--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I may add as a fourth reason, which…" description: "\"“I may add as a fourth reason, which diminishes the authority of prodigies, that there is no testimony for any, even those which have not been expressl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/christopher-hitchens-117_ancient-rome_i-may-add-as-a-fourth-reason-which-dimin_2324755.jpg" --- # I may add as a fourth reason, which diminishes the… ![“I may add as a fourth reason, which diminishes the authority of prodigies, that there is no testimony for any, even those which have not been expressly detected, that is not opposed by an infinite number of witnesses; so that not only the miracle destroys the credit of testimony, but the testimony…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/christopher-hitchens-117_ancient-rome_i-may-add-as-a-fourth-reason-which-dimin_2324755.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/christopher-hitchens-117_ancient-rome_i-may-add-as-a-fourth-reason-which-dimin_2324755.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/christopher-hitchens-117_ancient-rome_i-may-add-as-a-fourth-reason-which-dimin_2324755.jpg) > ““I may add as a fourth reason, which diminishes the authority of prodigies, that there is no testimony for any, even those which have not been expressly detected, that is not opposed by an infinite number of witnesses; so that not only the miracle destroys the credit of testimony, but the testimony destroys itself. To make this the better understood, let us consider, that, in matters of religion, whatever is different is contrary; and that it is impossible the religions of ancient Rome, of Turkey, of Siam, and of China should, all of them, be established on any solid foundation. Every miracle, therefore, pretended to have been wrought in any of these religions (and all of them abound in miracles), as its direct scope is to establish the particular system to which it is attributed; so has it the same force, though more indirectly, to overthrow every other system. In destroying a rival system, it likewise destroys the credit of those miracles, on which that system was established; so that all the prodigies of different religions are to be regarded as contrary facts, and the evidences of these prodigies, whether weak or strong, as opposite to each other. According to this method of reasoning, when we believe any miracle of Mahomet or his successors, we have for our warrant the testimony of a few barbarous Arabians: And on the other hand, we are to regard the authority of Titus Livius, Plutarch, Tacitus, and, in short, of all the authors and witnesses, Grecian, Chinese, and Roman Catholic, who have related any miracle in their particular religion; I say, we are to regard their testimony in the same light as if they had mentioned that Mahometan miracle, and had in express terms contradicted it, with the same certainty as they have for the miracle they relate. This argument may appear over subtle and refined; but is not in reality different from the reasoning of a judge, who supposes, that the credit of two witnesses, maintaining a crime against any one, is destroyed by the testimony of two others, who affirm him to have been two hundred leagues distant, at the same instant when the crime is said to have been committed.”” [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Miracles are used to validate religions, but contradictory miracles across faiths undermine each other's credibility, making all such claims mutually exclusive. **In simple terms:** Miracles conflict, weakening each other's proof. Key Takeaway Question religious claims critically. Themes skepticism religion truth logic philosophy Mood critical inquisitive analytical Type philosophical skeptical comparative When to use this quote - debates on faith - academic studies - interfaith dialogue - personal belief assessment Key Concepts epistemology conflict comparative religion Questions to Reflect On - Can we find a common ethical basis beyond miraculous claims? - How does cultural context shape miracle narratives? 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To make this the better understood, let us consider, that, in matters of religion, whatever is different is contrary; and that it is impossible the religions of ancient Rome, of Turkey, of Siam, and of China should, all of them, be established on any solid foundation. Every miracle, therefore, pretended to have been wrought in any of these religions (and all of them abound in miracles), as its direct scope is to establish the particular system to which it is attributed; so has it the same force, though more indirectly, to overthrow every other system. In destroying a rival system, it likewise destroys the credit of those miracles, on which that system was established; so that all the prodigies of different religions are to be regarded as contrary facts, and the evidences of these prodigies, whether weak or strong, as opposite to each other. According to this method of reasoning, when we believe any miracle of Mahomet or his successors, we have for our warrant the testimony of a few barbarous Arabians: And on the other hand, we are to regard the authority of Titus Livius, Plutarch, Tacitus, and, in short, of all the authors and witnesses, Grecian, Chinese, and Roman Catholic, who have related any miracle in their particular religion; I say, we are to regard their testimony in the same light as if they had mentioned that Mahometan miracle, and had in express terms contradicted it, with the same certainty as they have for the miracle they relate. This argument may appear over subtle and refined; but is not in reality different from the reasoning of a judge, who supposes, that the credit of two witnesses, maintaining a crime against any one, is destroyed by the testimony of two others, who affirm him to have been two hundred leagues distant, at the same instant when the crime is said to have been committed.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Christopher Hitchens" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-may-add-as-a-fourth-reason-which-diminishes-the-authority-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ancient rome" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-may-add-as-a-fourth-reason-which-diminishes-the-authority-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/christopher-hitchens-117_ancient-rome_i-may-add-as-a-fourth-reason-which-dimin_2324755.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/christopher-hitchens-117_ancient-rome_i-may-add-as-a-fourth-reason-which-dimin_2324755.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/christopher-hitchens-117_ancient-rome_i-may-add-as-a-fourth-reason-which-dimin_2324755.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I may add as a fourth reason, which diminishes the authority of prodigies, that there is no testimony for…” — Christopher Hitchens", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Christopher Hitchens", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I may add as a fourth...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-may-add-as-a-fourth-reason-which-diminishes-the-authority-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-may-add-as-a-fourth-reason-which-diminishes-the-authority-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```