--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What destroys it? Is it the Inquisition?…" description: "\"“What destroys it? Is it the Inquisition? Those idiot priests go chasing after innocent women, as if real witches would let themselves be caught and to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/neal-stephenson-362_inquisition_what-destroys-it-is-it-the-inquisition-t_1680307.png" --- # What destroys it? Is it the Inquisition? Those idiot… ![“What destroys it? Is it the Inquisition? Those idiot priests go chasing after innocent women, as if real witches would let themselves be caught and tortured and killed! Almost by definition, anyone who is caught and tortured, and doesn’t free themselves by magic, has no magic powers.” quote by Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/neal-stephenson-362_inquisition_what-destroys-it-is-it-the-inquisition-t_1680307.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/neal-stephenson-362_inquisition_what-destroys-it-is-it-the-inquisition-t_1680307.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/neal-stephenson-362_inquisition_what-destroys-it-is-it-the-inquisition-t_1680307.png) > ““What destroys it? Is it the Inquisition? Those idiot priests go chasing after innocent women, as if real witches would let themselves be caught and tortured and killed! Almost by definition, anyone who is caught and tortured, and doesn’t free themselves by magic, has no magic powers.”” [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage mocks the idea that witches possess magical powers, arguing that those captured lack true magic. **In simple terms:** Witches caught lack real magic; oppression is absurd. Key Takeaway Question authority and superstition. Themes superstition authority magic inquisition Mood ironic critical Type satirical philosophical When to use this quote - social critique - historical analysis - literary satire Key Concepts historical persecution gender oppression myth vs reality Questions to Reflect On - Why do societies create monsters? - What does this say about power? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Destroys Inquisition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroys-inquisition-950553/) [Inquisition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inquisition/) [Inquisition Idiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inquisition-idiot-950554/) [Witch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witch/) [Witches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witches/) [Witches Let](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witches-let-950552/) ## Related quotes > [“Since we're into witches, let's swing by and check out this Isis at Spirit Quest." She slid her eyes right. Well, maybe she'd rag…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-robb/since-we-re-into-witches-let-s-swing-by-and-check-out-this-isis-at/) [J.D. Robb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-robb/) > [“In which witches will be witches”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/in-which-witches-will-be-witches/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“It comes from history. It comes from the record of the Inquisition, persecuting heretics and torturing Jews and all that sort of stuff; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/it-comes-from-history-it-comes-from-the-record-of-the-inquisition/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [The Scriptures have been misused to defend bloody crusades and inquisitions; to support slavery, apartheid, and segregation; to sanction the physical and emotional abuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-white/the-scriptures-have-been-misused-to-defend-bloody-crusades-and/) [Mel White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-white/) > [No other work has more often been blamed for more heinous crimes by the perpetrators of such crimes. The Bible has been named as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-strossen/no-other-work-has-more-often-been-blamed-for-more-heinous-crimes-by/) [Nadine Strossen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-strossen/) > [You find this curious fact, that the more intense has been the religion of any period and more profound has been the dogmatic belief,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/you-find-this-curious-fact-that-the-more-intense-has-been-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [People read a lot of stories about witches, fairies, paranormals, and children possessed by evil spirits. They go to films showing rituals featuring pentagrams,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/people-read-a-lot-of-stories-about-witches-fairies-paranormals-and/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Burning the witch Giordano Bruno is one more wound inflicted on Christ’s body.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/burning-the-witch-giordano-bruno-is-one-more-wound-inflicted-on/) [Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/) > [At present, I myself do not know of any local witches or warlocks, but there are several people who seem to have an uncanny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-k-fisher/at-present-i-myself-do-not-know-of-any-local-witches-or-warlocks-but/) [M. F. K. Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-k-fisher/) > [“Xander: It could be witches, some evil witches, which is ridiculous cause witched they were persecuted, women power, love the eatrh, and I'll be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/xander-it-could-be-witches-some-evil-witches-which-is-ridiculous/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [To me, witches are the most divine creatures. I always thought of them not as old crones with double chins and dunce hats, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-moorehead/to-me-witches-are-the-most-divine-creatures-i-always-thought-of-them/) [Agnes Moorehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-moorehead/) > [“Most witches don’t believe in gods. They know that the gods exist, of course. They even deal with them occasionally. But they don’t believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/most-witches-don-t-believe-in-gods-they-know-that-the-gods-exist-of/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Why is it every time a madman's prayers are answered, a witch burns?