--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Many statements about God are confidently…" description: "\"Many statements about God are confidently made by theologians on grounds that today at least sound specious. Thomas Aquinas claimed to prove that God c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/carl-sagan-160_able_many-statements-about-god-are-confidentl_1023613.jpg" --- # Many statements about God are confidently made by… ![“Many statements about God are confidently made by theologians on grounds that today at least sound specious. Thomas Aquinas claimed to prove that God cannot make another God, or commit suicide, or make a man without a soul, or even make a triangle whose interior angles do not equal 180 degrees…” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/carl-sagan-160_able_many-statements-about-god-are-confidentl_1023613.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/carl-sagan-160_able_many-statements-about-god-are-confidentl_1023613.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/carl-sagan-160_able_many-statements-about-god-are-confidentl_1023613.jpg) > “Many statements about God are confidently made by theologians on grounds that today at least sound specious. Thomas Aquinas claimed to prove that God cannot make another God, or commit suicide, or make a man without a soul, or even make a triangle whose interior angles do not equal 180 degrees. But Bolyai and Lobachevsky were able to accomplish this last feat (on a curved surface) in the nineteenth century, and they were not even approximately gods.” [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Limits of human reasoning can lead to confident but flawed theological claims, especially when confronting non‑Euclidean geometry. **In simple terms:** Human confidence can mislead theology when faced with new mathematics. Key Takeaway Question assumptions when evidence changes. Themes theology philosophy science logic humility Mood thoughtful inquisitive critical Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - academic debate - religious discourse - teaching - public policy - personal belief Key Concepts non‑Euclidean geometry logical limits epistemology Questions to Reflect On - How do we reconcile faith with evolving scientific knowledge? - When should we revise long‑standing doctrines? A Different Perspective Even rigorous reasoning can be constrained by prevailing paradigms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atheist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheist/) [Feats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feats/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nineteenth century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nineteenth-century/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Suicide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suicide/) [Theologian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theologian/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Triangles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/triangles/) ## Related quotes > [“The most important segments of many religious dogmas are not their ethical principles, but rather factual statements such as ‘God exists’, ‘the soul is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/the-most-important-segments-of-many-religious-dogmas-are-not-their/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [Here's an experiment: For one whole day think, speak, and act exactly as you would if you were absolutely convinced of the truth of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmet-fox/here-s-an-experiment-for-one-whole-day-think-speak-and-act-exactly-as/) [Emmet Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmet-fox/) > [I could not accept that organizational interpretations, based on shifting human reasoning, could ever be made equal in authority to the actual statements found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-franz/i-could-not-accept-that-organizational-interpretations-based-on/) Raymond Franz > [“The main danger is that of supposing that the thing to do is get a mind on the scale of Thomas (Aquinas)’s into your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denys-turner/the-main-danger-is-that-of-supposing-that-the-thing-to-do-is-get-a/) Denys Turner > [“University of Chicago is a Baptist school, where atheist professors teach Jewish students about St. Thomas Aquinas.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/university-of-chicago-is-a-baptist-school-where-atheist-professors/) [Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) > [“The 'words' of Augustine, Origen, Clement of Alexandria, St. John of Damascus, St. Thomas Aquinas, et al, may not have carried the weight of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-alan-woods/the-words-of-augustine-origen-clement-of-alexandria-st-john-of/) [R. 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