--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that it [the Church] stands for…" description: "\"“I think that it [the Church] stands for everything most hostile to the mental emancipation and stimulation of mankind. It is the completest, most high..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e6/h-g-wells-2-1299_antagonism_i-think-that-it-the-church-stands-for-ev_2932425.jpg" --- # I think that it \[the Church\] stands for everything most… ![“I think that it [the Church] stands for everything most hostile to the mental emancipation and stimulation of mankind. It is the completest, most highly organized system of prejudices and antagonisms in existence. Everywhere in the world there are ignorance and prejudice, but the greatest complex…” quote by H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e6/h-g-wells-2-1299_antagonism_i-think-that-it-the-church-stands-for-ev_2932425.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e6/h-g-wells-2-1299_antagonism_i-think-that-it-the-church-stands-for-ev_2932425.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e6/h-g-wells-2-1299_antagonism_i-think-that-it-the-church-stands-for-ev_2932425.jpg) > ““I think that it \[the Church\] stands for everything most hostile to the mental emancipation and stimulation of mankind. It is the completest, most highly organized system of prejudices and antagonisms in existence. Everywhere in the world there are ignorance and prejudice, but the greatest complex of these, with the most extensive prestige and the most intimate entanglement with traditional institutions, is the Roman Catholic Church. It presents many faces towards the world, but everywhere it is systematic in its fight against freedom.”” [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The Church is portrayed as a powerful, organized source of prejudice opposing mental freedom. **In simple terms:** Institutional religion can hinder free thought. Key Takeaway Question authority that limits thinking. Themes religion prejudice freedom Mood critical skeptical Type sociopolitical analytical When to use this quote - academic debate - policy making - education reform - media analysis Key Concepts social critique institutional power Questions to Reflect On - How can societies balance tradition and free thought? - What reforms could reduce institutional bias? A Different Perspective Not all religious institutions are uniformly oppressive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Antagonism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antagonism/) [Catholic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic/) [Catholic church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic-church/) [Catholicism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholicism/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Emancipation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emancipation/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [Intimate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intimate/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Prejudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prejudice/) [Prestige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prestige/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Roman catholic church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roman-catholic-church/) ## Related quotes > [Everywhere in the world there are ignorance and prejudice, but the greatest complex of these, with the most extensive prestige and the most intimate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells/everywhere-in-the-world-there-are-ignorance-and-prejudice-but-the/) [H. G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells/) > [“The most evil institution in the world is the Roman Catholic Church.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/the-most-evil-institution-in-the-world-is-the-roman-catholic-church/) [H.G. 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Ignorance and prejudice and fear walk hand in hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush/quick-to-judge-quick-to-anger-slow-to-understand-ignorance-and/) [Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush/) > [“But if it be true, as every prospect assures us, that the human race shall not again relapse into its ancient barbarity; if every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-de-condorcet/but-if-it-be-true-as-every-prospect-assures-us-that-the-human-race/) Nicolas de Condorcet > [Absolute power can only be supported by error, ignorance and prejudice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/absolute-power-can-only-be-supported-by-error-ignorance-and-prejudice/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Modern man's narrow-mindedness is best shown in his belief that there is no riddle before him. His wisdom is the sum of his knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alija-izetbegovic/modern-man-s-narrow-mindedness-is-best-shown-in-his-belief-that-there/) [Alija Izetbegović](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alija-izetbegovic/) > [We took the traditional lands and smashed the traditional way of life. We brought the disasters. The alcohol. We committed the murders. We took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-keating/we-took-the-traditional-lands-and-smashed-the-traditional-way-of-life/) [Paul Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-keating/) ## More by H.G. Wells > [“I was grotesque to the theatrical pitch, a stage miser, but I was certainly not a physical impossibility”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/i-was-grotesque-to-the-theatrical-pitch-a-stage-miser-but-i-was/) [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [“Eight-and-twenty years,' said I, 'I have lived, and never a ghost have I seen as yet.' 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Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [“Because this island is full of inimical phenomena.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/because-this-island-is-full-of-inimical-phenomena/) [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [“What right have they to hope? They work ill and they want the reward of those who work well. The hope of mankind -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/what-right-have-they-to-hope-they-work-ill-and-they-want-the-reward/) [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [“So long as you are alive you are just the moment, perhaps, but when you are dead then you are all your life from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/so-long-as-you-are-alive-you-are-just-the-moment-perhaps-but-when-you/) [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [“An unpleasant odour would not be objected to, it is not objected to now in many continental hotels.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/an-unpleasant-odour-would-not-be-objected-to-it-is-not-objected-to/) [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [“In the early evening time Dr. Kemp was sitting in his study in the belvedere on the hill overlooking Burdock. It was a pleasant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/in-the-early-evening-time-dr-kemp-was-sitting-in-his-study-in-the/) [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [“The whole world will be intelligent, educated, and co-operating; things will move faster and faster towards the subjugation of Nature. In the end, wisely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/the-whole-world-will-be-intelligent-educated-and-co-operating-things/) [H.G. 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Wells quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) ## More Antagonism quotes > [Communism... is the genuine resolution of the antagonism between man and nature and between man and man; it is the true resolution of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/communism-is-the-genuine-resolution-of-the-antagonism-between-man-and/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [Countries will cooperate with each other, and are more likely to cooperate with each other when they share a common culture, as is most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/countries-will-cooperate-with-each-other-and-are-more-likely-to/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [On the surface the avant garde as a whole seems united primarily in terms of what they are against: the rejection of social institutions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-d-innes/on-the-surface-the-avant-garde-as-a-whole-seems-united-primarily-in/) C. D. 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