--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The God Delusion makes me embarrassed to…" description: "\"The God Delusion makes me embarrassed to be an atheist, and the McGraths show why.\" — Michael Ruse" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5a/michael-ruse-35791_atheist_the-god-delusion-makes-me-embarrassed-to_2965321.jpg" --- # The God Delusion makes me embarrassed to be an atheist… ![“The God Delusion makes me embarrassed to be an atheist, and the McGraths show why.” quote by Michael Ruse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5a/michael-ruse-35791_atheist_the-god-delusion-makes-me-embarrassed-to_2965321.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5a/michael-ruse-35791_atheist_the-god-delusion-makes-me-embarrassed-to_2965321.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5a/michael-ruse-35791_atheist_the-god-delusion-makes-me-embarrassed-to_2965321.jpg) > “The God Delusion makes me embarrassed to be an atheist, and the McGraths show why.” [Michael Ruse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ruse/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author feels embarrassed as an atheist because the book challenges his views, highlighting personal conflict. **In simple terms:** He feels uneasy about being atheist after reading the book. Key Takeaway Question personal beliefs critically. Themes atheism embarrassment intellectual conflict Mood skeptical introspective Type philosophical controversial When to use this quote - Debate - personal reflection - academic discourse Key Concepts Philosophical doubt belief systems Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle belief challenges? - What makes you uneasy about atheism? A Different Perspective May provoke defensive reactions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atheist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheist/) [Delusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delusion/) [Embarrassed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embarrassed/) [God delusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-delusion/) ## Related quotes > [Getting rid of a delusion makes us wiser than getting hold of a truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-borne/getting-rid-of-a-delusion-makes-us-wiser-than-getting-hold-of-a-truth/) [Ludwig Borne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-borne/) > [For thousands of years, human beings have been obsessed with beauty, truth, love, honor, altruism, courage, social relationships, art, and God. They all go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/for-thousands-of-years-human-beings-have-been-obsessed-with-beauty/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [A person isn't considered insane if there are a number of people who believe the same way. Insanity isn't supposed to be a communicable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-pirsig/a-person-isn-t-considered-insane-if-there-are-a-number-of-people-who/) [Robert M. Pirsig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-pirsig/) > [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/) > [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 > [ Their \[the new atheists\] treatment of the religious viewpoint is pathetic to the point of non-being. Richard Dawkins in The God Delusion would fail… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ruse/their-the-new-atheists-treatment-of-the-religious-viewpoint-is/) [Michael Ruse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ruse/) > [I tried to write things, but they were so ridiculous and stupid and impossible and I had not a clue what they were, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hampton-fancher/i-tried-to-write-things-but-they-were-so-ridiculous-and-stupid-and/) [Hampton Fancher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hampton-fancher/) > [When two opposite points of view are expressed with equal intensity, the truth does not necessarily lie exactly half way between. It is possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/when-two-opposite-points-of-view-are-expressed-with-equal-intensity/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [For good people to do evil things, it takes religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weinberg/for-good-people-to-do-evil-things-it-takes-religion/) [Steven Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weinberg/) > [Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call on her tribunal for every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/fix-reason-firmly-in-her-seat-and-call-on-her-tribunal-for-every-fact/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man living in the sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/religion-has-actually-convinced-people-that-there-s-an-invisible-man/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [“The same year that Dawkins’s The God Delusion was published, Francis Collins published The Language of God. Collins is an eminent research scientist and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/the-same-year-that-dawkins-s-the-god-delusion-was-published-francis/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“It would be intolerant if I advocated the banning of religion, but of course I never have. I merely give robust expression to views…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/it-would-be-intolerant-if-i-advocated-the-banning-of-religion-but-of-2/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“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/) > [Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/ridicule-is-the-only-weapon-which-can-be-used-against-unintelligible/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) ## More by Michael Ruse > [Being a philosophical naturalist does not mean that one thinks that science can provide all of the answers. That is scientism and that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ruse/being-a-philosophical-naturalist-does-not-mean-that-one-thinks-that/) [Michael Ruse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ruse/) > [“The definition of a philosopher is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black hat, which isn’t really there. And the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ruse/the-definition-of-a-philosopher-is-a-blind-man-in-a-dark-room-looking/) [Michael Ruse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ruse/) > [In particular, I argue that in both evolution and creation we have rival religious responses to a crisis of faith-rival stories of origins, rival…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ruse/in-particular-i-argue-that-in-both-evolution-and-creation-we-have/) [Michael Ruse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ruse/) > [ “Fifth, I think that you \[Daniel Dennett\] and Richard are absolute disasters in the fight against intelligent design — we are losing this battle,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ruse/fifth-i-think-that-you-daniel-dennett-and-richard-are-absolute/) [Michael Ruse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ruse/) > [In other words, science tells us that Adam and Eve are fictions. That Saint Paul or Uncle Tom Cobley and all thought otherwise is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ruse/in-other-words-science-tells-us-that-adam-and-eve-are-fictions-that/) [Michael Ruse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ruse/) > [ Their \[the new atheists\] treatment of the religious viewpoint is pathetic to the point of non-being. Richard Dawkins in The God Delusion would