--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My ancestors were all Freethinkers…" description: "\"My ancestors were all Freethinkers, formerly Catholics. It was science and Darwin, in particular, that made them decide, as educated people, which they..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/311/kurt-vonnegut-41_ancestor_my-ancestors-were-all-freethinkers-forme_928150.jpg" --- # My ancestors were all Freethinkers, formerly Catholics. It… ![“My ancestors were all Freethinkers, formerly Catholics. It was science and Darwin, in particular, that made them decide, as educated people, which they were, that the priest, nice as he was, didn't know what he was talking about.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/311/kurt-vonnegut-41_ancestor_my-ancestors-were-all-freethinkers-forme_928150.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/311/kurt-vonnegut-41_ancestor_my-ancestors-were-all-freethinkers-forme_928150.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/311/kurt-vonnegut-41_ancestor_my-ancestors-were-all-freethinkers-forme_928150.jpg) > “My ancestors were all Freethinkers, formerly Catholics. It was science and Darwin, in particular, that made them decide, as educated people, which they were, that the priest, nice as he was, didn't know what he was talking about.” [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Scientific thinking and Darwinian ideas led his ancestors, once Catholic, to reject religious authority in favor of evidence‑based belief. **In simple terms:** Science replaced faith for his ancestors. Key Takeaway Embrace evidence over dogma. Themes skepticism science freethinking religion evolution Mood analytical thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - academic debates - personal belief shifts - education - public discourse Key Concepts critical thinking empiricism intellectual freedom Questions to Reflect On - What role does spirituality play in your life? - How do you balance skepticism with empathy? A Different Perspective May undervalue emotional aspects of faith. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancestor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestor/) [Ancestors Freethinkers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestors-freethinkers-1489515/) [Catholic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic/) [Catholics Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholics-science-1489517/) [Educated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/educated/) [Educated people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/educated-people/) [Freethinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freethinker/) [Freethinkers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freethinkers/) [Freethinkers Catholics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freethinkers-catholics-1489516/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Nice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nice/) [Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Priests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/priests/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/) ## Related quotes > [My ancestors were Freethinkers - and that's what I am, except we're called secular humanists now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/my-ancestors-were-freethinkers-and-that-s-what-i-am-except-we-re/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [People stopped calling themselves Freethinkers because it was so specifically German and anything German was terribly unpopular because of the two world wars. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/people-stopped-calling-themselves-freethinkers-because-it-was-so/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Freethinkers are generally those who never think at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-sterne/freethinkers-are-generally-those-who-never-think-at-all/) [Laurence Sterne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-sterne/) > [ And so \[my brother\] Gilbert and I, brought up without a formal religion, remained throughout our lifetimes just what Father was, freethinkers. And, likewise,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-seldes/and-so-my-brother-gilbert-and-i-brought-up-without-a-formal-religion/) [George Seldes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-seldes/) > [At one time,' Golenishchev continued, either not observing or not willing to observe that both Anna and Vronsky wanted to speak, 'at one time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/at-one-time-golenishchev-continued-either-not-observing-or-not/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“It's tough to get out of one's inherited imbecilic culture, and a thus inherited or endowed lunatic belief system. A freethinker must overcome every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fakeer-ishavardas/it-s-tough-to-get-out-of-one-s-inherited-imbecilic-culture-and-a-thus/) [Fakeer Ishavardas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fakeer-ishavardas/) > [“Logically, this kind of atheism did not prove that there was no God… On the contrary, Southwell was typical in placing the onus probandi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-royle/logically-this-kind-of-atheism-did-not-prove-that-there-was-no-god-on/) [Edward Royle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-royle/) > [Freethinkers are occasionally thoughtful, though never free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/freethinkers-are-occasionally-thoughtful-though-never-free/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Earnest Freethinkers need not worry themselves so much about the persecutions of the past. Before the Liberal idea is dead or triumphant we shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/earnest-freethinkers-need-not-worry-themselves-so-much-about-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“at one time, a freethinker was a man who had been brought up in the conceptions of religion, law and morality, who reached