--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Science may have come a long way, but as…" description: "\"Science may have come a long way, but as far as religion is concerned, we are first cousins to the !Kung tribesmen of the Kalahari Desert. Except for t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/phil-donahue-11688_atheism_science-may-have-come-a-long-way-but-as_2091666.jpg" --- # Science may have come a long way, but as far as religion… ![“Science may have come a long way, but as far as religion is concerned, we are first cousins to the !Kung tribesmen of the Kalahari Desert. Except for the garments, their deep religious trances might just as well be happening at a revival meeting or in the congregation of a fundamentalist TV…” quote by Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/phil-donahue-11688_atheism_science-may-have-come-a-long-way-but-as_2091666.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/phil-donahue-11688_atheism_science-may-have-come-a-long-way-but-as_2091666.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/phil-donahue-11688_atheism_science-may-have-come-a-long-way-but-as_2091666.jpg) > “Science may have come a long way, but as far as religion is concerned, we are first cousins to the !Kung tribesmen of the Kalahari Desert. Except for the garments, their deep religious trances might just as well be happening at a revival meeting or in the congregation of a fundamentalist TV preacher… As we move further from the life of ignorance and superstition in which religion has its roots, we seem to need it more and more… Why has religion become a force just when we'd have thought it would be losing ground to secularism?” [Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Religion persists despite scientific progress because it fulfills deep psychological and social needs that science does not address. **In simple terms:** Religion meets emotional and community needs that science overlooks. Key Takeaway Recognize the non‑material reasons people cling to faith. Themes faith psychology culture science society Mood reflective analytical curious Type philosophical sociological When to use this quote - personal crisis - community building - political discourse - education - media analysis Key Concepts existential meaning social cohesion identity rituals Questions to Reflect On - Why do people turn to religion in modern societies? - How can secular institutions provide similar community support? A Different Perspective Religion can also reinforce dogma and hinder critical thinking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Congregation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congregation/) [Desert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desert/) [Fundamentalist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentalist/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [Meetings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meetings/) [Positive atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive-atheism/) [Preacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preacher/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Revival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revival/) [Roots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roots/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Secularism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secularism/) [Superstitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superstitions/) [Trance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trance/) ## Related quotes > [Darwinism is a pagan religion whose roots go back to the Sumerians and Ancient Egypt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harun-yahya/darwinism-is-a-pagan-religion-whose-roots-go-back-to-the-sumerians/) [Harun Yahya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harun-yahya/) > [Is religion a force for good? The evidence of history and the evidence of current events cast doubt on the truism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-haught/is-religion-a-force-for-good-the-evidence-of-history-and-the-evidence/) [James A. Haught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-haught/) > [We must not enable anyone to impose his personal view regarding religion on others by force, oppression, or pressure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirin-ebadi/we-must-not-enable-anyone-to-impose-his-personal-view-regarding/) [Shirin Ebadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirin-ebadi/) > [Each religion can be made a force for good or for evil by the people who practice it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senora-roy/each-religion-can-be-made-a-force-for-good-or-for-evil-by-the-people/) [Senora Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senora-roy/) > [“That, more than anything else, explains why, throughout human history, religion has been a force both for boundless good and for unspeakable evil; why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reza-aslan/that-more-than-anything-else-explains-why-throughout-human-history/) [Reza Aslan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reza-aslan/) > [The "establishment of religion" clause of the First Amendment means at least this: Neither a state nor the Federal Government can set up a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-black/the-establishment-of-religion-clause-of-the-first-amendment-means-at/) [Hugo Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-black/) > [“more evil has been carried out in the name of religion than any other force in human history.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-silva/more-evil-has-been-carried-out-in-the-name-of-religion-than-any-other/) [Daniel Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-silva/) > [Religion, to have any force upon men's understandings,--indeed, to exist at all,--must be supposed paramount to law, and independent for its substance upon any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/religion-to-have-any-force-upon-men-s-understandings-indeed-to-exist/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [The theory that religion is a force for peace, often heard among the religious right and its allies today, does not fit the facts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-theory-that-religion-is-a-force-for-peace-often-heard-among-the/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [I'm not against religion but if you have to force it on people who choose a different way of life then your message of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-against-religion-but-if-you-have-to-force-it-on-people-who/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [...it becomes clear that, given our diversity, no single religion satisfies all humanity. ... And since the majority does not practice religion, I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/it-becomes-clear-that-given-our-diversity-no-single-religion/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [As far as the matters of religion are concerned we know for sure that only Islam is the true religion in the eyes of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zakir-naik/as-far-as-the-matters-of-religion-are-concerned-we-know-for-sure-that/) [Zakir