--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You see, the religious people — most of…" description: "\"“You see, the religious people — most of them — really think this planet is an experiment. That's what their beliefs come down to. Some god or other is..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ae/carl-sagan-160_first-place_you-see-the-religious-people-most-of-the_2853192.jpg" --- # You see, the religious people — most of them — really… ![“You see, the religious people — most of them — really think this planet is an experiment. That's what their beliefs come down to. Some god or other is always fixing and poking, messing around with tradesmen's wives, giving tablets on mountains, commanding you to mutilate your children, telling…” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ae/carl-sagan-160_first-place_you-see-the-religious-people-most-of-the_2853192.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ae/carl-sagan-160_first-place_you-see-the-religious-people-most-of-the_2853192.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ae/carl-sagan-160_first-place_you-see-the-religious-people-most-of-the_2853192.jpg) > ““You see, the religious people — most of them — really think this planet is an experiment. That's what their beliefs come down to. Some god or other is always fixing and poking, messing around with tradesmen's wives, giving tablets on mountains, commanding you to mutilate your children, telling people what words they can say and what words they can't say, making people feel guilty about enjoying themselves, and like that. Why can't the gods leave well enough alone? All this intervention speaks of incompetence. If God didn't want Lot's wife to look back, why didn't he make her obedient, so she'd do what her husband told her? Or if he hadn't made Lot such a shithead, maybe she would've listened to him more. If God is omnipotent and omniscient, why didn't he start the universe out in the first place so it would come out the way he wants? Why's he constantly repairing and complaining? No, there's one thing the Bible makes clear: The biblical God is a sloppy manufacturer. He's not good at design, he's not good at execution. He'd be out of business if there was any competition.”” [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. The quote criticizes the idea of a perfect, interventionist deity, portraying divine actions as clumsy and unnecessary, suggesting a flawed creator. **In simple terms:** God is portrayed as incompetent and meddling. Key Takeaway Question the necessity of divine intervention. Themes theism skepticism divine design human agency Mood skeptical critical inquisitive Type philosophical skeptical When to use this quote - debates on religion - personal belief - ethical discussions - literary analysis Key Concepts Philosophy of religion theodicy anthropomorphism Questions to Reflect On - Do you think belief in a higher power can be rational? - How does this view affect moral responsibility? A Different Perspective Critics argue that faith can provide comfort and meaning despite perceived flaws. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beliefs Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beliefs-come-3459865/) [First place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-place/) [God Fixing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-fixing-760234/) [God Omnipotent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-omnipotent-716023/) [God Sloppy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-sloppy-1286719/) [Incompetence God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incompetence-god-3808956/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-people/) ## Related quotes > [“If God is omnipotent and omniscient, why didn’t he start the universe out in the first place so it would come out the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/if-god-is-omnipotent-and-omniscient-why-didn-t-he-start-the-universe/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [If God is omnipotent and omniscient, why didn't he start the universe out in the first place so it would come out the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/if-god-is-omnipotent-and-omniscient-why-didn-t-he-start-the-universe-2/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“No, there's one thing the Bible makes clear: The biblical God is a sloppy manufacturer. 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If God didn't want Lot's wife to look back, why didn't he make her obedient, so she'd do what her husband told her? Or if he hadn't made Lot such a shithead, maybe she would've listened to him more. If God is omnipotent and omniscient, why didn't he start the universe out in the first place so it would come out the way he wants? Why's he constantly repairing and complaining? No, there's one thing the Bible makes clear: The biblical God is a sloppy manufacturer. He's not good at design, he's not good at execution. 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