--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And besides, thought Yoshida, If it was…" description: "\"“And besides, thought Yoshida, If it was all right for God to test man, why was it wrong for man to test God?”\" — Haruki Murakami" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/haruki-murakami-21_quote_and-besides-thought-yoshida-if-it-was-al_1894072.jpg" --- # And besides, thought Yoshida, If it was all right for God… ![“And besides, thought Yoshida, If it was all right for God to test man, why was it wrong for man to test God?” quote by Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/haruki-murakami-21_quote_and-besides-thought-yoshida-if-it-was-al_1894072.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/haruki-murakami-21_quote_and-besides-thought-yoshida-if-it-was-al_1894072.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/haruki-murakami-21_quote_and-besides-thought-yoshida-if-it-was-al_1894072.jpg) > ““And besides, thought Yoshida, If it was all right for God to test man, why was it wrong for man to test God?”” [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Questioning divine testing reveals a paradox: if God tests humans, why shouldn't humans test God? **In simple terms:** Why would testing God be wrong if God tests us? Key Takeaway Explore the limits of questioning divine authority. Themes faith philosophy paradox Mood curious provocative Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - theological debate - personal belief - philosophical inquiry Key Concepts theodicy human agency Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to test God? - Is it fair to be tested without consent? A Different Perspective May be seen as blasphemous. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [God Test](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-test-1266503/) [Test God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/test-god-1766305/) [Test Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/test-man-776910/) [Thought Yoshida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-yoshida-2755267/) [Yoshida Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yoshida-right-2755268/) ## Related quotes > [We're all in a test. With or without God, we're in a test.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henrik-clarke/we-re-all-in-a-test-with-or-without-god-we-re-in-a-test/) [John Henrik Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henrik-clarke/) > [God will test you because He wants you to mature. He wants you to develop a walk with Him that is not based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-laurie/god-will-test-you-because-he-wants-you-to-mature-he-wants-you-to/) [Greg Laurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-laurie/) > [Dinosaur fossils? God put those there to test our faith." Thank God I'm strapped in right now here man. I think God put you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/dinosaur-fossils-god-put-those-there-to-test-our-faith-thank-god-i-m/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [Trust in God in any test that He puts you through, for every occasion you go through tightens your relationship with Him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/trust-in-god-in-any-test-that-he-puts-you-through-for-every-occasion/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [That time, when you have no hope left just accept that challange. Remember, It is God's test, he is still there looking at you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshansh-thakur/that-time-when-you-have-no-hope-left-just-accept-that-challange/) [Akshansh Thakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshansh-thakur/) > [“The things we go through, the trials and tribulations; they're there to test out faith. 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But what if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/i-believe-christians-often-perceive-obedience-to-god-as-some-test/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) ## More by Haruki Murakami > [I always feel like I'm struggling to become someone else. Like I'm trying to find a new place, grab hold of a new life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-always-feel-like-i-m-struggling-to-become-someone-else-like-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [If writing novels is like planting a forest, then writing short stories is more like planting a garden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-writing-novels-is-like-planting-a-forest-then-writing-short/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“The sad truth is that what I could recall in five seconds all too soon needed ten, then thirty, thena full minute...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-sad-truth-is-that-what-i-could-recall-in-five-seconds-all-too/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Intelligent teenage girls were often instinctively theatrical, purposely eccentric, mouthing highly suggestive words to confuse people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/intelligent-teenage-girls-were-often-instinctively-theatrical/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Memory is like fiction; or else it's fiction that's like memory. This really came home to me once I started writing fiction, that memory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/memory-is-like-fiction-or-else-it-s-fiction-that-s-like-memory-this/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. So maybe I'm just scared of my own shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-most-dangerous-creature-here-would-have-to-be-me-so-maybe-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [If you listen to the radio for a whole hour there's maybe one decent song. The rest is mass-produced garbage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-you-listen-to-the-radio-for-a-whole-hour-there-s-maybe-one-decent/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“that one of our problems was our inability to recognize and accept our own deformities”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/that-one-of-our-problems-was-our-inability-to-recognize-and-accept/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“When I look back at myself at age twenty, what I remember most is being alone and lonely. I had no girlfriend to warm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-i-look-back-at-myself-at-age-twenty-what-i-remember-most-is/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“There's not a branch of publishing or broadcasting that doesn't depend in some way on advertising. It'd be like an aquarium without water. 