Atheism Quote by Christopher Hitchens
““To be charitable, one may admit that the religious often seem unaware of how insulting their main proposition actually is. Exchange views with a believer even for a short time, and let us make the assumption that this is a mild and decent believer who does not open the bidding by telling you that your unbelief will endanger your soul and condemn you to hell. It will not be long until you are politely asked how you can possibly know right from wrong. Without holy awe, what is to prevent you from resorting to theft, murder, rape, and perjury? It will sometimes be conceded that non-believers have led ethical lives, and it will also be conceded (as it had better be) that many believers have been responsible for terrible crimes. Nonetheless, the working assumption is that we should have no moral compass if we were not somehow in thrall to an unalterable and unchallengeable celestial dictatorship. What a repulsive idea!””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “God Is Not Great” by Christopher Hitchens, 2007
The author argues that morality does not require belief in a deity; assuming otherwise leads to authoritarian control and moral complacency.
In simple terms: Morality can exist without religion.
Key Takeaway
Question moral authority independent of divine command.
Themes
religion
morality
authority
skepticism
Mood
critical
analytical
skeptical
Type
philosophical
provocative
When to use this quote
- debates on ethics
- public policy
- education
- interfaith dialogue
Key Concepts
secular ethics
humanism
critical thinking
Questions to Reflect On
- Is morality universal or culturally contingent?
- How do societies enforce ethics without religion?
A Different Perspective
Religious belief can provide genuine moral motivation for many.
![“Emotional and intellectual persecution, coupled perhaps with subtle exclusions…often seduces [believers]. For the sake of gaining plaudits, it is easy to trim one’s theology or keep silent about the bits that we know will cause umbrage, in the hope of gaining the approval we crave. Alternatively…” quote by D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d58/d-a-carson-2-12097_christianity_emotional-and-intellectual-persecution-c_2191474.jpg)
![“One of the most irrational of all the conventions of modern society is the one to the effect that religious opinions should be respected. …[This] convention protects them, and so they proceed with their blather unwhipped and almost unmolested, to the great damage of common sense and common…” quote by H.L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7ba/h-l-mencken-2-5374_common-decency_one-of-the-most-irrational-of-all-the-co_2448505.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)
