--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If it did not exceed the capacity of…" description: "\"“If it did not exceed the capacity of human nature to foretell future events, it would be absurd to employ any prophecy as an argument for a divine mis..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73a/christopher-hitchens-117_christian-religion_if-it-did-not-exceed-the-capacity-of-hum_627994.jpg" --- # If it did not exceed the capacity of human nature to… ![“If it did not exceed the capacity of human nature to foretell future events, it would be absurd to employ any prophecy as an argument for a divine mission or authority from heaven. So that, upon the whole, we may conclude, that the Christian religion not only was at first attended with miracles…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73a/christopher-hitchens-117_christian-religion_if-it-did-not-exceed-the-capacity-of-hum_627994.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73a/christopher-hitchens-117_christian-religion_if-it-did-not-exceed-the-capacity-of-hum_627994.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73a/christopher-hitchens-117_christian-religion_if-it-did-not-exceed-the-capacity-of-hum_627994.jpg) > ““If it did not exceed the capacity of human nature to foretell future events, it would be absurd to employ any prophecy as an argument for a divine mission or authority from heaven. So that, upon the whole, we may conclude, that the Christian religion not only was at first attended with miracles, but even at this day cannot be believed by any reasonable person without one. Mere reason is insufficient to convince us of its veracity: And whoever is moved by faith to assent to it, is conscious of a continued miracle in his own person, which subverts all the principles of his understanding, and gives him a determination to believe what is most contrary to custom and experience.”” [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. The argument claims that prophecy cannot be a rational basis for religious authority because it exceeds human capacity to predict, making faith a personal miracle that opposes reason and experience. **In simple terms:** Prophecy is irrational; faith is a personal miracle against reason. Key Takeaway Question the rational basis of religious claims. Themes faith reason skepticism Mood critical skeptical Type philosophical controversial When to use this quote - debates on religion - personal belief - public policy Key Concepts epistemology miracle authority Questions to Reflect On - What role does personal experience play in belief? - Can faith and reason coexist? A Different Perspective Faith can provide comfort despite lacking empirical proof. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christian religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-religion/) [Continued Miracle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/continued-miracle-1054950/) [Faith Assent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith-assent-1054949/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) [Miracles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miracles/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Prophecy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prophecy/) [Prophecy Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prophecy-argument-5067164/) ## Related quotes > [“So that, upon the whole, we may conclude, that the Christian Religion not only was at first attended with miracles, but even at this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/so-that-upon-the-whole-we-may-conclude-that-the-christian-religion/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [And whoever is moved by Faith to assent to it, is conscious of a continued miracle in his own person, which subverts all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/and-whoever-is-moved-by-faith-to-assent-to-it-is-conscious-of-a/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [Eight days the light continued on its own: A miracle, they say, but not more so Than ordinary lives of flesh and bone, Consuming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/eight-days-the-light-continued-on-its-own-a-miracle-they-say-but-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Faith is the assent to any proposition not made out by the deduction of reason but upon the credit of the proposer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-locke/faith-is-the-assent-to-any-proposition-not-made-out-by-the-deduction/) [John Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-locke/) > [“The Reformers laid special emphasis upon this element of faith. They were opposing the Romish view that faith is assent. It is quite consistent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-murray/the-reformers-laid-special-emphasis-upon-this-element-of-faith-they/) [John Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-murray/) > [There are three acts of faith: assent, acceptance and assurance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flavel/there-are-three-acts-of-faith-assent-acceptance-and-assurance/) [John Flavel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flavel/) > [“There is, in Dr. Tillotson’s writings, an argument against the real presence, which is as concise, and elegant, and strong as any argument can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-is-in-dr-tillotson-s-writings-an-argument-against-the-real/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“I have often wondered, that persons who make a boast of professing the Christian religion, namely, love, joy, peace, temperance, and charity to all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-have-often-wondered-that-persons-who-make-a-boast-of-professing-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“As a convinced atheist, I ought to agree with Voltaire that Judaism is not just one more religion, but in its way the root…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/as-a-convinced-atheist-i-ought-to-agree-with-voltaire-that-judaism-is/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Only the Christian religion, which in its essence is communicated by the eternal child of God, keeps alive in its believers the lifelong awareness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-urs-von-balthasar/only-the-christian-religion-which-in-its-essence-is-communicated-by/) [Hans Urs von Balthasar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-urs-von-balthasar/) > [“Our belief of the Scriptures to be the word of God, or a divine revelation, and our understanding of the mind and will of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/our-belief-of-the-scriptures-to-be-the-word-of-god-or-a-divine/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [The United States is in no way founded upon the Christian religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-united-states-is-in-no-way-founded-upon-the-christian-religion/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-carroll-of-carrollton/without-morals-a-republic-cannot-subsist-any-length-of-time-they/) [Charles Carroll of Carrollton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-carroll-of-carrollton/) > [But there are times when men have serious thoughts, and it is at such times, when they begin to think, that they begin to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/but-there-are-times-when-men-have-serious-thoughts-and-it-is-at-such/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Meslier was the most singular phenomenon ever seen among all the meteors fatal to the Christian religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/meslier-was-the-most-singular-phenomenon-ever-seen-among-all-the/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) ## More by Christopher Hitchens > [“The spirit of our accurate and exact philosophy is outraged by conclusions that contradict each other so glaringly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-spirit-of-our-accurate-and-exact-philosophy-is-outraged-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Many governments employ torture but this was the first time that the element of Saturnalia and pornography in the process had been made so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/many-governments-employ-torture-but-this-was-the-first-time-that-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ 