--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Violent, irrational, intolerant, allied…" description: "\"Violent, irrational, intolerant, allied to racism and tribalism and bigotry, invested in ignorance and hostile to free inquiry, contemptuous of women a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8f/christopher-hitchens-117_bigotry_violent-irrational-intolerant-allied-to_2001198.jpg" --- # Violent, irrational, intolerant, allied to racism and… ![“Violent, irrational, intolerant, allied to racism and tribalism and bigotry, invested in ignorance and hostile to free inquiry, contemptuous of women and coercive toward children: organized religion ought to have a great deal on its conscience.” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8f/christopher-hitchens-117_bigotry_violent-irrational-intolerant-allied-to_2001198.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8f/christopher-hitchens-117_bigotry_violent-irrational-intolerant-allied-to_2001198.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8f/christopher-hitchens-117_bigotry_violent-irrational-intolerant-allied-to_2001198.jpg) > “Violent, irrational, intolerant, allied to racism and tribalism and bigotry, invested in ignorance and hostile to free inquiry, contemptuous of women and coercive toward children: organized religion ought to have a great deal on its conscience.” [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. Organized religion is criticized for fostering intolerance, bigotry, and oppression, especially against women and children, urging moral accountability. **In simple terms:** Religion can promote harmful attitudes and actions. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge harmful religious influences. Themes religion ethics social justice intolerance gender child welfare Mood critical skeptical Type analytical provocative When to use this quote - debating religious influence - advocating secular policies - addressing sexism - protecting children - promoting free inquiry Key Concepts moral responsibility critical inquiry social critique Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports these claims? - How can societies balance freedom of belief with protection from harm? A Different Perspective Not all religious individuals act this way; nuance is needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bigotry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigotry/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [Inquiry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inquiry/) [Irrational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irrational/) [Organized religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organized-religion/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Tribalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tribalism/) [Violent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violent/) ## Related quotes > [A life based on reason will always require to be balanced by an occasional bout of violent and irrational emotion, for instinctual drives must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/a-life-based-on-reason-will-always-require-to-be-balanced-by-an/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [“Music expresses both in lyrics and in tune something of the orientation of the composer and author as to what the truth of religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-godfrey/music-expresses-both-in-lyrics-and-in-tune-something-of-the/) [Robert Godfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-godfrey/) > [Waiving the rights of conscience, not included in the surrender implied by the social state, & more or less invaded by all Religious establishments,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/waiving-the-rights-of-conscience-not-included-in-the-surrender/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [“To my thinking, a woman’s religion ought not to lessen her devotion to her earthly lord.  She should have enough to purify and etherealise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/to-my-thinking-a-woman-s-religion-ought-not-to-lessen-her-devotion-to/) [Anne Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [Surely the ass who invented the first religion ought to be the first ass damned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/surely-the-ass-who-invented-the-first-religion-ought-to-be-the-first/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [... religion (ought to be if it isn't) a great deal more than mere gratification of the instinct for worship linked with the straight-teaching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-julia-cooper/religion-ought-to-be-if-it-isn-t-a-great-deal-more-than-mere/) [Anna Julia Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-julia-cooper/) > [“Madeleine Albright has said that there is 'a special place in hell for women who don't help each other.' What are the implications of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/madeleine-albright-has-said-that-there-is-a-special-place-in-hell-for/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“When people have tried everything and have discovered that nothing works, they will tend to revert to what they know best—which will often be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/when-people-have-tried-everything-and-have-discovered-that-nothing/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [To describe religions as mind viruses is sometimes interpreted as contemptuous or even hostile. It is both. I am often asked why I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/to-describe-religions-as-mind-viruses-is-sometimes-interpreted-as/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [You achieve stature only by being good enough to deserve it, by forcing even the contemptuous and indifferent to pay attention, and to acknowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/you-achieve-stature-only-by-being-good-enough-to-deserve-it-by/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [An uprising would punish only the country, and that is out of the question. But there is yet another approach, the most effectiveform of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-grillparzer/an-uprising-would-punish-only-the-country-and-that-is-out-of-the/) [Franz Grillparzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-grillparzer/) > [Rejoice in the prosperity of others. When you feel