--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Chance is a perfectly good word to…" description: "\"“Chance is a perfectly good word to describe mathematic possibilities, but it is only a word. It is not an entity. Chance is nothing. It has no power b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76a/r-c-sproul-2-1477_chance_chance-is-a-perfectly-good-word-to-descr_2439337.jpg" --- # Chance is a perfectly good word to describe mathematic… ![“Chance is a perfectly good word to describe mathematic possibilities, but it is only a word. It is not an entity. Chance is nothing. It has no power because it has no being; therefore, it can exercise no influence over anything. Yet, we have sophisticated scientists today who make sober statements…” quote by R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76a/r-c-sproul-2-1477_chance_chance-is-a-perfectly-good-word-to-descr_2439337.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76a/r-c-sproul-2-1477_chance_chance-is-a-perfectly-good-word-to-descr_2439337.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76a/r-c-sproul-2-1477_chance_chance-is-a-perfectly-good-word-to-descr_2439337.jpg) > ““Chance is a perfectly good word to describe mathematic possibilities, but it is only a word. It is not an entity. Chance is nothing. It has no power because it has no being; therefore, it can exercise no influence over anything. Yet, we have sophisticated scientists today who make sober statements declaring that the whole universe was created by chance. This is to say that nothing caused something, and there is no statement more anti-scientific than that. Everything has a cause, and the ultimate cause, as we have seen, is God.”” [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Chance is a descriptive term, not an entity; it lacks agency, thus cannot cause events. **In simple terms:** Chance is just a word, not a cause. Key Takeaway Recognize causality beyond randomness. Themes philosophy theology science causality determinism Mood reflective critical inquisitive Type theological philosophical critical When to use this quote - theological debate - scientific discourse - philosophical inquiry Key Concepts metaphysics probability theistic worldview scientific methodology Questions to Reflect On - Does labeling phenomena as "chance" hinder deeper investigation? - How does belief in a divine cause shape scientific inquiry? A Different Perspective Attributing all events to chance can overlook underlying causes and agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Chance Perfectly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance-perfectly-473285/) [Chance Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance-power-473286/) [Chance Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance-say-473287/) [Created Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/created-chance-473284/) [Entity Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entity-chance-473288/) [Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luck/) ## Related quotes > [“What we call “the laws of nature” merely reflect the normal way in which God sustains or governs the natural world. Perhaps the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/what-we-call-the-laws-of-nature-merely-reflect-the-normal-way-in/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) > [Chance has something to say, even how to write a good letter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baltasar-gracian/chance-has-something-to-say-even-how-to-write-a-good-letter/) [Baltasar Gracian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baltasar-gracian/) > [No wonder, said an Ancient, that chance has so much power over us, since it is by chance that we live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/no-wonder-said-an-ancient-that-chance-has-so-much-power-over-us-since/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [“The toughest fucking moments in life are the ones where the whole world is a big, fat unkown, where chance has more power to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-m-stunich/the-toughest-fucking-moments-in-life-are-the-ones-where-the-whole/) [C.M. Stunich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-m-stunich/) > [Ultimately, at the end of the day, taking a chance on 'Power' is taking a chance on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-a-kemp/ultimately-at-the-end-of-the-day-taking-a-chance-on-power-is-taking-a/) [Courtney A. Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-a-kemp/) > [“There are so few people in the world who have the chance and the power to change it. But we can,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-chase/there-are-so-few-people-in-the-world-who-have-the-chance-and-the/) [Emma Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-chase/) > [“Would Alona be gone before I even got a chance to say good-bye? A real good-bye? One last kiss and the chance to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-kade/would-alona-be-gone-before-i-even-got-a-chance-to-say-good-bye-a-real/) [Stacey Kade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-kade/) > [... by chance you will say, but chance only favors the mind which is prepared.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-pasteur/by-chance-you-will-say-but-chance-only-favors-the-mind-which-is/) [Louis Pasteur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-pasteur/) > [And I thought, my God, there's an off chance that they will say something that's really worth preserving and there is one way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lipton/and-i-thought-my-god-there-s-an-off-chance-that-they-will-say/) [James Lipton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lipton/) > [“meanwhile I look at young girls stems flowers of chance. there must be a way. surely there must be a way that we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/meanwhile-i-look-at-young-girls-stems-flowers-of-chance-there-must-be/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [Never pass up the chance to say I LOV YOU,coz tomorow isn't promised](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/princealanz/never-pass-up-the-chance-to-say-i-lov-you-coz-tomorow-isn-t-promised/) [Princealanz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/princealanz/) > [“I couldn't loose somebody else like that, without even the chance to say good-bye. Not again. Not her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-kade/i-couldn-t-loose-somebody-else-like-that-without-even-the-chance-to/) [Stacey Kade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-kade/) > [Never give a bureaucrat a chance to say no.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-blackwell/never-give-a-bureaucrat-a-chance-to-say-no/) [Morton Blackwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-blackwell/) > [Maybe . . . because for the first time . . . there was a chance I could keep him,” I say. “So now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/maybe-because-for-the-first-time-there-was-a-chance-i-could-keep-him/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [I'm making a difference, I'm taking a chance. You can say what you wan't about me, but no one can tell me I can't !