Naik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zakir-naik/) > [Where questions of religion are concerned, people are guilty of every possible sort of dishonesty and intellectual misdemeanor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/where-questions-of-religion-are-concerned-people-are-guilty-of-every/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [... so far as religion is concerned, argument is adjourned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/so-far-as-religion-is-concerned-argument-is-adjourned/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [“Religion is concerned not with genuine history, but with sacred history, which does not course through time like a river. Rather, sacred history is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reza-aslan/religion-is-concerned-not-with-genuine-history-but-with-sacred/) [Reza Aslan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reza-aslan/) ## More by Phil Donahue > [Is it any wonder that for millions of men the only intimacy is physical, silent, and predictable?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/is-it-any-wonder-that-for-millions-of-men-the-only-intimacy-is/) [Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/) > [I find celebrity status difficult to bear when I am in the company of my mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/i-find-celebrity-status-difficult-to-bear-when-i-am-in-the-company-of/) [Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/) > [Airlines are interesting. They not only favor celebrities, they court them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/airlines-are-interesting-they-not-only-favor-celebrities-they-court/) [Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/) > [Miss Child is never bashful with butter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/miss-child-is-never-bashful-with-butter/) [Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/) > [I'd rather be called 'Sleazy' than to be identified as intelligent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/i-d-rather-be-called-sleazy-than-to-be-identified-as-intelligent/) [Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/) > [In a network situation, a vice president, while he's shaving, can decide your history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/in-a-network-situation-a-vice-president-while-he-s-shaving-can-decide/) [Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/) > [I believe celebrity spoils people - some worse than others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/i-believe-celebrity-spoils-people-some-worse-than-others/) [Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/) > [To a journalist, good news is often not news at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/to-a-journalist-good-news-is-often-not-news-at-all/) [Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/) > [I realize what you can do when you scare the population and how media contributes to that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/i-realize-what-you-can-do-when-you-scare-the-population-and-how-media/) [Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/) > [The biggest threat to this country isn't the Russians. It's our own inability to make democracy or capitalism work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/the-biggest-threat-to-this-country-isn-t-the-russians-it-s-our-own/) [Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/) > [Presenting statues of honor to reporters for covering an earthquake is like presenting a first prize to a doctor for performing surgery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/presenting-statues-of-honor-to-reporters-for-covering-an-earthquake/) [Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/) > [Oprah is more than an institution. Oprah is a very special star in the firmament. I can't imagine a greater success than she's enjoyed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/oprah-is-more-than-an-institution-oprah-is-a-very-special-star-in-the/) [Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/) > [The Tube is a vehicle for selling things, not for exploring ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/the-tube-is-a-vehicle-for-selling-things-not-for-exploring-ideas/) [Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/) > [In 1953 there were two ways for an Irish Catholic boy to impress his parents: become a priest or attend Notre Dame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/in-1953-there-were-two-ways-for-an-irish-catholic-boy-to-impress-his/) [Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/) > [I was proud of the waves I had made, but wondered how many boats I was supposed to rock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/i-was-proud-of-the-waves-i-had-made-but-wondered-how-many-boats-i-was/) [Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/) [Explore all 58 Phil Donahue quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/) ## 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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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/) > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [God speaks through me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/god-speaks-through-me/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestations of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/a-knowledge-of-the-existence-of-something-we-cannot-penetrate-of-the/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [You cannot ... transmute some incoherent mixture of words into sense merely by introducing the three-letter word "God" to be its grammatical subject.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-flew/you-cannot-transmute-some-incoherent-mixture-of-words-into-sense/) [Antony Flew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-flew/) > [Many humanists have argued that happiness involves a combination of hedonism and creative moral development; that an exuberant life fuses excellence and enjoyment, meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/many-humanists-have-argued-that-happiness-involves-a-combination-of/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [If, with all the time at my disposal, with all the wealth of the resources of this vast universe, to do with as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/if-with-all-the-time-at-my-disposal-with-all-the-wealth-of-the/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [Do you think that was kind? 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Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [Honest investigation is utterly impossible within the pale of any church, for the reason, that if you think the church is right you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/honest-investigation-is-utterly-impossible-within-the-pale-of-any/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) [Browse all 4,769 Atheism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Science may have come a long way, but as far as religion is concerned, we are first cousins to the !Kung tribesmen of the Kalahari Desert. 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