Atheism Quote by Christopher Hitchens
“Human decency is not derived from religion. It precedes it.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: God Is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens, 2007
Moral behavior precedes religious doctrine, suggesting ethics are innate rather than taught.
In simple terms: Morality exists before religion.
Key Takeaway
Act ethically regardless of belief.
Themes
ethics
secularism
humanism
morality
Mood
critical
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
essay
When to use this quote
- education
- policy making
- community building
Key Concepts
philosophy
social contract
Questions to Reflect On
- What are the roots of your moral compass?
- Can secular societies maintain strong ethics?
A Different Perspective
Religious frameworks can still influence morals.
![“Religion is an attempt to get control over the sensory world, in which we are placed, by means of the wish-world which we have developed inside us as a result of biological and psychological necessities. [...] If one attempts to assign to religion its place in man's evolution, it seems not so much…” quote by Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/59b/sigmund-freud-360_acquisition_religion-is-an-attempt-to-get-control-ov_272243.jpg)
![“It's [Los Angeles] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them aren't even young and beautiful now.” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a86/christopher-hitchens-117_beautiful_it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense_10462.jpg)
![“[Religion] attacks us in our deepest integrity - the core of our self-respect. Religion says that we would not know right from wrong, we would not know an evil, wicked act from a decent human act without divine permission, without divine authority or without, even worse, either the fear of a…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ab6/christopher-hitchens-117_action_religion-attacks-us-in-our-deepest-integ_23299.jpg)
