. It organizes lots of anti-poverty programs and soup kitchens and missionary work. But I would say that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/832/bill-maher-211_accomplished_you-can-t-deny-that-religion-has-done-so_2531942.png" --- # You can't deny that religion has done some good. It… ![“You can't deny that religion has done some good. It organizes lots of anti-poverty programs and soup kitchens and missionary work. But I would say that, first of all, all those things can be accomplished without religion. You can be ethical, somebody who does the right thing without feeling that…” quote by Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/832/bill-maher-211_accomplished_you-can-t-deny-that-religion-has-done-so_2531942.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/832/bill-maher-211_accomplished_you-can-t-deny-that-religion-has-done-so_2531942.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/832/bill-maher-211_accomplished_you-can-t-deny-that-religion-has-done-so_2531942.png) > “You can't deny that religion has done some good. It organizes lots of anti-poverty programs and soup kitchens and missionary work. But I would say that, first of all, all those things can be accomplished without religion. You can be ethical, somebody who does the right thing without feeling that he has to in order to get his ass saved in the next life.” [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. Religion can organize charitable work, but moral behavior and altruism are possible without religious belief. **In simple terms:** Good deeds don’t require religion. Key Takeaway Ethics can be secular. Themes religion charity ethics secularism Mood critical thought‑provoking Type debate analytical When to use this quote - volunteer work - policy advocacy - community service - interfaith dialogue Key Concepts moral philosophy social welfare humanism Questions to Reflect On - Can secular groups match religious charity? - What motivates people to help others? A Different Perspective Religious institutions often provide resources that secular groups lack. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Missionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missionary/) [Missionary work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missionary-work/) [Next life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next-life/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Right thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-thing/) [Soup kitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soup-kitchens/) ## Related quotes > [(Because) the notion of absolute truth is difficult to sustain outside the context of religion, ethical conduct is not something we engage in because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/because-the-notion-of-absolute-truth-is-difficult-to-sustain-outside/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [I regard monotheism as the greatest disaster ever to befall the human race. I see no good in Judaism, Christianity, or Islam - good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/i-regard-monotheism-as-the-greatest-disaster-ever-to-befall-the-human-2/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [while religion is ethical, it by no means follows that ethics is religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-harkness/while-religion-is-ethical-it-by-no-means-follows-that-ethics-is/) [Georgia Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-harkness/) > [I don't deny that religion is very healthful to a lot of people. And as long as they don't try to convert me, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/i-don-t-deny-that-religion-is-very-healthful-to-a-lot-of-people-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [Nobody can deny but religion is a comfort to the distressed, a cordial to the sick, and sometimes a restraint on the wicked...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wortley-montagu/nobody-can-deny-but-religion-is-a-comfort-to-the-distressed-a-cordial-2/) [Mary Wortley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wortley-montagu/) > [Nobody can deny but religion is a comfort to the distressed, a cordial to the sick, and sometimes a restraint on the wicked; therefore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wortley-montagu/nobody-can-deny-but-religion-is-a-comfort-to-the-distressed-a-cordial/) [Mary Wortley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wortley-montagu/) > [Science does not deny religion, it just offers a simpler alternative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/science-does-not-deny-religion-it-just-offers-a-simpler-alternative/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [For centuries, soup kitchens have been a way for local communities to offer a way of support, both nutritional and emotional to their less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-samuelsson/for-centuries-soup-kitchens-have-been-a-way-for-local-communities-to/) [Marcus Samuelsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-samuelsson/) > [Some of us seem to be born with a drive to try to make the world kinder. 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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. 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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 Accomplished quotes > [I never believed in trying to do anything. 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