Agony Quote by Donald Barthelme
“I keep wondering if, say, there is intelligent life on other planets, the scientists argue that something like two percent of the other planets have the conditions, the physical conditions, to support life in the way it happened here, did Christ visit each and every planet, go through the same routine, the Agony in the Garden, the Crucifixion, and so on.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The New Yorker, 1975
Speculates on universal Christ‑like experiences across all life‑supporting planets, questioning whether divine narratives repeat throughout the cosmos.
In simple terms: Questions if Christ’s story repeats on other habitable planets.
Key Takeaway
Consider the universality of religious narratives.
Themes
theology
cosmology
philosophy
Mood
contemplative
curious
Type
philosophical
speculative
When to use this quote
- academic debate
- science fiction writing
- interfaith dialogue
Key Concepts
comparative religion
extraterrestrial life
mythology
Questions to Reflect On
- Do all intelligent beings need similar myths?
- What evidence supports universal religious patterns?
A Different Perspective
Assumes Earth‑centric view of divine events.
![“We don't know why we are here and . . . our role in the universe, and the thought of an infinite universe. It's something the human mind can't really grasp. [And] it's statistically impossible that there's not life on other planets.” quote by Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8f0/joel-kinnaman-4273_human-mind_we-don-t-know-why-we-are-here-and-our-ro_147178.jpg)
![“[W]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range of music, and will not vibrate in the least under a touch that fills others with tremulous rapture or quivering agony.” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9be/george-eliot-84_agony_w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves_12409.jpg)
