--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As long as there is one person suffering…" description: "\"“As long as there is one person suffering an injustice; as long as one person is forced to bear an unnecessary sorrow; as long as one person is subject..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33c/joseph-lewis-20519_antagonism_as-long-as-there-is-one-person-suffering_2309831.jpg" --- # As long as there is one person suffering an injustice; as… ![“As long as there is one person suffering an injustice; as long as one person is forced to bear an unnecessary sorrow; as long as one person is subject to an undeserved pain, the worship of a God is a demoralizing humiliation. As long as there is one mistake in the universe; as long as one wrong is…” quote by Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33c/joseph-lewis-20519_antagonism_as-long-as-there-is-one-person-suffering_2309831.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33c/joseph-lewis-20519_antagonism_as-long-as-there-is-one-person-suffering_2309831.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33c/joseph-lewis-20519_antagonism_as-long-as-there-is-one-person-suffering_2309831.jpg) > ““As long as there is one person suffering an injustice; as long as one person is forced to bear an unnecessary sorrow; as long as one person is subject to an undeserved pain, the worship of a God is a demoralizing humiliation. As long as there is one mistake in the universe; as long as one wrong is permitted to exist; as long as there is hatred and antagonism among mankind, the existence of a God is a moral impossibility. Ingersoll said: 'Injustice upon earth renders the justice of of heaven impossible.”” [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If any injustice or suffering exists, the concept of a moral God becomes untenable, making divine worship contradictory. **In simple terms:** Injustice disproves a moral God. Key Takeaway Question the existence of a moral deity. Themes philosophy ethics theology Mood skeptical reflective Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - personal belief - academic debate - ethical reasoning Key Concepts moral philosophy theodicy existential doubt Questions to Reflect On - Can morality exist without God? - What alternative explanations address suffering? A Different Perspective Arguments may overlook non‑theistic moral frameworks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Antagonism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antagonism/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Hatred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hatred/) [Impossibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossibility/) [Injustice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/injustice/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Robert-g-ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/robert-g-ingersoll/) [Robert-green-ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/robert-green-ingersoll/) [Robert-ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/robert-ingersoll/) [Sorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrow/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) ## Related quotes > [“ Could I but acquaint the world with Robert G. Ingersoll 's humanity, with his ideas and his sentiments of love, patience and understanding,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lewis/could-i-but-acquaint-the-world-with-robert-g-ingersoll-s-humanity/) [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) > [“I remember on one of my many visits with Thomas A. Edison , I brought up the question of Ingersoll . I asked this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lewis/i-remember-on-one-of-my-many-visits-with-thomas-a-edison-i-brought-up/) [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) > [“When I visited George Bernard Shaw , in 1948, at his home in Aylot, a suburb of London, he was extremely anxious for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lewis/when-i-visited-george-bernard-shaw-in-1948-at-his-home-in-aylot-a/) [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) > [“No institution of learning of Ingersoll 's day had courage enough to confer upon him an honorary degree; not only for his own intellectual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lewis/no-institution-of-learning-of-ingersoll-s-day-had-courage-enough-to/) [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) > [“ Ingersoll could not understand the mind of those who, once having been told the truth, preferred to remain under the spell of superstition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lewis/ingersoll-could-not-understand-the-mind-of-those-who-once-having-been/) [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) > [“We not only do not believe that man is punished for his 'sins,' but emphatically state that there is no such thing as sin.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lewis/we-not-only-do-not-believe-that-man-is-punished-for-his-sins-but/) [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) > [“Except for my daughters, I have not grieved for any death as I have grieved for his . His was a great and beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/except-for-my-daughters-i-have-not-grieved-for-any-death-as-i-have/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“{Debbs' letter to Robert Ingersoll 's granddaughter} I was the friend of your immortal grandfather and I loved him truly… the name of Ingersoll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-victor-debs/debbs-letter-to-robert-ingersoll-s-granddaughter-i-was-the-friend-of/) Eugene Victor Debs > [“The future historian will rank him as one of the heroes of the nineteenth century. {Stanton's opinion of the great Robert Ingersoll }”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-cady-stanton/the-future-historian-will-rank-him-as-one-of-the-heroes-of-the/) [Elizabeth Cady Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-cady-stanton/) > [“{ Letter from Fawcett to the great Robert Ingersoll , 1894 } I do so wish, that, in all these big questions, literary men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-fawcett/letter-from-fawcett-to-the-great-robert-ingersoll-1894-i-do-so-wish/) Edgar Fawcett > [“In the campaign of 1876, Robert G. Ingersoll came to Madison to speak. I had heard of him for years; when I was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-la-follette/in-the-campaign-of-1876-robert-g-ingersoll-came-to-madison-to-speak-i/) Robert M. La Follette > [“{Letter from Debbs to Eva Ingersoll, husband of Robert Ingersoll , just after the news of Robert's death} We were inexpressibly shocked to hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-v-debs/letter-from-debbs-to-eva-ingersoll-husband-of-robert-ingersoll-just/) [Eugene V. Debs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-v-debs/) > [“ Robert G. Ingersoll was a great man. a wonderful intellect, a great soul of matchless courage, one of the great men of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-darrow/robert-g-ingersoll-was-a-great-man-a-wonderful-intellect-a-great-soul/) [Clarence Darrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-darrow/) > [“One of the bravest, grandest champions of human liberty the world has ever seen. {Darrow on the great Robert Ingersoll }”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-darrow/one-of-the-bravest-grandest-champions-of-human-liberty-the-world-has/) [Clarence Darrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-darrow/) > [“America doesn't know today how proud she ought to be of her Ingersoll .