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The man who can go into a patch of rough alone, with the knowledge that only God is watching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse-2/golf-is-the-infallible-test-the-man-who-can-go-into-a-patch-of-rough/) [P. G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse-2/) > [“The real test of a man is not when he plays the role that he wants for himself, but when he plays the role…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-p-buford/the-real-test-of-a-man-is-not-when-he-plays-the-role-that-he-wants/) [Bob P. Buford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-p-buford/) > [“But the test of a man isn’t what you think he’ll do. It’s what he actually does.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/but-the-test-of-a-man-isn-t-what-you-think-he-ll-do-it-s-what-he/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/nearly-all-men-can-stand-adversity-but-if-you-want-to-test-a-man-s-2/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [There is no better test of a man's work than time, which also reveals the thoughts which lay hidden in his breast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simonides-of-ceos/there-is-no-better-test-of-a-man-s-work-than-time-which-also-reveals/) [Simonides of Ceos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simonides-of-ceos/) > [“A woman often seems to test her man’s capacity to remain unperturbed in his truth and purpose. She tests him to feel his freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-deida/a-woman-often-seems-to-test-her-man-s-capacity-to-remain-unperturbed/) [David Deida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-deida/) > [A pretty good test of a man's religion is how it affects his pocketbook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-pretty-good-test-of-a-man-s-religion-is-how-it-affects-his/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The greatest test of a man's character is his tongue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-greatest-test-of-a-man-s-character-is-his-tongue/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The test of a man's conversion is whether he has enough Christianity to get it to other people. If he hasn't, there is something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shoemaker/the-test-of-a-man-s-conversion-is-whether-he-has-enough-christianity/) [Sam Shoemaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shoemaker/) > [The test of a man is: does he bear apples? Does he bear fruit?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-maslow/the-test-of-a-man-is-does-he-bear-apples-does-he-bear-fruit/) [Abraham Maslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-maslow/) > [“To test a man, determine how much it takes to make him lie.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-langenhoven/to-test-a-man-determine-how-much-it-takes-to-make-him-lie/) [C.J. Langenhoven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-langenhoven/) > [There is no better test of a man's integrity than his behavior when he is wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-williams/there-is-no-better-test-of-a-man-s-integrity-than-his-behavior-when/) [Marvin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-williams/) > [I always felt the true test of a man's character is how he treats people he can't use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-corso/i-always-felt-the-true-test-of-a-man-s-character-is-how-he-treats/) [Lee Corso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-corso/) > [Perhaps the best test of a man's intelligence is his capacity for making a summary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lytton-strachey/perhaps-the-best-test-of-a-man-s-intelligence-is-his-capacity-for/) [Lytton Strachey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lytton-strachey/) > [What a man does is the real test of what a man is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mathews/what-a-man-does-is-the-real-test-of-what-a-man-is/) [William Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mathews/) [Browse all 24 Test Man quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/test-man-776910/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“And besides, thought Yoshida, If it was all right for God to test man, why was it wrong for man to test God?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Haruki Murakami" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/and-besides-thought-yoshida-if-it-was-all-right-for-god-to-test-man/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Test Man" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/and-besides-thought-yoshida-if-it-was-all-right-for-god-to-test-man/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/haruki-murakami-21_quote_and-besides-thought-yoshida-if-it-was-al_1894072.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/haruki-murakami-21_quote_and-besides-thought-yoshida-if-it-was-al_1894072.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/haruki-murakami-21_quote_and-besides-thought-yoshida-if-it-was-al_1894072.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“And besides, thought Yoshida, If it was all right for God to test man, why was it wrong for man to test God?” — Haruki Murakami", "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": "Haruki Murakami", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“And besides, thought Yoshida, If it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/and-besides-thought-yoshida-if-it-was-all-right-for-god-to-test-man/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/and-besides-thought-yoshida-if-it-was-all-right-for-god-to-test-man/#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 } } ] } ```