--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Americans want to go to heaven without…" description: "\"Americans want to go to heaven without dying.\" — James Thurber" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/589/james-thurber-1534_americans_americans-want-to-go-to-heaven-without-d_1978235.png" --- # Americans want to go to heaven without dying. ![“Americans want to go to heaven without dying.” quote by James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/589/james-thurber-1534_americans_americans-want-to-go-to-heaven-without-d_1978235.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/589/james-thurber-1534_americans_americans-want-to-go-to-heaven-without-d_1978235.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/589/james-thurber-1534_americans_americans-want-to-go-to-heaven-without-d_1978235.png) > “Americans want to go to heaven without dying.” [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People desire heavenly reward without the sacrifice of death, reflecting a desire for effortless salvation. **In simple terms:** Want heaven without dying. Key Takeaway Accept effort for reward. Themes desire heaven effort spirituality Mood skeptical humorous Type satirical philosophical When to use this quote - religion - politics - personal ambition - health - ethics Key Concepts afterlife instant gratification cultural critique Questions to Reflect On - What are you willing to sacrifice? - How realistic is instant reward? A Different Perspective Shortcuts undermine true fulfillment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) [Americans Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans-want/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Dying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dying/) [Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Heaven Dying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven-dying-3363032/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-heaven/) ## Related quotes > [“Less than twenty-four hours ago, I had a family and a home and a dreamworld I thought was as close to heaven as you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-cameron/less-than-twenty-four-hours-ago-i-had-a-family-and-a-home-and-a/) [Erica Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-cameron/) > [“Whatever happens I want you to think of yourselves as young Americans, and I want you to be proud of that. It is difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-ryrie-brink/whatever-happens-i-want-you-to-think-of-yourselves-as-young-americans/) [Carol Ryrie Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-ryrie-brink/) > [Certainly the Americans want to buy rights, but have no idea what to do with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/certainly-the-americans-want-to-buy-rights-but-have-no-idea-what-to/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Everything depends on the Americans. If they want to make war for 20 years then we shall make war for 20 years. If they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ho-chi-minh/everything-depends-on-the-americans-if-they-want-to-make-war-for-20/) [Ho Chi Minh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ho-chi-minh/) > [When there are elections, people tend to vote for peace. They don't vote for war. So Americans want to promote those principles around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/when-there-are-elections-people-tend-to-vote-for-peace-they-don-t/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [We've got to be able to have a conversation and recognize we're all Americans; we all want the best for this country. We may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-ve-got-to-be-able-to-have-a-conversation-and-recognize-we-re-all/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Most Americans believe in fairness; we believe that people should work hard but there should be a safety net. We believe in saving the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-maclean/most-americans-believe-in-fairness-we-believe-that-people-should-work/) [Nancy MacLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-maclean/) > [“And now we realize what is expected—the Americans want to exchange. It is apparent that they have not long been in the war; they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/and-now-we-realize-what-is-expected-the-americans-want-to-exchange-it/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) > [Americans want someone who is accountable to them above self, above party, and above any special interest. They want a President that has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-sestak/americans-want-someone-who-is-accountable-to-them-above-self-above/) [Joe Sestak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-sestak/) > [If the Americans do not want to support us anymore, let them go, get out! Let them forget their humanitarian promises!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nguyen-van-thieu/if-the-americans-do-not-want-to-support-us-anymore-let-them-go-get/) [Nguyen Van Thieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nguyen-van-thieu/) > [“I held her in my arms last night," he said quietly. "And when I felt her every response, I thought, 'There's nothing else I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-w-hill/i-held-her-in-my-arms-last-night-he-said-quietly-and-when-i-felt-her/) [Joey W. Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-w-hill/) > [I don't want to die now!" he yelled. "I've still got a headache! I don't want to go to heaven with a headache, I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/i-don-t-want-to-die-now-he-yelled-i-ve-still-got-a-headache-i-don-t/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [If you want to win hearts, sow the seeds of Love. If you want heaven, stop scattering thorns on the road.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/if-you-want-to-win-hearts-sow-the-seeds-of-love-if-you-want-heaven/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Oh, I was not made for heaven. No, I don't want to go to heaven. Hell is much better. Think of all the interesting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-mercury/oh-i-was-not-made-for-heaven-no-i-don-t-want-to-go-to-heaven-hell-is/) [Freddie Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-mercury/) > [You must come to Jesus if you want to go to Heaven. He will change your nature; He will change all evil habits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhard-bonnke/you-must-come-to-jesus-if-you-want-to-go-to-heaven-he-will-change/) [Reinhard Bonnke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhard-bonnke/) ## More by James Thurber > [ Salvador \[Dali\] was brought up in Spain, a country colored by the legends of Hannibal, El Greco, and Cervantes. I was brought up in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/salvador-dali-was-brought-up-in-spain-a-country-colored-by-the/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [“Her own mother lived the latter years of her life in the horrible suspicion that electricity was dripping invisibly all over the house.