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/america-doesn-t-know-today-how-proud-she-ought-to-be-of-her-ingersoll/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) ## More by Joseph Lewis > [“Unless death is made a lesson for the living, the life lived is wasted. Why should life come into existence only to be destroyed?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lewis/unless-death-is-made-a-lesson-for-the-living-the-life-lived-is-wasted/) [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) > [“When Dr. James Young Simpson sought to apply anesthesia to a woman in childbirth, the clergymen of his day foamed at the mouth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lewis/when-dr-james-young-simpson-sought-to-apply-anesthesia-to-a-woman-in/) [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) > [“If you do not want to stop the wheels of progress; if you do not want to go back to the Dark Ages; if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lewis/if-you-do-not-want-to-stop-the-wheels-of-progress-if-you-do-not-want/) [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) > [Superstition is the poison of the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lewis/superstition-is-the-poison-of-the-mind/) [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) > [“The history of man proves that religion perverts man's concept of life and the universe, and has made him a cringing coward before the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lewis/the-history-of-man-proves-that-religion-perverts-man-s-concept-of/) [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) > [“It is now established by verifiable evidence that religion stultifies the brain and is the great obstacle in the path of intellectual progress. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lewis/it-is-now-established-by-verifiable-evidence-that-religion-stultifies/) [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) > [“It is inconceivable that any form of intelligence would waste so much time and effort to make such an inferior piece of life—with all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lewis/it-is-inconceivable-that-any-form-of-intelligence-would-waste-so-much/) [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) > [“The Biblical writers not only had no knowledge of these things, but they had a perverted concept of life and the universe. Their concept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lewis/the-biblical-writers-not-only-had-no-knowledge-of-these-things-but/) [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) > [“Many ask what difference does it make whether man believes in a God or not. It makes a big difference. It makes all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lewis/many-ask-what-difference-does-it-make-whether-man-believes-in-a-god/) [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) > [“It was because 'in 1776 our fathers retired the gods from politics.' The basic principle of the American Republic is the freedom of man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lewis/it-was-because-in-1776-our-fathers-retired-the-gods-from-politics-the/) [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) > [“We not only do not believe that man is punished for his 'sins,' but emphatically state that there is no such thing as sin.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lewis/we-not-only-do-not-believe-that-man-is-punished-for-his-sins-but/) [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) > [“It is because of the Biblical curse on man's search for knowledge, which has so paralyzed his mind during the past ages, and its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lewis/it-is-because-of-the-biblical-curse-on-man-s-search-for-knowledge/) [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) > [“And what hypocrisy it is on the part of our Government to have the Bible in our courts of law for the culprit to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lewis/and-what-hypocrisy-it-is-on-the-part-of-our-government-to-have-the/) [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) > [“ Ingersoll could not understand the mind of those who, once having been told the truth, preferred to remain under the spell of superstition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lewis/ingersoll-could-not-understand-the-mind-of-those-who-once-having-been/) [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) > [“If you do not want to stop the wheels of progress; if you do not want to go back to the Dark Ages; if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lewis/if-you-do-not-want-to-stop-the-wheels-of-progress-if-you-do-not-want-2/) [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) [Explore all 30 Joseph Lewis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) ## 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. Innes > [When someone criticizes or disagrees with you, a small ant of hatred and antagonism is born in your heart. If you do not squash…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/when-someone-criticizes-or-disagrees-with-you-a-small-ant-of-hatred/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [No two leaves were alike, and yet there is no antagonism between them or between the branches on which they grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/no-two-leaves-were-alike-and-yet-there-is-no-antagonism-between-them/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [The love of power and the love of liberty are in eternal antagonism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-love-of-power-and-the-love-of-liberty-are-in-eternal-antagonism/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [History shows, in my opinion, that no nation can survive the tension, conflict and antagonism of two competing languages and cultures. It is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lamm/history-shows-in-my-opinion-that-no-nation-can-survive-the-tension/) [Richard Lamm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lamm/) > [A program of "disarmament," while imperialist antagonisms survive, is the most pernicious of fictions. Even if it were realized by way of general agreement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-trotsky/a-program-of-disarmament-while-imperialist-antagonisms-survive-is-the/) [Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-trotsky/) > [Hey." She said, looking up from an open book propped up on one knee. She brushed a few strands of pale hair out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/hey-she-said-looking-up-from-an-open-book-propped-up-on-one-knee-she/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [Hitherto, every form of society has been based ... on the antagonism of oppressing and oppressed classes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/hitherto-every-form-of-society-has-been-based-on-the-antagonism-of/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [“If the surprise outcome of the recent UK referendum - on whether to leave or remain in the European Union - teaches us anything,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-morritt/if-the-surprise-outcome-of-the-recent-uk-referendum-on-whether-to/) [Alex Morritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-morritt/) > [It's not till sex has died out between a man and a woman that they can really love. And now I mean affection. 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