--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [When asked about his thoughts on gods] I…" description: "\"“[When asked about his thoughts on gods] I think it's like a movie that was way too popular. It's a story that's been told too many times and just does..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/533/eddie-vedder-2057_atheism_when-asked-about-his-thoughts-on-gods-i_3019910.png" --- # \[When asked about his thoughts on gods\] I think it's like… ![“[When asked about his thoughts on gods] I think it's like a movie that was way too popular. It's a story that's been told too many times and just doesn't mean anything. Man lived on the planet — [placing his fingers an inch apart], this is 5000 years of semi-recorded history. And God and the…” quote by Eddie Vedder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/533/eddie-vedder-2057_atheism_when-asked-about-his-thoughts-on-gods-i_3019910.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/533/eddie-vedder-2057_atheism_when-asked-about-his-thoughts-on-gods-i_3019910.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/533/eddie-vedder-2057_atheism_when-asked-about-his-thoughts-on-gods-i_3019910.png) > ““\[When asked about his thoughts on gods\] I think it's like a movie that was way too popular. It's a story that's been told too many times and just doesn't mean anything. Man lived on the planet — \[placing his fingers an inch apart\], this is 5000 years of semi-recorded history. And God and the Bible, that came in somewhere around the middle, maybe 2000. This is the last 2000, this is what we're about to celebrate \[indicating about an 1/8th of an inch with his fingers\]. Now, humans, in some shape or form, have been on the earth for three million years \[pointing across the room to indicate the distance\]. So, all this time, from there \[gesturing toward the other side of the room\], to here \[indicating the 1/8th of an inch\], there was no God, there was no story, there was no myth and people lived on this planet and they wandered and they gathered and they did all these things. The planet was never threatened. How did they survive for all this time without this belief in God? I'd like to ask this to someone who knows about Christianity and maybe you do. That just seems funny to me.”” [Eddie Vedder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-vedder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker argues that belief in God is a recent cultural construct, not essential for human survival throughout history. **In simple terms:** God belief is a recent story, not needed for survival. Key Takeaway Question the necessity of religion for meaning. Themes history religion humanity myth skepticism Mood thoughtful skeptical inquisitive Type philosophical critical conversational When to use this quote - education - debates on faith - personal worldview - public speaking Key Concepts cultural evolution existentialism anthropology Questions to Reflect On - What role does religion play in modern societies? - Can meaning be found without belief in a deity? A Different Perspective Faith can provide community and moral frameworks beyond mere survival. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Atheist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheist/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Belief in god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief-in-god/) [Celebration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/celebration/) [Christianity Maybe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity-maybe-4883380/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [God Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-story-262026/) [Gods Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gods-think-897075/) [History God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-god-278857/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Meaning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaning/) [Millions-of-years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/millions-of-years-122428/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Myth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myth/) [Planet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planet/) [Popularity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popularity/) [Thoughts Gods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughts-gods-4883379/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Perhaps the most impressive illustration of all is to suppose that you could label the molecules in a tumbler of water. ... threw it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-william-aston/perhaps-the-most-impressive-illustration-of-all-is-to-suppose-that/) [Francis William Aston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-william-aston/) > [“I have looked further into space than ever human being did before me. 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George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-p-george/) ## More by Eddie Vedder > [Things like guitars and ukuleles, you should never part with it, because there will probably be good, healthy times spent, just playing and writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-vedder/things-like-guitars-and-ukuleles-you-should-never-part-with-it/) [Eddie Vedder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-vedder/) > [No music is going to stop the war. What's going to stop the war is a large amount of body bags, or a large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-vedder/no-music-is-going-to-stop-the-war-what-s-going-to-stop-the-war-is-a/) [Eddie Vedder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-vedder/) > [I don't need drugs. 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You know, I feel like I've gone on long hikes and gotten to the top of the mountain and I'm looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-vedder/i-m-over-smoking-you-know-i-feel-like-i-ve-gone-on-long-hikes-and/) [Eddie Vedder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-vedder/) > [I don't question our exsistence, I just question our modern needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-vedder/i-don-t-question-our-exsistence-i-just-question-our-modern-needs/) [Eddie Vedder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-vedder/) > [Sometimes, whether you like it or not, people elevate you. It's real easy to fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-vedder/sometimes-whether-you-like-it-or-not-people-elevate-you-it-s-real/) [Eddie Vedder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-vedder/) > [I feel like we have to keep our eyes on the road. 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This is the last 2000, this is what we're about to celebrate [indicating about an 1/8th of an inch with his fingers]. Now, humans, in some shape or form, have been on the earth for three million years [pointing across the room to indicate the distance]. So, all this time, from there [gesturing toward the other side of the room], to here [indicating the 1/8th of an inch], there was no God, there was no story, there was no myth and people lived on this planet and they wandered and they gathered and they did all these things. The planet was never threatened. How did they survive for all this time without this belief in God? I'd like to ask this to someone who knows about Christianity and maybe you do. That just seems funny to me.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eddie Vedder" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-vedder/when-asked-about-his-thoughts-on-gods-i-think-it-s-like-a-movie-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Atheism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-vedder/when-asked-about-his-thoughts-on-gods-i-think-it-s-like-a-movie-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/533/eddie-vedder-2057_atheism_when-asked-about-his-thoughts-on-gods-i_3019910.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/533/eddie-vedder-2057_atheism_when-asked-about-his-thoughts-on-gods-i_3019910.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/533/eddie-vedder-2057_atheism_when-asked-about-his-thoughts-on-gods-i_3019910.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“[When asked about his thoughts on gods] I think it's like a movie that was way too popular. 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