Atheism Quote by Christopher Hitchens
“Along with Islam and Christianity, Judaism does insist that some turgid and contradictory and sometimes evil and mad texts, obviously written by fairly unexceptional humans, are in fact the word of god. I think that the indispensable condition of any intellectual liberty is the realisation that there is no such thing.”
About This Quote
Source Book: God Is Not Great, Christopher Hitchens, 2007
The quote argues that religious texts, despite being human-made and flawed, are claimed as divine, and that recognizing this is essential for true intellectual freedom.
In simple terms: Religious texts are human, not divine; acknowledging this frees thought.
Key Takeaway
Question the divine claim of sacred texts.
Themes
religion
intellectual freedom
skepticism
Mood
critical
skeptical
provocative
Type
philosophical
controversial
inspirational
When to use this quote
- academic debate
- personal belief
- public policy
- education
- media criticism
Key Concepts
human authorship
authority
faith
Questions to Reflect On
- How does believing a text is divine affect critical thinking?
- Can faith coexist with acknowledging human authorship?
A Different Perspective
Religious believers may see this as disrespectful or dismissive of faith.
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