fail… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ruse/their-the-new-atheists-treatment-of-the-religious-viewpoint-is/) [Michael Ruse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ruse/) > [...I really want to believe. I find the goodies offered by Christianity extremely attractive. But I am damned (again!) if I am going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ruse/i-really-want-to-believe-i-find-the-goodies-offered-by-christianity/) [Michael Ruse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ruse/) > [Morality is a biological adaptation no less than are hands and feet and teeth... Considered as a rationally justifiable set of claims about an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ruse/morality-is-a-biological-adaptation-no-less-than-are-hands-and-feet/) [Michael Ruse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ruse/) > [Evolution is promoted by its practitioners as more than mere science. Evolution is promulgated as an ideology, a secular religion - a full-fledged alternative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ruse/evolution-is-promoted-by-its-practitioners-as-more-than-mere-science/) [Michael Ruse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ruse/) > [“I mean, I think even God would agree with this at this point. God’s existence isn’t important. It’s what we do with what we’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ruse/i-mean-i-think-even-god-would-agree-with-this-at-this-point-god-s/) [Michael Ruse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ruse/) > [We who cherish science should be careful to distinguish when we are doing science and when we are extrapolating from it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ruse/we-who-cherish-science-should-be-careful-to-distinguish-when-we-are/) [Michael Ruse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ruse/) > [Evolution is a religion. This was true of evolution in the beginning, and it is true of evolution still today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ruse/evolution-is-a-religion-this-was-true-of-evolution-in-the-beginning/) [Michael Ruse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ruse/) [Explore all 13 Michael Ruse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ruse/) ## More Atheist 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/) > [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/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [That the world is in a bad shape is undeniable, but there is not the faintest reason in history to suppose that Christianity offers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/that-the-world-is-in-a-bad-shape-is-undeniable-but-there-is-not-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. I can't always pray when I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-felt-like-praying-or-something-when-i-was-in-bed-but-i-couldn-t-do/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [Atheist’s denial of God’s existence needs just as much substantiation as does the theist’s claim; the atheist must give plausible reasons for rejecting God’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-copan/atheist-s-denial-of-god-s-existence-needs-just-as-much-substantiation/) [Paul Copan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-copan/) > [“The atheist joined his hands. It wasn't against the Gods. He smiled, with his hands folded, saw his daughter's in-laws approaching near.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhavik-sarkhedi/the-atheist-joined-his-hands-it-wasn-t-against-the-gods-he-smiled/) [Bhavik Sarkhedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhavik-sarkhedi/) > [I am surprised that anyone can profess to be an atheist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/i-am-surprised-that-anyone-can-profess-to-be-an-atheist/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [“I have found it an amusing strategy, when asked whether I am an atheist, to point out that the questioner is also an atheist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-have-found-it-an-amusing-strategy-when-asked-whether-i-am-an/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [An Atheist wandering down a road where he meets up a four road junction , he asks a passer by hey !, where does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/an-atheist-wandering-down-a-road-where-he-meets-up-a-four-road/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [Good churches are not built by bad men; at least, there must be probity and enthusiasm somewhere in the society. These minsters were neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/good-churches-are-not-built-by-bad-men-at-least-there-must-be-probity/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [An ineffably holy God, who has the utmost abhorrence of sin, was never invented by any of Adam's descendents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/an-ineffably-holy-god-who-has-the-utmost-abhorrence-of-sin-was-never/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [If all the Atheists & Agnostics left America, they'd lose 93% of The National Academy of Sciences & less than 1% of the prison population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-gervais/if-all-the-atheists-agnostics-left-america-they-d-lose-93-of-the/) [Ricky Gervais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-gervais/) > [I am an atheist. I don't think there's anything divine. Beautiful, impressive, awe-inspiring - sure, but not divine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomy-arpaly/i-am-an-atheist-i-don-t-think-there-s-anything-divine-beautiful/) [Nomy Arpaly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomy-arpaly/) > [I am like all other atheists only in that I do not believe there are any gods. Beyond that, I may differ dramatically in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-carrier/i-am-like-all-other-atheists-only-in-that-i-do-not-believe-there-are/) [Richard Carrier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-carrier/) [Browse all 2,434 Atheist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The God Delusion makes me embarrassed to be an atheist, and the McGraths show why.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Ruse" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ruse/the-god-delusion-makes-me-embarrassed-to-be-an-atheist-and-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Atheist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ruse/the-god-delusion-makes-me-embarrassed-to-be-an-atheist-and-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5a/michael-ruse-35791_atheist_the-god-delusion-makes-me-embarrassed-to_2965321.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5a/michael-ruse-35791_atheist_the-god-delusion-makes-me-embarrassed-to_2965321.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5a/michael-ruse-35791_atheist_the-god-delusion-makes-me-embarrassed-to_2965321.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The God Delusion makes me embarrassed to be an atheist, and the McGraths show why.” — Michael Ruse", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Michael Ruse", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ruse/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The God Delusion makes me embarrassed...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ruse/the-god-delusion-makes-me-embarrassed-to-be-an-atheist-and-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ruse/the-god-delusion-makes-me-embarrassed-to-be-an-atheist-and-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```