freethought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/at-one-time-a-freethinker-was-a-man-who-had-been-brought-up-in-the/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Freethinkers are those who are willing to use their minds without prejudice and without fearing to understand things that clash with their own customs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/freethinkers-are-those-who-are-willing-to-use-their-minds-without-2/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [In Freethinkers Hall, which before the Nazi resurgence was the national headquarters of the German Freethinkers League, the Berlin Protestant church authorities have opened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/in-freethinkers-hall-which-before-the-nazi-resurgence-was-the/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [In view of the tide of religiosity engulfing a once secular republic it is refreshing to be reminded by Freethinkers that free thought and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/in-view-of-the-tide-of-religiosity-engulfing-a-once-secular-republic/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [“Bertrand Russell declared that, in case he met God, he would say to Him, "Sir, you did not give us enough information." I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/bertrand-russell-declared-that-in-case-he-met-god-he-would-say-to-him/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Be aware of this truth that the people on this earth could be joyous, if only they would live rationally and if they would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/be-aware-of-this-truth-that-the-people-on-this-earth-could-be-joyous/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## More by Kurt Vonnegut > [“You must bloom as a writer and I must bloom as a painter. Everything else about us is uninteresting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-must-bloom-as-a-writer-and-i-must-bloom-as-a-painter-everything/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“People aren't supposed to look back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/people-aren-t-supposed-to-look-back/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Have a good nap, did you?” said the porter. “Yes,” said Billy. “Man,” said the porter, “you sure had a hard-on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/have-a-good-nap-did-you-said-the-porter-yes-said-billy-man-said-the/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I told him that if we doubted that we are demons in Hell, he should read The Mysterious Stranger, which Mark Twain wrote in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-told-him-that-if-we-doubted-that-we-are-demons-in-hell-he-should/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I had a certain amount of skill as a dramatist, and Dr. Goebbels wanted me to use it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-had-a-certain-amount-of-skill-as-a-dramatist-and-dr-goebbels-wanted/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I was some of the mud that got to sit up and look around. Lucky me, lucky mud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-was-some-of-the-mud-that-got-to-sit-up-and-look-around-lucky-me/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“The town was Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A., Earth, Solar System, Milky Way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-town-was-newport-rhode-island-u-s-a-earth-solar-system-milky-way/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Her face was one of a kind, a surprising variation that made observers think, Yes--that would be another very nice way for people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/her-face-was-one-of-a-kind-a-surprising-variation-that-made-observers/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“You finally fell in love, I see,” said Salo. “Only an Earthling year ago,” said Constant. “It took us that long to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-finally-fell-in-love-i-see-said-salo-only-an-earthling-year-ago/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Like all Earthlings at the point of death, Mary Young sent faint reminders of herself to those who had known her. She released a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/like-all-earthlings-at-the-point-of-death-mary-young-sent-faint/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“And contrast Mary Kathleen, if you will, with my wife Ruth, the Ophelia of the death camps, who believed that even the most intelligent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/and-contrast-mary-kathleen-if-you-will-with-my-wife-ruth-the-ophelia/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Someday, someday, this crazy world will have to end, And our God will take things back that He to us did lend. And if,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/someday-someday-this-crazy-world-will-have-to-end-and-our-god-will/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“They were going back to the slaughterhouse for souvenirs of the war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/they-were-going-back-to-the-slaughterhouse-for-souvenirs-of-the-war/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“There are plenty of good reasons for fighting," I said, "but no good reason ever to hate without reservation, to imagine that God Almighty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/there-are-plenty-of-good-reasons-for-fighting-i-said-but-no-good/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) [Explore all 2,089 Kurt Vonnegut quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## More Ancestor quotes > [A lot of indigenous cultures are deeply involved in working with ancestor spirits, elemental spirits, and demons. Many of these cultures feel that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pinchbeck/a-lot-of-indigenous-cultures-are-deeply-involved-in-working-with/) [Daniel Pinchbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pinchbeck/) > [Food binds us to our roots as strongly