Atheist Quote by Christopher Hitchens
““The atheist generally says (though the bold Dr. Victor Stenger goes a bit further) that the existence of a deity cannot be dis-proved. It can only be found to be entirely lacking in evidence or proof. The theist can opt to be a mere deist, and to say that the magnificence of the natural order strongly implies an ordering force. (This was the view taken, at least in public, by opponents of religion such as Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine.) But the religious person must go further and say that this creative force is also an intervening one: one that cares for our human affairs and is interested in what we eat and with whom we have sexual relations, as well as in the outcomes of battles and wars. To assert this is quite simply to assert more than any human can possibly claim to know, and thus it falls, and should be discarded, and should have been discarded long ago.””
About This Quote
Source Book: God Is Not Great, Christopher Hitchens, 2007
The quote argues that claims of a personal, intervening deity exceed what evidence can support and should be dismissed.
In simple terms: Belief in a caring god lacks evidence and should be rejected.
Key Takeaway
Question unsubstantiated religious claims.
Themes
religion
epistemology
skepticism
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
philosophical
controversial
When to use this quote
- academic debate
- personal belief
- public policy
- interfaith dialogue
Key Concepts
theism
deism
evidence
faith
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we balance faith and evidence?
- What role does personal experience play in belief?
A Different Perspective
Religious believers may find meaning beyond empirical proof.
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