--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why, when no honest man will deny in…" description: "\"Why, when no honest man will deny in private that every ultimate problem is wrapped in the profoundest mystery, do honest men proclaim in pulpits that ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e87/leslie-stephen-24291_angel_why-when-no-honest-man-will-deny-in-priv_2628789.jpg" --- # Why, when no honest man will deny in private that every… ![“Why, when no honest man will deny in private that every ultimate problem is wrapped in the profoundest mystery, do honest men proclaim in pulpits that unhesitating certainty is the duty of the most foolish and ignorant? Is it not a spectacle to make the angels laugh?” quote by Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e87/leslie-stephen-24291_angel_why-when-no-honest-man-will-deny-in-priv_2628789.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e87/leslie-stephen-24291_angel_why-when-no-honest-man-will-deny-in-priv_2628789.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e87/leslie-stephen-24291_angel_why-when-no-honest-man-will-deny-in-priv_2628789.jpg) > “Why, when no honest man will deny in private that every ultimate problem is wrapped in the profoundest mystery, do honest men proclaim in pulpits that unhesitating certainty is the duty of the most foolish and ignorant? Is it not a spectacle to make the angels laugh?” [Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/) ## 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 critiques the certainty claimed by religious leaders, suggesting that profound mysteries are often oversimplified, and that such certainty can be absurd and even humorous. **In simple terms:** Certainty on mystery is absurd. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty. Themes religion certainty mystery skepticism Mood skeptical analytical humorous Type philosophical religious When to use this quote - theological debates - academic discourse - personal belief evaluation Key Concepts philosophical critique critical thinking faith vs reason Questions to Reflect On - Why do people seek absolute certainty? - How can humility improve understanding? A Different Perspective Overconfidence can hinder inquiry. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Angel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angel/) [Certainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) [Deny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deny/) [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Foolish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foolish/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Honest man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest-man/) [Honest Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest-men/) [Ignorant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorant/) [Laughing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughing/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mystery/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Pulpit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pulpit/) [Pulpits Unhesitating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pulpits-unhesitating-2172019/) [Ultimate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ultimate/) [Unhesitating Certainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhesitating-certainty-2172018/) ## Related quotes > [Tobacco is the passion of honest men and he who lives without tobacco is not worthy of living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/tobacco-is-the-passion-of-honest-men-and-he-who-lives-without-tobacco/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [There are two modes of establishing our reputation; to be praised by honest men, and to be abused by rogues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/there-are-two-modes-of-establishing-our-reputation-to-be-praised-by-2/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [But honest men do not pretend to know; they are candid and sincere; they love the truth; they admit their ignorance, and they say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/but-honest-men-do-not-pretend-to-know-they-are-candid-and-sincere/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [War has taught me that each one of us contains every ingredient of the human recipe. By varying measure we are all cowards and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-l-haney/war-has-taught-me-that-each-one-of-us-contains-every-ingredient-of/) [Eric L. Haney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-l-haney/) > [Human nature is so weak that the honest men who have no religion make me fret with their perilous virtue, as rope-dancers with their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-de-gaston-chevalier-de-levis/human-nature-is-so-weak-that-the-honest-men-who-have-no-religion-make/) [Francis de Gaston, Chevalier de Levis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-de-gaston-chevalier-de-levis/) > [It is criminal negligence to leave suckers lying around to tempt honest men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-mizner/it-is-criminal-negligence-to-leave-suckers-lying-around-to-tempt/) [Wilson Mizner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-mizner/) > [How many honest men do you know? Take the sinners away from the saints, you're lucky to end up with Abraham Lincoln.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/how-many-honest-men-do-you-know-take-the-sinners-away-from-the-saints/) [Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/) > [Of the various executive abilities, no one excited more anxious concern than that of placing the interests of our fellow-citizens in the hands of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/of-the-various-executive-abilities-no-one-excited-more-anxious/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [There are three difficulties in authorship; to write any thing worth the publishing — to find honest men to publish it — and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/there-are-three-difficulties-in-authorship-to-write-any-thing-worth/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [The time has come for honest men to denounce false teachers and attack false gods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luther-burbank/the-time-has-come-for-honest-men-to-denounce-false-teachers-and/) [Luther Burbank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luther-burbank/) > [Honest men are the gentlemen of nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/honest-men-are-the-gentlemen-of-nature/) [Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/) > [Time is the only test of honest men, one day is space enough to know a rogue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/time-is-the-only-test-of-honest-men-one-day-is-space-enough-to-know-a/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [Do what you believe to be right, and ever hold it for a maxim, that if the skies fall through your doing right, honest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/do-what-you-believe-to-be-right-and-ever-hold-it-for-a-maxim-that-if/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [It is curious - but you cannot make a revolution without honest men. ... Every revolution has had its honest men. They are soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/it-is-curious-but-you-cannot-make-a-revolution-without-honest-men/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [Titles are marks of honest men, and wise; The fool or knave that wears a title lies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/titles-are-marks-of-honest-men-and-wise-the-fool-or-knave-that-wears/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) ## More by Leslie Stephen > [“The Agnostic is one who asserts 'what no one denies' that there are limits to the sphere of human intelligence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-stephen/the-agnostic-is-one-who-asserts-what-no-one-denies-that-there-are/) [Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/) > [God is angry with man. Unless we believe