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-danielle-dorn/why-is-it-every-time-a-madman-s-prayers-are-answered-a-witch-burns/) [J. Danielle Dorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-danielle-dorn/) > [Witches are a cold breed who keep unto themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-moorehead/witches-are-a-cold-breed-who-keep-unto-themselves/) [Agnes Moorehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-moorehead/) > [Men feared witches and burned women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/men-feared-witches-and-burned-women/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) ## More by Neal Stephenson > [“I study dead languages for a living,” I said. “That’s why you hired me. Why should I be up to speed on your line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/i-study-dead-languages-for-a-living-i-said-that-s-why-you-hired-me/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Other people - store clerks, burger flippers, software engineers, the whole vocabulary of meaningless jobs that make up Life in America - other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/other-people-store-clerks-burger-flippers-software-engineers-the/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“It is what you don’t expect,” he’d said, “that most needs looking for.” “Do”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/it-is-what-you-don-t-expect-he-d-said-that-most-needs-looking-for-do/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“...the insects here see you as a big slab of animated but not very well defended food. The ability to move, far from being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-insects-here-see-you-as-a-big-slab-of-animated-but-not-very-well/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“There was no way that these guys were going to let a bleeding, barefoot woman simply wander off alone into the streets. Two of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/there-was-no-way-that-these-guys-were-going-to-let-a-bleeding/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Space and Time! Two minor omissions that no one is likely to notice," grumbled Newton.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/space-and-time-two-minor-omissions-that-no-one-is-likely-to-notice/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [See, the world is full of things more powerful than us. But if you know how to catch a ride, you can go places,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/see-the-world-is-full-of-things-more-powerful-than-us-but-if-you-know/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Hey,” Shaftoe says, “if we surrender to you, you’ll kill us. Right?” “Yes.” “If you guys surrender to us, we won’t kill you. Promise.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/hey-shaftoe-says-if-we-surrender-to-you-you-ll-kill-us-right-yes-if/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“My men think you are dead now, and won’t waste balls on you,” Jack said. “In fact I have let you live, but for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/my-men-think-you-are-dead-now-and-won-t-waste-balls-on-you-jack-said/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“You’ve probably heard the expression that the Industry feeds off of biomass, like a whale straining krill from the ocean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/you-ve-probably-heard-the-expression-that-the-industry-feeds-off-of/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“The Deliverator belongs to an elite order, a hallowed subcategory. He’s got esprit up to here. Right now, he is preparing to carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-deliverator-belongs-to-an-elite-order-a-hallowed-subcategory-he-s/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [Interesting things happen along borders - transitions - not in the middle where everything is the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/interesting-things-happen-along-borders-transitions-not-in-the-middle/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“and people could only make sense of complicated matters through stories. Likewise”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/and-people-could-only-make-sense-of-complicated-matters-through/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Van Eck phreaking,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/van-eck-phreaking/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“When the Deliverator puts the hammer down, shit happens.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/when-the-deliverator-puts-the-hammer-down-shit-happens/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) [Explore all 633 Neal Stephenson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## More Inquisition 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/) > [If Galileo had said in verse that the world moved, the inquisition might have let him alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/if-galileo-had-said-in-verse-that-the-world-moved-the-inquisition/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Where there is no danger of overt action there is rarely any interference with freedom. That is why there has so often been amazing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/where-there-is-no-danger-of-overt-action-there-is-rarely-any/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [You find this curious fact, that the more intense has been the religion of any period and more profound has been the dogmatic belief,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/you-find-this-curious-fact-that-the-more-intense-has-been-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [A prisoner in the Inquisition is never allowed to see the face of his accuser, or of the witnesses against him, but every method…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-foxe/a-prisoner-in-the-inquisition-is-never-allowed-to-see-the-face-of-his/) [John Foxe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-foxe/) > [Institutional psychiatry is a continuation of the Inquisition. All that has really changed is the vocabulary and the social style. The vocabulary conforms to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-szasz/institutional-psychiatry-is-a-continuation-of-the-inquisition-all/) [Thomas Szasz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-szasz/) > [“pro scienta atque sapienta-Latin- for science and wisdom It's a Darwinian popularity contest. at all times, the question on everyone's mind is, "who's coolest?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ned-vizzini/pro-scienta-atque-sapienta-latin-for-science-and-wisdom-it-s-a/) [Ned Vizzini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ned-vizzini/) > [After the survivor of the Spanish conquest has told his life's story he is convicted by the Inquisition: He posted no brief in defense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-jennings/after-the-survivor-of-the-spanish-conquest-has-told-his-life-s-story/) [Gary Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-jennings/) > [The Christians who engaged in infamous persecutions and shameful inquisitions were not evil men but misguided men. 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