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Atheism Quote by Madison Arnold

“One of the first unanswerable questions I asked was when I was eight years old. Some cousins of mine always said a prayer before eating: God is kind, God is good, And we thank him For our food. At that time we always heard the children in Europe were starving, therefore we should not waste any…” quote by Madison Arnold
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““One of the first unanswerable questions I asked was when I was eight years old. Some cousins of mine always said a prayer before eating: God is kind, God is good, And we thank him For our food. At that time we always heard the children in Europe were starving, therefore we should not waste any food. Two questions arose in my mind. First, what I knew about poetry was that it had to rhyme, and 'food' and 'good' didn't rhyme, so I always said 'Fud' with a silent sneer, and made it rhyme. Second: I once asked my aunt if god is good and we thank him for our Fud, why are the kids in Europe starving? I asked her if the kids in Europe were all bad. I remember her saying, 'Be thankful that you have food,' but, of course, she couldn't deal with the rest of it. I never accepted religion so I had nothing to reject as such. The history of 'Christiansanity' (my own coinage of which I am proud!) is so brutal of mind, emotions, freedom, progress, science, and all that I hold precious, that by any standards of justice its leaders in almost any given period would be incarcerated for life, or worse!””

Madison Arnold

About This Quote

A child’s questioning of religious teachings about God’s goodness and global hunger reveals doubts about faith, leading to critique of organized religion’s history of oppression.

In simple terms: Childhood doubts expose contradictions in faith and history.

Key Takeaway

Question and seek truth beyond doctrine.

Themes

faith questioning religion justice history morality

Mood

skeptical inquisitive critical

Type

Atheism:1 Atheist:1 Freedom:0 God is good:0 Humanity:0 Logic:0 Progress:0 Question:1 Reason:0 Science:0 Truth:0 God Good:0 Kind God:0 God Kind:0 Eating God:0 Starving Asked:0

When to use this quote

  • personal belief formation
  • academic study
  • activism

Key Concepts

critical thinking spiritual inquiry ethical analysis

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do personal experiences shape belief?
  • What reforms could address religious oppression?
A Different Perspective

May overlook positive aspects of faith communities.

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