--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wilson’s weakness was to be over-literal…" description: "\"“Wilson’s weakness was to be over-literal, or to assume that his opponents were. One treatise, The Uttermost Pit, demonstrated with considerable geolog..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/885/mark-valentine-111972_new-atheism_wilson-s-weakness-was-to-be-over-literal_1991620.jpg" --- # Wilson’s weakness was to be over-literal, or to assume… ![“Wilson’s weakness was to be over-literal, or to assume that his opponents were. One treatise, The Uttermost Pit, demonstrated with considerable geological learning that there could not be space within the mineral bowels of the Earth for any chambers big enough to contain all the damned souls of…” quote by Mark Valentine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/885/mark-valentine-111972_new-atheism_wilson-s-weakness-was-to-be-over-literal_1991620.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/885/mark-valentine-111972_new-atheism_wilson-s-weakness-was-to-be-over-literal_1991620.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/885/mark-valentine-111972_new-atheism_wilson-s-weakness-was-to-be-over-literal_1991620.jpg) > ““Wilson’s weakness was to be over-literal, or to assume that his opponents were. One treatise, The Uttermost Pit, demonstrated with considerable geological learning that there could not be space within the mineral bowels of the Earth for any chambers big enough to contain all the damned souls of the ages. A third, Going to Gehenna, purported to show that the biblical references to the infernal domain were in point of fact to real places of sinister repute, and not to anywhere metaphysical. Wilson lost no opportunity to argue, with any evidence he found to hand, that there could not be any hell or Hades, and so none should fear them.”” Mark Valentine ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator argues against literal hell, using geological and biblical references to deny its existence. **In simple terms:** Denial of literal hell based on scientific and textual analysis. Key Takeaway Question literal interpretations of afterlife concepts. Themes theology skepticism science literature philosophy Mood critical inquisitive skeptical Type quote philosophy theology When to use this quote - academic debate - religious education - philosophical discussions - literary criticism - public lectures Key Concepts metaphysical debate critical analysis historical context Questions to Reflect On - How does scientific evidence impact theological beliefs? - What alternative afterlife concepts exist across cultures? A Different Perspective Counterarguments may rely on specific theological traditions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“I never said a word against eminent men of science. What I complain of is a vague popular philosophy which supposes itself to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/i-never-said-a-word-against-eminent-men-of-science-what-i-complain-of/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“I’ve often wondered how the term “'New Atheism”' gained such currency. 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Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/) ## More by Mark Valentine > [“It was Stevenson, I think, who most notably that there are some places that simply demand a story should be told of them. ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-valentine/it-was-stevenson-i-think-who-most-notably-that-there-are-some-places/) Mark Valentine Explore all 2 Mark Valentine quotes ## More New-atheism quotes > [“I never said a word against eminent men of science. What I complain of is a vague popular philosophy which supposes itself to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/i-never-said-a-word-against-eminent-men-of-science-what-i-complain-of/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“I’ve often wondered how the term “'New Atheism”' gained such currency. It is a misnomer. There is nothing new about nonbelief. All of us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-tayler/i-ve-often-wondered-how-the-term-new-atheism-gained-such-currency-it/) [Jeffrey Tayler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-tayler/) > [“The famous atheist Christopher Hitchens once declared that ‘You’re expelled from your mother’s uterus as if shot from a cannon, towards a barn door…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/the-famous-atheist-christopher-hitchens-once-declared-that-you-re/) [Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/) Browse all 4 New-atheism quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Wilson’s weakness was to be over-literal, or to assume that his opponents were. One treatise, The Uttermost Pit, demonstrated with considerable geological learning that there could not be space within the mineral bowels of the Earth for any chambers big enough to contain all the damned souls of the ages. 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