--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Faith is like a mental illness,” Richard…" description: "\"“Faith is like a mental illness,” Richard Dawkins has said, “a great cop out, the excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence.”2 Sam Harris..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/489/mark-clark-44632_faith_faith-is-like-a-mental-illness-richard-d_841833.jpg" --- # Faith is like a mental illness,” Richard Dawkins has said… ![“Faith is like a mental illness,” Richard Dawkins has said, “a great cop out, the excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence.”2 Sam Harris agrees, saying, “We have names for people who have many beliefs for which there is no rational justification. When their beliefs are extremely…” quote by Mark Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/489/mark-clark-44632_faith_faith-is-like-a-mental-illness-richard-d_841833.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/489/mark-clark-44632_faith_faith-is-like-a-mental-illness-richard-d_841833.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/489/mark-clark-44632_faith_faith-is-like-a-mental-illness-richard-d_841833.jpg) > ““Faith is like a mental illness,” Richard Dawkins has said, “a great cop out, the excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence.”2 Sam Harris agrees, saying, “We have names for people who have many beliefs for which there is no rational justification. When their beliefs are extremely common, we call them religious. Otherwise, they are likely to be called mad, delusional, or psychotic.”3”” [Mark Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-clark/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Faith is portrayed as an unexamined belief system that avoids critical thinking, while rational inquiry demands evidence and evaluation. **In simple terms:** Faith vs. evidence. Key Takeaway Question beliefs without evidence. Themes faith reason critical thinking Mood skeptical inquisitive Type philosophical controversial When to use this quote - debates on religion - scientific discourse - personal worldview - education curricula Key Concepts epistemology psychology belief systems Questions to Reflect On - Can faith coexist with rational inquiry? - What role does emotion play in belief? A Different Perspective Some may find comfort in faith despite lack of evidence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beliefs Extremely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beliefs-extremely-651733/) [Beliefs Rational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beliefs-rational-651732/) [Delusional Psychotic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delusional-psychotic-651734/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Justification Beliefs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justification-beliefs-651731/) [Mental illness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-illness/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/richard-dawkins/) ## Related quotes > [“We have names for people who have many beliefs for which there is no rational justification. When their beliefs are extremely common we call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/we-have-names-for-people-who-have-many-beliefs-for-which-there-is-no-2/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“We have names for people who have many beliefs for which there is no rational justification. When their beliefs are extremely common we call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-have-names-for-people-who-have-many-beliefs-for-which-there-is-no/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“Let's say that the consensus is that our species, being the higher primates, Homo Sapiens, has been on the planet for at least 100,000…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/let-s-say-that-the-consensus-is-that-our-species-being-the-higher/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Far too many scientists, including my good friend Richard Dawkins, present science as the truth and present it as factually correct. And actually, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-winston/far-too-many-scientists-including-my-good-friend-richard-dawkins/) [Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/) > [The evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in 1976 coined the term ‘meme’ for a unit of cultural imitation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/the-evolutionary-biologist-richard-dawkins-in-1976-coined-the-term/) [Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/) > [I agree with people like Richard Dawkins that mankind felt the need for creation myths. Before we really began to understand disease and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/i-agree-with-people-like-richard-dawkins-that-mankind-felt-the-need/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Much as I like and admire Richard Dawkins, I do think that to call a book 'The God Delusion' is very worrying because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-winston/much-as-i-like-and-admire-richard-dawkins-i-do-think-that-to-call-a/) [Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/) > [“One of Richard Dawkins’s main God Delusion arguments is that, if God created everything, we would have to ask who created God. But the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-lennox/one-of-richard-dawkins-s-main-god-delusion-arguments-is-that-if-god/) [John C. Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-lennox/) > [“Richard Dawkins and his followers have recycled the theory of evolution not as a biological theory but as a theory of everything – of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/richard-dawkins-and-his-followers-have-recycled-the-theory-of/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [Atheism is a moral position - a rather rigid one, if you've ever read the opinions of its highest-profile espousers, Christopher Hitchens and Richard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-coady/atheism-is-a-moral-position-a-rather-rigid-one-if-you-ve-ever-read/) [Lynn Coady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-coady/) > [“Among the required reading for all PUAs were books on evolutionary theory: The Red Queen by Matt Ridley, The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/among-the-required-reading-for-all-puas-were-books-on-evolutionary/) [Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/) > [“A saving grace of the human condition (if I may phrase it like that) is a sense of humor. Many writers and