and repent we shall all be damned. It is impossible, indeed, for its advocates even to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-stephen/god-is-angry-with-man-unless-we-believe-and-repent-we-shall-all-be/) [Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/) > [Poe is a kind of Hawthorne and delirium tremens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-stephen/poe-is-a-kind-of-hawthorne-and-delirium-tremens/) [Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/) > [Genius is a capacity for taking trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-stephen/genius-is-a-capacity-for-taking-trouble/) [Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/) > [Philistine - a word which I understand properly to denote indifference to the higher intellectual interests. The word may also be defined, however, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-stephen/philistine-a-word-which-i-understand-properly-to-denote-indifference/) [Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/) > [The truth cannot be asserted without denouncing the falsehood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-stephen/the-truth-cannot-be-asserted-without-denouncing-the-falsehood/) [Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/) > [“No poetry lives which reflects only the cheerful emotions. Our sweetest songs are those which tell of saddest thought. We can bring harmony out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-stephen/no-poetry-lives-which-reflects-only-the-cheerful-emotions-our/) [Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/) > [He who sees only what is before his eyes sees the worst part of every view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-stephen/he-who-sees-only-what-is-before-his-eyes-sees-the-worst-part-of-every/) [Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/) > [When I ceased to accept the teaching of my youth, it was not so much a process of giving up beliefs, as of discovering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-stephen/when-i-ceased-to-accept-the-teaching-of-my-youth-it-was-not-so-much-a/) [Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/) > [A good talker, even more than a good orator, implies a good audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-stephen/a-good-talker-even-more-than-a-good-orator-implies-a-good-audience/) [Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/) > [The wilderness provides an environment for a child's inner life to develop because it requires him to be constantly aware of his surroundings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-stephen/the-wilderness-provides-an-environment-for-a-child-s-inner-life-to/) [Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/) > [Walking is the natural recreation for a man who desires not absolutely to suppress his intellect but to turn it out to play for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-stephen/walking-is-the-natural-recreation-for-a-man-who-desires-not/) [Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/) > [“No good story is quite true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-stephen/no-good-story-is-quite-true/) [Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/) > [If you wish at once to do nothing and be respectable nowadays, the best pretext is to be at work on some profound study.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-stephen/if-you-wish-at-once-to-do-nothing-and-be-respectable-nowadays-the/) [Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/) > [Chance is a name for our ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-stephen/chance-is-a-name-for-our-ignorance/) [Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/) [Explore all 24 Leslie Stephen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/) ## More Angel quotes > [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [If I wer an angel,i would make all your wishes come true..but I'm only a girl a girl who loves you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nix/if-i-wer-an-angel-i-would-make-all-your-wishes-come-true-but-i-m-only/) [Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nix/) > [Peace is the first thing the angels sang. Peace is the mark of the children of God. Peace is the nurse of love. Peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-i/peace-is-the-first-thing-the-angels-sang-peace-is-the-mark-of-the/) [Pope Leo I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-i/) > [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Behind my eyelids, I saw him dancing in spirals of coloured light, emerald, blue, and brilliant purple, enfolding him like the wings of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-hall/behind-my-eyelids-i-saw-him-dancing-in-spirals-of-coloured-light/) [Alexis Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-hall/) > [All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/all-that-i-am-or-ever-hope-to-be-i-owe-to-my-angel-mother/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [I don't think people will ever forget I was an 'Angel,' anymore than they'll forget Sally Field was 'The Flying Nun.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-ladd/i-don-t-think-people-will-ever-forget-i-was-an-angel-anymore-than/) [Cheryl Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-ladd/) > [It's a great story for us whenever an entrepreneur makes a crazy amount of money and we get to tell the world about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/it-s-a-great-story-for-us-whenever-an-entrepreneur-makes-a-crazy/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [I believe in UFOs, I believe in extraterrestrials, and I believe in angels. And maybe they'll protect all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-maclaine/i-believe-in-ufos-i-believe-in-extraterrestrials-and-i-believe-in/) [Shirley MacLaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-maclaine/) > [Sometimes we have the absolute certainty there's something inside us that's so hideous and monstrous that if we ever search it out we won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/sometimes-we-have-the-absolute-certainty-there-s-something-inside-us/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [Flowers are the alphabet of angels, whereby they write on the hills and fields mysterious truths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/flowers-are-the-alphabet-of-angels-whereby-they-write-on-the-hills/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [You should never feel lonely, neglected, fearful, or defeated when you remember that there are the shining ones. They are watching with keen interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flower-a-newhouse/you-should-never-feel-lonely-neglected-fearful-or-defeated-when-you/) [Flower A. Newhouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flower-a-newhouse/) > [Hark the herald angels sing, 'Glory to the new-born king.' Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-wesley/hark-the-herald-angels-sing-glory-to-the-new-born-king-peace-on-earth/) [Charles Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-wesley/) > [Man was created a little lower than the angels and has been getting a little lower ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/man-was-created-a-little-lower-than-the-angels-and-has-been-getting-a/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Mooner was walking around laying his hands on the cars, divining karma. "this is it", he said, standing by a small khaki-colored jeep."this car…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/mooner-was-walking-around-laying-his-hands-on-the-cars-divining-karma/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) [Browse all 4,625 Angel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angel/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Why, when no honest man will deny in private that every ultimate problem is wrapped in the profoundest mystery, do honest men proclaim in pulpits that unhesitating certainty is the duty of the most foolish and ignorant? 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