--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A being who can create a race of men…" description: "\"A being who can create a race of men devoid of real freedom and inevitably foredoomed to be sinners, and then punish them for being what he has made th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c56/john-stuart-mill-477_adjectives_a-being-who-can-create-a-race-of-men-dev_427935.png" --- # A being who can create a race of men devoid of real… ![“A being who can create a race of men devoid of real freedom and inevitably foredoomed to be sinners, and then punish them for being what he has made them, may be omnipotent and various other things, but he is not what the English language has always intended by the adjective holy.” quote by John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c56/john-stuart-mill-477_adjectives_a-being-who-can-create-a-race-of-men-dev_427935.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c56/john-stuart-mill-477_adjectives_a-being-who-can-create-a-race-of-men-dev_427935.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c56/john-stuart-mill-477_adjectives_a-being-who-can-create-a-race-of-men-dev_427935.png) > “A being who can create a race of men devoid of real freedom and inevitably foredoomed to be sinners, and then punish them for being what he has made them, may be omnipotent and various other things, but he is not what the English language has always intended by the adjective holy.” [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that absolute power that creates and condemns people cannot be truly holy, as holiness implies moral goodness, not mere omnipotence. **In simple terms:** Power that creates and punishes cannot be holy. Key Takeaway Recognize moral limits of authority. Themes authority morality freedom religion Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - political leadership - legal systems - religious institutions - human rights advocacy Key Concepts omnipotence ethical responsibility theodicy Questions to Reflect On - What defines true holiness? - Can power be moral without freedom? A Different Perspective Even omnipotent beings may lack moral virtue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [English language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english-language/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Holy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Omnipotent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/omnipotent/) [Positive atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive-atheism/) [Punishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punishment/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Real freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-freedom/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) ## Related quotes > [“No truth is more pervasive in Scripture and Christian tradition than this one—that real freedom is found in obedience and servanthood. And yet no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-olson/no-truth-is-more-pervasive-in-scripture-and-christian-tradition-than/) Roger Olson > [“The objection to propaganda is not only its appeal to unreason, but still more the unfair advantage which it gives to the rich and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-objection-to-propaganda-is-not-only-its-appeal-to-unreason-but/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [The problem is that democracy is not freedom. Democracy is simply majoritarianism, which is inherently incompatible with real freedom. Our founding fathers clearly understood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/the-problem-is-that-democracy-is-not-freedom-democracy-is-simply/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [“Grace doesn’t free us to live for us. The purpose of God’s grace is not to make your little kingdom of one work better.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-david-tripp/grace-doesn-t-free-us-to-live-for-us-the-purpose-of-god-s-grace-is/) [Paul David Tripp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-david-tripp/) > [I had a very colorless background, and when I left Ohio and moved to England, nobody knew who I was and I had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissie-hynde/i-had-a-very-colorless-background-and-when-i-left-ohio-and-moved-to/) [Chrissie Hynde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrissie-hynde/) > [Real freedom is not something to be acquired, it is the outcome of intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/real-freedom-is-not-something-to-be-acquired-it-is-the-outcome-of/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [“High school was so typical and predictable. Everyone here was so occupied with discovering the definition of cool. 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I was freer when I didn't have a cent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/real-freedom-is-having-nothing-i-was-freer-when-i-didn-t-have-a-cent/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [“Real freedom cannot exist alongside false freedom, but the abandonment of false freedom looks as if it would leave you as good as dead.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-wilson-watts/real-freedom-cannot-exist-alongside-false-freedom-but-the-abandonment/) [Alan Wilson Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-wilson-watts/) > [“Diversion consoles us - in trivial ways - in the face of our miseries or perplexities; yet, paradoxically, it becomes the worst of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-groothuis/diversion-consoles-us-in-trivial-ways-in-the-face-of-our-miseries-or/) [Douglas Groothuis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-groothuis/) > [ On the other hand \[making a string of one-off episodes\], there's a real freedom, because you're kind of reinventing the show every week. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-brooker/on-the-other-hand-making-a-string-of-one-off-episodes-there-s-a-real/) [Charlie Brooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-brooker/) > [This is real freedom-the ability to enjoy the choices we make in every successive moment of the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/this-is-real-freedom-the-ability-to-enjoy-the-choices-we-make-in/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) ## More by John Stuart Mill > [The average condition of the people improving or deteriorating, depends upon whether population is advancing faster than improvement, or improvement than population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-average-condition-of-the-people-improving-or-deteriorating/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Liberty lies in the rights of that person whose views you find most odious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/liberty-lies-in-the-rights-of-that-person-whose-views-you-find-most/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Truth emerges from the clash of adverse ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/truth-emerges-from-the-clash-of-adverse-ideas/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [“No longer enslaved or made dependent by force of law, the great majority are so by force of poverty; 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