--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The certainty with which a religious…" description: "\"The certainty with which a religious belief is held is usually in direct proportion to its absurdity\" — Donald Morgan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ca/donald-morgan-71894_belief_the-certainty-with-which-a-religious-bel_1088039.jpg" --- # The certainty with which a religious belief is held is… ![“The certainty with which a religious belief is held is usually in direct proportion to its absurdity” quote by Donald Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ca/donald-morgan-71894_belief_the-certainty-with-which-a-religious-bel_1088039.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ca/donald-morgan-71894_belief_the-certainty-with-which-a-religious-bel_1088039.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ca/donald-morgan-71894_belief_the-certainty-with-which-a-religious-bel_1088039.jpg) > “The certainty with which a religious belief is held is usually in direct proportion to its absurdity” [Donald Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-morgan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The more absurd a belief, the more confidently it is often held, suggesting a link between irrationality and certainty. **In simple terms:** Absurd beliefs are often held with strong confidence. Key Takeaway Question the certainty of your own beliefs. Themes faith reason irrationality Mood inquisitive analytical Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - religious discussions - debates - personal introspection - education Key Concepts cognitive bias belief perseverance Questions to Reflect On - What beliefs do you hold strongly that might be irrational? - How can you test the validity of deeply held convictions? A Different Perspective Strong confidence does not guarantee truth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absurdity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurdity/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Certainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) [Certainty Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty-religious-2798208/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Proportion Absurdity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proportion-absurdity-2322435/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-belief/) ## Related quotes > [“It may, incidentally, be observed that the regularity of a habit is usually in direct proportion to its absurdity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/it-may-incidentally-be-observed-that-the-regularity-of-a-habit-is/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [“There is no arrogance more harmful than one's certainty that their religious beliefs be compulsory for everyone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lee-barham/there-is-no-arrogance-more-harmful-than-one-s-certainty-that-their/) [F. Lee Barham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lee-barham/) > [“Overall, iGen is, with near certainty, the least religious generation in US history.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-m-twenge/overall-igen-is-with-near-certainty-the-least-religious-generation-in/) [Jean M. Twenge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-m-twenge/) > [The fixity of a habit is generally in direct proportion to its absurdity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/the-fixity-of-a-habit-is-generally-in-direct-proportion-to-its/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [That which is true must always remain true, though the applications may change greatly from generation to generation. It is the absence of such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-which-is-true-must-always-remain-true-though-the-applications/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I believe that we do not know anything for certain, but everything probably.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiaan-huygens/i-believe-that-we-do-not-know-anything-for-certain-but-everything/) [Christiaan Huygens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiaan-huygens/) > [Living by faith isn't living with certainty. It's trusting God in spite of unanswered questions and unresolved doubts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/living-by-faith-isn-t-living-with-certainty-it-s-trusting-god-in/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [“In this world, what is here is not necessarily here, and what is now may not really be now: place and time are malleable,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amir-aczel/in-this-world-what-is-here-is-not-necessarily-here-and-what-is-now/) [Amir Aczel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amir-aczel/) > [“Though what could anyone really say these days with one hundred percent certainty?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-risk-hallberg/though-what-could-anyone-really-say-these-days-with-one-hundred/) [Garth Risk Hallberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-risk-hallberg/) > [Go for broke. Always try and do too much. Dispense with safety nets. Take a deep breath before you begin talking. Aim for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/go-for-broke-always-try-and-do-too-much-dispense-with-safety-nets/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-allen-paulos/uncertainty-is-the-only-certainty-there-is-and-knowing-how-to-live/) [John Allen Paulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-allen-paulos/) > [Criticism, though dignified from the earliest ages by the labours of men eminent for knowledge and sagacity, has not yet attained the certainty and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/criticism-though-dignified-from-the-earliest-ages-by-the-labours-of/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [ \[I\]f in other sciences we should arrive at certainty without doubt and truth without error, it behooves us to place the foundations of knowledge… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bacon/i-f-in-other-sciences-we-should-arrive-at-certainty-without-doubt-and/) [Roger Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bacon/) > [As a businessman, I know that businesses need certainty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-foster/as-a-businessman-i-know-that-businesses-need-certainty/) [Bill Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-foster/) > [Of course I doubt. I do not practice a certainty. I practice a faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/of-course-i-doubt-i-do-not-practice-a-certainty-i-practice-a-faith/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) ## More by Donald Morgan > [If God existed as an all-powerful being, He would not need the money that faithful believers donate to their churches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-morgan/if-god-existed-as-an-all-powerful-being-he-would-not-need-the-money/) [Donald Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-morgan/) > [A thorough reading and understanding of the Bible is the surest path to atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-morgan/a-thorough-reading-and-understanding-of-the-bible-is-the-surest-path/) [Donald Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-morgan/) > [Moral: a peerless maxim enumerated by God in his Holy Bible, such as that of Deut. 23:1, if your testicles are crushed or your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-morgan/moral-a-peerless-maxim-enumerated-by-god-in-his-holy-bible-such-as/) [Donald Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-morgan/) [Explore all 4 Donald Morgan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-morgan/) ## More Absurdity quotes > [Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make that attempt. 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Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [Desire is this absurdity that holds open the infinity of possibility. Ever optimistic, ever resourceful, desire tells us what it sees as it speeds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-farley/desire-is-this-absurdity-that-holds-open-the-infinity-of-possibility/) [Wendy Farley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-farley/) > [I've always felt that comedy doesn't just come from misery. It comes from an absurdity around that misery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-amstell/i-ve-always-felt-that-comedy-doesn-t-just-come-from-misery-it-comes/) [Simon Amstell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-amstell/) > [Unaware of the absurdity of it, we introduce our own petty household rules into the economy of the universe for which the life of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-herzen/unaware-of-the-absurdity-of-it-we-introduce-our-own-petty-household/) [Alexander Herzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-herzen/) > [“Christianity would be helpless without the idea of free will and the idea of free will would be helpless without incongruity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/christianity-would-be-helpless-without-the-idea-of-free-will-and-the/) [Kedar Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kedar-joshi/) > [Sensible Catholics have for generations been ignoring the views on contraception held by reactionary old men in the Vatican, but alas, since it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-grayling/sensible-catholics-have-for-generations-been-ignoring-the-views-on/) [A.C. Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-grayling/) > [The tales of our exploits will survive as long as the human voice itself,' he said. 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