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… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense-and-delusion-and-egomania/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [To be against rationalization is not the same as to be opposed to reasoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/to-be-against-rationalization-is-not-the-same-as-to-be-opposed-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ \[Religion\] attacks us in our deepest integrity - the core of our self-respect. Religion says that we would not know right from wrong, we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/religion-attacks-us-in-our-deepest-integrity-the-core-of-our-self/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“In the very recent past, we have seen the Church of Rome befouled by its complicity with the unpardonable sin of child rape, or,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/in-the-very-recent-past-we-have-seen-the-church-of-rome-befouled-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's surprising to me how many of my friends send Christmas cards, or holiday cards, including my atheist and secular friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-surprising-to-me-how-many-of-my-friends-send-christmas-cards-or/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Suppose there were groups of secularists at hospitals who went round the terminally ill and urged them to adopt atheism: 'Don't be a mug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/suppose-there-were-groups-of-secularists-at-hospitals-who-went-round/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [There are, after all, atheists who say they wish the fable were true but are unable to suspend the requisite disbelief, or who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-are-after-all-atheists-who-say-they-wish-the-fable-were-true/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“It isn’t so long since a test of Anglican orthodoxy was applied to anyone seeking to study or teach at Oxford and Cambridge universities.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-isn-t-so-long-since-a-test-of-anglican-orthodoxy-was-applied-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Gullibility and credulity are considered undesireable qualities in every department of human life - except religion ... Why are we praised by godly men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/gullibility-and-credulity-are-considered-undesireable-qualities-in/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's much worse to see a woman drunk than a man: I don't know quite why this is true but it just is. Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-much-worse-to-see-a-woman-drunk-than-a-man-i-don-t-know-quite/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's true that obscenity is a matter of taste and in the eye of the beholder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-true-that-obscenity-is-a-matter-of-taste-and-in-the-eye-of-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [I worked out early on to give up things I couldn't do well at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-worked-out-early-on-to-give-up-things-i-couldn-t-do-well-at-all/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Writing is what's important to me, and anything that helps me do that - or enhances and prolongs and deepens and sometimes intensifies argument…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/writing-is-what-s-important-to-me-and-anything-that-helps-me-do-that/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) [Explore all 1,241 Christopher Hitchens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## More Christian religion quotes > [Meslier was the most singular phenomenon ever seen among all the meteors fatal to the Christian religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/meslier-was-the-most-singular-phenomenon-ever-seen-among-all-the/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [But there are times when men have serious thoughts, and it is at such times, when they begin to think, that they begin to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/but-there-are-times-when-men-have-serious-thoughts-and-it-is-at-such/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-carroll-of-carrollton/without-morals-a-republic-cannot-subsist-any-length-of-time-they/) [Charles Carroll of Carrollton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-carroll-of-carrollton/) > [The United States is in no way founded upon the Christian religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-united-states-is-in-no-way-founded-upon-the-christian-religion/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [“Our belief of the Scriptures to be the word of God, or a divine revelation, and our understanding of the mind and will of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/our-belief-of-the-scriptures-to-be-the-word-of-god-or-a-divine/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [Only the Christian religion, which in its essence is communicated by the eternal child of God, keeps alive in its believers the lifelong awareness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-urs-von-balthasar/only-the-christian-religion-which-in-its-essence-is-communicated-by/) [Hans Urs von Balthasar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-urs-von-balthasar/) > [You find this curious fact, that the more intense has been the religion of any period and more profound has been the dogmatic belief,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/you-find-this-curious-fact-that-the-more-intense-has-been-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [The freedom of the press is a valuable privilege; but the abuse of it, in this country, is a frightful evil. The licentiousness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-webster/the-freedom-of-the-press-is-a-valuable-privilege-but-the-abuse-of-it/) [Noah Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-webster/) > [You find as you look around the world that every single bit of progress in humane feeling, every improvement in the criminal law, every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/you-find-as-you-look-around-the-world-that-every-single-bit-of/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“In England, under the Blasphemy Laws, it is illegal to express disbelief in the Christian religion, though in practice the law is not set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/in-england-under-the-blasphemy-laws-it-is-illegal-to-express/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I have now disposed of all my property to my family. There is one thing more I wish I could give them, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/i-have-now-disposed-of-all-my-property-to-my-family-there-is-one/) [Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/) > [“The Christian religion alone has been able to cure these twin vices, not by using one to expel the other according to worldly wisdom,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/the-christian-religion-alone-has-been-able-to-cure-these-twin-vices/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [“Thus that Upright Judge, whose three Letters my Friend having read, did well approve of 'em, acknowledging, that with great Exactness he had distinguished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stephens/thus-that-upright-judge-whose-three-letters-my-friend-having-read-did/) [William Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stephens/) > [Recently I was reading somewhere or other an Italian curio-dealer who attempted to sell a 17th century crucifix to J.P. Morgan. Inside it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/recently-i-was-reading-somewhere-or-other-an-italian-curio-dealer-who/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [I worry about anthropomorphism as a form of self-deception. (The Christian religion is an anthropomorphic account of the universe.)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-worry-about-anthropomorphism-as-a-form-of-self-deception-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 242 Christian religion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-religion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If it did not exceed the capacity of human nature to foretell future events, it would be absurd to employ any prophecy as an argument for a divine mission or authority from heaven. 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