as any song or poem. Many of us have learned more about our ancestors in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-thomas/food-binds-us-to-our-roots-as-strongly-as-any-song-or-poem-many-of-us/) [Anna Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-thomas/) > [Whereas our ancestors (not of choice) were the first successful cultivators of the wilds of America, we their descendants feel ourselves entitled to participate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-allen/whereas-our-ancestors-not-of-choice-were-the-first-successful/) [Richard Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-allen/) > [Going where no man has gone before is more difficult than it sounds. Our cousins and ancestors were no less curious than we are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/going-where-no-man-has-gone-before-is-more-difficult-than-it-sounds/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [I use the phrase 'sibling society' to suggest a culture fundamentally without fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers, or ancestors. The thinking is horizontal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bly/i-use-the-phrase-sibling-society-to-suggest-a-culture-fundamentally/) [Robert Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bly/) > [“A very long time ago, some 2.5 million years B.C., the mother of human species as we know it, our ultimate ancestor, appeared in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-f-cantor/a-very-long-time-ago-some-2-5-million-years-b-c-the-mother-of-human/) [Norman F. Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-f-cantor/) > [High birth is an accident, not a virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pietro-metastasio/high-birth-is-an-accident-not-a-virtue/) [Pietro Metastasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pietro-metastasio/) > [Southerners, whose ancestors a hundred years ago knew the horrors of a homeland devastated by war, are particularly determined that war shall never come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/southerners-whose-ancestors-a-hundred-years-ago-knew-the-horrors-of-a/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [Two hundred years ago, before the advent of capitalism, a man's social status was fixed from the beginning to the end of his life;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/two-hundred-years-ago-before-the-advent-of-capitalism-a-man-s-social/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [And I saw for the first time how, despite the isolation of our own lives, we are always connected to our ancestors; our bodies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-richman/and-i-saw-for-the-first-time-how-despite-the-isolation-of-our-own/) [Alyson Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-richman/) > [There is an ancient Indian saying: "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children." If we use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/there-is-an-ancient-indian-saying-we-do-not-inherit-the-earth-from/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) > [It is how it has always been. We will accept the legacy of our ancestors,' Asha says, smiling, and in her smile I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/it-is-how-it-has-always-been-we-will-accept-the-legacy-of-our/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [My ancestors came over from Germany about the time of the Civil War and one of them lost a leg and went back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/my-ancestors-came-over-from-germany-about-the-time-of-the-civil-war/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ Now they \[the Powers\] have started the aggression, and the extinction of our nation is imminent. If we just fold our arms and yield… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/empress-dowager-cixi/now-they-the-powers-have-started-the-aggression-and-the-extinction-of/) [Empress Dowager Cixi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/empress-dowager-cixi/) > [A solitary American monk named Thomas Berry writes that in our relationship to nature, we have been autistic for centuries. Wrapped tightly in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/a-solitary-american-monk-named-thomas-berry-writes-that-in-our/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) [Browse all 767 Ancestor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My ancestors were all Freethinkers, formerly Catholics. It was science and Darwin, in particular, that made them decide, as educated people, which they were, that the priest, nice as he was, didn't know what he was talking about.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kurt Vonnegut" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/my-ancestors-were-all-freethinkers-formerly-catholics-it-was-science/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ancestor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/my-ancestors-were-all-freethinkers-formerly-catholics-it-was-science/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/311/kurt-vonnegut-41_ancestor_my-ancestors-were-all-freethinkers-forme_928150.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/311/kurt-vonnegut-41_ancestor_my-ancestors-were-all-freethinkers-forme_928150.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/311/kurt-vonnegut-41_ancestor_my-ancestors-were-all-freethinkers-forme_928150.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My ancestors were all Freethinkers, formerly Catholics. It was science and Darwin, in particular, that made…” — Kurt Vonnegut", "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": "Kurt Vonnegut", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My ancestors were all Freethinkers, formerly...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/my-ancestors-were-all-freethinkers-formerly-catholics-it-was-science/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/my-ancestors-were-all-freethinkers-formerly-catholics-it-was-science/#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 } } ] } ```