contemptuous, or even a twinge of jealousy, toward the accomplishments or life-styles of others, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/rejoice-in-the-prosperity-of-others-when-you-feel-contemptuous-or/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Patriotism is proud of a country's virtues and eager to correct its deficiencies; it also acknowledges the legitimate patriotism of other countries, with their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/patriotism-is-proud-of-a-country-s-virtues-and-eager-to-correct-its/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [“Listen, I wanted to say, I don't need your judgment, okay? I have enough to deal with without you contributing, so can we just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-verdi/listen-i-wanted-to-say-i-don-t-need-your-judgment-okay-i-have-enough/) [Jessica Verdi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-verdi/) > [But if we come back, if German men come back, if British men come back, and Japs, and French, and all the other men,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger-2/but-if-we-come-back-if-german-men-come-back-if-british-men-come-back/) [J. D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger-2/) ## 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 Bigotry quotes > [“The mission is, not to replace old world mindlessness with new world mindlessness, but to put an end to all forms of brainless authoritarianism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-mission-is-not-to-replace-old-world-mindlessness-with-new-world/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [To take up half on trust, and half to try, Name it not faith but bungling bigotry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/to-take-up-half-on-trust-and-half-to-try-name-it-not-faith-but/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [ What are you for? It may be, to a degree, consoling that white brothers and sisters did not vote for \[Donald\] Trump, and do… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/what-are-you-for-it-may-be-to-a-degree-consoling-that-white-brothers/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [Bigoted people are just scholars who lack any sort of legitimate credentials to answer why they're bigoted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doctavius/bigoted-people-are-just-scholars-who-lack-any-sort-of-legitimate/) Doctavius > [Sadly, we can't eliminate bigotry. But that doesn't mean we have to tolerate it, much less give it a platform on which to thrive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-viner/sadly-we-can-t-eliminate-bigotry-but-that-doesn-t-mean-we-have-to/) [Katharine Viner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-viner/) > [Ideological bigotry has become the norm on even our most prestigious campuses, where students can go for years without reading or hearing anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/ideological-bigotry-has-become-the-norm-on-even-our-most-prestigious/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“People talk about history and things like slavery, genocide, and religious persecution as horrors that happened in the past because we were ignorant. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-matthew-nespoli/people-talk-about-history-and-things-like-slavery-genocide-and/) [J. Matthew Nespoli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-matthew-nespoli/) > [“Remember who you are. This creature wants to take it from you. Do not let him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/remember-who-you-are-this-creature-wants-to-take-it-from-you-do-not/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [“Oh Beautiful For A Land That's Free Where All Can Congregate Together Live With No Degree Of Bigotry And Hate”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-bee/oh-beautiful-for-a-land-that-s-free-where-all-can-congregate-together/) Kathy Bee > [“That’s the problem with indoctrination—the whole point of the First Order’s kind of education is to stop someone from thinking and instead kick their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delilah-s-dawson/that-s-the-problem-with-indoctrination-the-whole-point-of-the-first/) [Delilah S. 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The real message…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/pat-buchanan-was-fired-by-msnbc-for-doing-nothing-more-than-voicing/) [Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/) > [Fear and Bigotry are bred fom isolation and ignorance. -Shekinah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fear-and-bigotry-are-bred-fom-isolation-and-ignorance-shekinah/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 661 Bigotry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigotry/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Violent, irrational, intolerant, allied to racism and tribalism and bigotry, invested in ignorance and hostile to free inquiry, contemptuous of women and coercive toward children: organized religion ought to have a great deal on its conscience.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Christopher Hitchens" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/violent-irrational-intolerant-allied-to-racism-and-tribalism-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bigotry" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/violent-irrational-intolerant-allied-to-racism-and-tribalism-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8f/christopher-hitchens-117_bigotry_violent-irrational-intolerant-allied-to_2001198.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8f/christopher-hitchens-117_bigotry_violent-irrational-intolerant-allied-to_2001198.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8f/christopher-hitchens-117_bigotry_violent-irrational-intolerant-allied-to_2001198.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Violent, irrational, intolerant, allied to racism and tribalism and bigotry, invested in ignorance and…” — 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": "Violent, irrational, intolerant, allied to racism...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/violent-irrational-intolerant-allied-to-racism-and-tribalism-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/violent-irrational-intolerant-allied-to-racism-and-tribalism-and/#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 } } ] } ```