--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One of the first unanswerable questions I…" description: "\"“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, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31f/madison-arnold-151569_atheism_one-of-the-first-unanswerable-questions_1962923.jpg" --- # One of the first unanswerable questions I asked was when I… ![“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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31f/madison-arnold-151569_atheism_one-of-the-first-unanswerable-questions_1962923.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31f/madison-arnold-151569_atheism_one-of-the-first-unanswerable-questions_1962923.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31f/madison-arnold-151569_atheism_one-of-the-first-unanswerable-questions_1962923.jpg) > ““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 This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. 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. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Atheist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheist/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logic/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [Through its prohibition on birth control, the Church has suggested that the only right way to have children is through biological reproduction: a kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mairs/through-its-prohibition-on-birth-control-the-church-has-suggested/) [Nancy Mairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mairs/) > [Am I as spontaneously kind to God as I used to be, or am I only expecting God to be kind to me? Am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/am-i-as-spontaneously-kind-to-god-as-i-used-to-be-or-am-i-only/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [Neither antiquity nor any other nation has imagined a more atrocious and blasphemous absurdity than that of eating God. This is how Christians treat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/neither-antiquity-nor-any-other-nation-has-imagined-a-more-atrocious/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [“I would rather go mad, gone down the dark road to Mexico, heroin dripping in my veins, eyes and ears full of marijuana, eating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-ginsberg/i-would-rather-go-mad-gone-down-the-dark-road-to-mexico-heroin/) [Allen Ginsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-ginsberg/) > [“For a second, I’m stunned. She wanted this. Just as badly as I did. And I wasted all that time eating chicken Marsala—when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-chase/for-a-second-i-m-stunned-she-wanted-this-just-as-badly-as-i-did-and-i/) [Emma Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-chase/) > [You will certainly grant me that neither antiquity nor whatever nation has devised a more repulsive and blasphemous absurdity than that of eating your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/you-will-certainly-grant-me-that-neither-antiquity-nor-whatever/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [Nothing that man ever invents will absolve him from the universal necessity of being good as God is good, righteous as God is righteous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kingsley/nothing-that-man-ever-invents-will-absolve-him-from-the-universal/) [Charles Kingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kingsley/) > [Positive people around you create a positive atmosphere, God is good, important to always self check and improve as a person every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/positive-people-around-you-create-a-positive-atmosphere-god-is-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Before we pray know what God has to say about the situation God is good all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george/before-we-pray-know-what-god-has-to-say-about-the-situation-god-is/) [George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george/) > [God is Good and he is worthy of all the praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-is-good-and-he-is-worthy-of-all-the-praise/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God is good! Just when you start getting discouraged, he makes a way. When your serious about your craft, he opens doors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-is-good-just-when-you-start-getting-discouraged-he-makes-a-way/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Every gift from God is good indeed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-stimpson/every-gift-from-god-is-good-indeed/) [Michelle Stimpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-stimpson/) > [God is good. God is great. We need to stop what we are doing. And thank him each day. AMEN](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-vickers/god-is-good-god-is-great-we-need-to-stop-what-we-are-doing-and-thank/) [Jennifer Vickers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-vickers/) > [Life is great. God is good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-great-god-is-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God is good all the time, and everything's happen for some reasons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-is-good-all-the-time-and-everything-s-happen-for-some-reasons/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Atheism quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. 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