witnesses, guessing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/a-saving-grace-of-the-human-condition-if-i-may-phrase-it-like-that-is/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“The funny thing is if in England, you ask a man in the street who the greatest living Darwinian is, he will say Richard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-mayr/the-funny-thing-is-if-in-england-you-ask-a-man-in-the-street-who-the/) [Ernst Mayr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-mayr/) > [Atheism Explained is a gem. It is clear, informative, well-argued, provocative, often witty, and unfailingly interesting. David Ramsay Steele ranges over so many issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-shearmur/atheism-explained-is-a-gem-it-is-clear-informative-well-argued/) [Jeremy Shearmur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-shearmur/) > [“Richard Dawkins regards faith as an evil to be eliminated; he takes all religious faith to be blind faith. (Dawkins says) ‘Scientific belief is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennox/richard-dawkins-regards-faith-as-an-evil-to-be-eliminated-he-takes/) [John Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennox/) ## More by Mark Clark > [“Charles Darwin himself recognized this problem and feared it when he wrote hauntingly: “Within me the horrid doubt always arises whether the convictions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-clark/charles-darwin-himself-recognized-this-problem-and-feared-it-when-he/) [Mark Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-clark/) > [“If you’re going to make up stories about miracles and events that you are claiming really happened, you have to wait until all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-clark/if-you-re-going-to-make-up-stories-about-miracles-and-events-that-you/) [Mark Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-clark/) > [“Many people assume that being a Christian means you follow all the rules and have your life together. They assume that “Christian” equals “good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-clark/many-people-assume-that-being-a-christian-means-you-follow-all-the/) [Mark Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-clark/) > [“Our faith doesn’t magically make our assumptions about Jesus and the Bible true. Faith can’t turn a falsehood into truth. Rightly understood, it’s not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-clark/our-faith-doesn-t-magically-make-our-assumptions-about-jesus-and-the/) [Mark Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-clark/) > [“How often have we turned on the television and heard the host say, “Tonight we will be talking about faith versus science. Our first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-clark/how-often-have-we-turned-on-the-television-and-heard-the-host-say/) [Mark Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-clark/) > [“Don’t walk away at the first sign of a contradiction or a problem. Sometimes scientific study needs to play catch-up to the Bible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-clark/don-t-walk-away-at-the-first-sign-of-a-contradiction-or-a-problem/) [Mark Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-clark/) > [“All of the problems of heaven and earth, though they were to confront us together and at once, would be nothing compared with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-clark/all-of-the-problems-of-heaven-and-earth-though-they-were-to-confront/) [Mark Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-clark/) > [“We must question the story logic of having an all-knowing, all-powerful God, who creates faulty humans and then blames them for his own mistakes."--Gene…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-clark/we-must-question-the-story-logic-of-having-an-all-knowing-all/) [Mark Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-clark/) [Explore all 9 Mark Clark quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-clark/) ## More Faith quotes > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [Keep the faith, and keep going strong!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/keep-the-faith-and-keep-going-strong/) [Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/) > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) [Riffat Hassan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riffat-hassan/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [“No man is prejudiced in favour of a thing, knowing it to be wrong. He is attached to it on the belief of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/no-man-is-prejudiced-in-favour-of-a-thing-knowing-it-to-be-wrong-he/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [Holiness sincerity, and faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/holiness-sincerity-and-faith/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“The only limitations for your life are the limiting beliefs in your mind. —Matt Morris”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-morris-1/the-only-limitations-for-your-life-are-the-limiting-beliefs-in-your/) [Matt Morris (1](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-morris-1/) > [“Just because your faith is shaken doesn’t mean the faith is shaken. The eternal truths of the Kingdom aren’t altered or affected by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/just-because-your-faith-is-shaken-doesn-t-mean-the-faith-is-shaken/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [Grit, determination, the right amount of crazy, self belief - everything it takes to be a champion. I have that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-poirier/grit-determination-the-right-amount-of-crazy-self-belief-everything/) [Dustin Poirier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-poirier/) > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [Once you pull the trigger, you've got to throw balls aggressively and with conviction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-smith/once-you-pull-the-trigger-you-ve-got-to-throw-balls-aggressively-and/) [Alex Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-smith/) [Browse all 37,796 Faith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Faith is like a mental illness,” Richard Dawkins has said, “a great cop out, the excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence.”2 Sam Harris agrees, saying, “We have names for people who have many beliefs for which there is no rational justification. When their beliefs are extremely common, we call them religious. 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