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/her-own-mother-lived-the-latter-years-of-her-life-in-the-horrible/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [“Against the may, the could be, and the should, folly 'tis to balance doubt or hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/against-the-may-the-could-be-and-the-should-folly-tis-to-balance/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [Love is the strange bewilderment that overtakes one person on account of another person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/love-is-the-strange-bewilderment-that-overtakes-one-person-on-account/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [“ There was an old coddle so molly, He talked in a glot that was poly, His gaws were so gew That his laps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/there-was-an-old-coddle-so-molly-he-talked-in-a-glot-that-was-poly/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [“you might as well fall on your face as lean over too far backwards”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/you-might-as-well-fall-on-your-face-as-lean-over-too-far-backwards/) [james thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [I myself have known some profoundly thoughtful dogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/i-myself-have-known-some-profoundly-thoughtful-dogs/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [He knows all about art, but he doesn't know what he likes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/he-knows-all-about-art-but-he-doesn-t-know-what-he-likes/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [All men should strive to learn before they die, what they are running from, and to, and why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/all-men-should-strive-to-learn-before-they-die-what-they-are-running/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [Quick, name some towns in New Jersey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/quick-name-some-towns-in-new-jersey/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [Looks can be deceiving; it's eating that's believing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/looks-can-be-deceiving-it-s-eating-that-s-believing/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [“I don’t understand,” said the scientist, “why you lemmings all rush down to the sea and drown yourselves.” “How curious,” said the lemming. “The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/i-don-t-understand-said-the-scientist-why-you-lemmings-all-rush-down/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [Humor does not include sarcasm, invalid irony, sardonicism, innuendo, or any other form of cruelty. When these things are raised to a high point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/humor-does-not-include-sarcasm-invalid-irony-sardonicism-innuendo-or/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [Where most of us end up there is no knowing, but the hellbent get where they are going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/where-most-of-us-end-up-there-is-no-knowing-but-the-hellbent-get/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [Comedy has to be done en clair. You can't blunt the edge of wit or the point of satire with obscurity. Try to imagine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/comedy-has-to-be-done-en-clair-you-can-t-blunt-the-edge-of-wit-or-the/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) [Explore all 229 James Thurber quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) ## More Americans quotes > [“People – Americans, mostly – realise how attached they are to material comforts when they arrive in India.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-william-roberts/people-americans-mostly-realise-how-attached-they-are-to-material/) [Paul William Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-william-roberts/) > [Music has an intrinsic value that touches Americans - they love their music, and want more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-rosen/music-has-an-intrinsic-value-that-touches-americans-they-love-their/) [Hilary Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-rosen/) > [Americans are very friendly and very suspicious, that is what Americans are and that is what always upsets the foreigner, who deals with them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/americans-are-very-friendly-and-very-suspicious-that-is-what/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [“Medical studies have shown that cursing reduces levels of stress and pain. Repressing your anger is not healthy. It's much better to verbalize it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/medical-studies-have-shown-that-cursing-reduces-levels-of-stress-and/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [Just because the Americans are so good at rattling out accessible and cheap junk food, nobody looks twice when it comes to their food.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-oliver/just-because-the-americans-are-so-good-at-rattling-out-accessible-and/) [Jamie Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-oliver/) > [My parents don't care what Americans think of us; we just care what the other Indian people in our community think of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/himanshu-suri/my-parents-don-t-care-what-americans-think-of-us-we-just-care-what/) [Himanshu Suri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/himanshu-suri/) > [When Americans, who have no idea who I am, laugh at my jokes, it's exactly the same if someone loves you even if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gad-elmaleh/when-americans-who-have-no-idea-who-i-am-laugh-at-my-jokes-it-s/) [Gad Elmaleh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gad-elmaleh/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We Americans tend to be a prodigal lot. We are as careless with our personal resources as we are with the resources of nature,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-crook-de-camp/we-americans-tend-to-be-a-prodigal-lot-we-are-as-careless-with-our/) [Catherine Crook de Camp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-crook-de-camp/) > [Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn't block traffic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/americans-will-put-up-with-anything-provided-it-doesn-t-block-traffic/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [Most Americans believe in fairness; we believe that people should work hard but there should be a safety net. We believe in saving the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-maclean/most-americans-believe-in-fairness-we-believe-that-people-should-work/) [Nancy MacLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-maclean/) > [“Using a wide variety of media, we could demonstrate for our fellow Americans their anxieties, desires, insufficiencies, and frustrations--and how to assuage them all.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-ferris/using-a-wide-variety-of-media-we-could-demonstrate-for-our-fellow/) [Joshua Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-ferris/) > [The Americans say that we are ungrateful-but I ask them for heaven's sake, what should we be grateful to them for-for murdering our fathers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-walker/the-americans-say-that-we-are-ungrateful-but-i-ask-them-for-heaven-s/) [David Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-walker/) > [So many Korean Americans like me came to this country with the hope of achieving their own American Dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-steel/so-many-korean-americans-like-me-came-to-this-country-with-the-hope/) [Michelle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-steel/) > [You are Americans. You love this country. Together we are entrusted with the principles that represent mankind's greatest political and social achievement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tsongas/you-are-americans-you-love-this-country-together-we-are-entrusted/) [Paul Tsongas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tsongas/) [Browse all 1,536 Americans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Americans want to go to heaven without dying.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Thurber" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/americans-want-to-go-to-heaven-without-dying/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Americans" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/americans-want-to-go-to-heaven-without-dying/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/589/james-thurber-1534_americans_americans-want-to-go-to-heaven-without-d_1978235.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/589/james-thurber-1534_americans_americans-want-to-go-to-heaven-without-d_1978235.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/589/james-thurber-1534_americans_americans-want-to-go-to-heaven-without-d_1978235.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Americans want to go to heaven without dying.” — James Thurber", "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": "James Thurber", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Americans want to go to heaven...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/americans-want-to-go-to-heaven-without-dying/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/americans-want-to-go-to-heaven-without-dying/#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 } } ] } ```