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-day-to-remember/i-m-making-a-difference-i-m-taking-a-chance-you-can-say-what-you-wan/) [A Day To Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-day-to-remember/) ## More by R.C. Sproul > [“If we rest our assurance on an experience and not on the Word of God, we're inviting all kinds of doubts to assail us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/if-we-rest-our-assurance-on-an-experience-and-not-on-the-word-of-god/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) > [“Where Adam collapsed, Jesus conquered. Where Adam compromised, Jesus refused to negotiate. Where Adam's trust in God faltered, Jesus' never wavered. The second Adam…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/where-adam-collapsed-jesus-conquered-where-adam-compromised-jesus/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) > [“Arrogant worship is an oxymoron, a contradiction in terms. Yet we see it throughout Scripture. The gospel was given to Adam and Eve. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/arrogant-worship-is-an-oxymoron-a-contradiction-in-terms-yet-we-see/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) > [“Throughout history, God has demonstrated that He is supremely trustworthy. That’s why, in one sense, nothing could be more foolish than not to trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/throughout-history-god-has-demonstrated-that-he-is-supremely/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) > [“If I don't like something I read in Scripture, perhaps I simply don't understand it. If so, studying it again may help. If, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/if-i-don-t-like-something-i-read-in-scripture-perhaps-i-simply-don-t/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) > [“The day of one's birth is a good day for the believer, but the day of death is the greatest day that a Christian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/the-day-of-one-s-birth-is-a-good-day-for-the-believer-but-the-day-of/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) > [“We do not “find” God as a result of our search for him. We are found by him. The search for God does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/we-do-not-find-god-as-a-result-of-our-search-for-him-we-are-found-by/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) > [“We tend to remain conscious of the boundary flags for the course of this world. That slavish adherence to a course that is set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/we-tend-to-remain-conscious-of-the-boundary-flags-for-the-course-of/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) > [“If our decisions about how to treat others are always motivated by love for God, a singular love for God, we really do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/if-our-decisions-about-how-to-treat-others-are-always-motivated-by/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) > [“When we understand the character of God, when we grasp something of His holiness, then we begin to understand the radical character of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/when-we-understand-the-character-of-god-when-we-grasp-something-of/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) > [“For an action to be judged good by God, it must fulfill two primary requirements. The first is that the action must correspond outwardly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/for-an-action-to-be-judged-good-by-god-it-must-fulfill-two-primary/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) > [“The simplistic way of not conforming is to see what is in style in our culture and then do the opposite. If short hair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/the-simplistic-way-of-not-conforming-is-to-see-what-is-in-style-in/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) > [“Though sin often brings immediate pleasure, it gives no lasting joy. If we understand the difference, we can avoid the pitfalls that entice the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/though-sin-often-brings-immediate-pleasure-it-gives-no-lasting-joy-if/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) > [“To be a Christian is to be a theologian—a student of God and his will. The church is where believers should be nurtured in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/to-be-a-christian-is-to-be-a-theologian-a-student-of-god-and-his-will/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) > [“We need Christ-the real Christ. A Christ born of empty speculation or created to squeeze into the philosopher's pattern simply won't do. A recycled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/we-need-christ-the-real-christ-a-christ-born-of-empty-speculation-or/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) [Explore all 221 R.C. Sproul quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) ## More Chance quotes > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [I understand it's promotion, but no one ever gave me a chance. No one ever thought I'd be the champ, and look where I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stipe-miocic/i-understand-it-s-promotion-but-no-one-ever-gave-me-a-chance-no-one/) [Stipe Miocic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stipe-miocic/) > [I might, by chance, write something just as shoddy; But then I wouldn't show it to everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/i-might-by-chance-write-something-just-as-shoddy-but-then-i-wouldn-t/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [When I get a chance to play golf or go on a boat with good people, take the boat out and put some lobsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/when-i-get-a-chance-to-play-golf-or-go-on-a-boat-with-good-people/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I have heard that if you pull a bent breath through the second hole of a harmonica tuned to the key of Georgia while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-wakefield/i-have-heard-that-if-you-pull-a-bent-breath-through-the-second-hole/) [Buddy Wakefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-wakefield/) > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Pain held no terror for him. Pain was, if not friend, then family, something he had grown up with in his crèche, learning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/pain-held-no-terror-for-him-pain-was-if-not-friend-then-family/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [Love changes people, for better or for worse. You could look at it as a chance for you to change. The best kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-changes-people-for-better-or-for-worse-you-could-look-at-it-as-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It's not who, it's when”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-taubas/it-s-not-who-it-s-when/) [Alejandro Taubas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-taubas/) > [Childhood is Last Chance Gulch for happiness. After that, you know too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/childhood-is-last-chance-gulch-for-happiness-after-that-you-know-too/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [I thought my first few jobs would just be off, off, off, off, off broadway. And by chance and how the world works, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-dorfman/i-thought-my-first-few-jobs-would-just-be-off-off-off-off-off/) [Tommy Dorfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-dorfman/) > [If you’re worrying about the past, you’ve got a good chance of screwing up the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-a-tullman/if-you-re-worrying-about-the-past-you-ve-got-a-good-chance-of/) [Howard A. Tullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-a-tullman/) > [To be successful, one must take chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-stargell/to-be-successful-one-must-take-chances/) [Willie Stargell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-stargell/) [Browse all 12,460 Chance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Chance is a perfectly good word to describe mathematic possibilities, but it is only a word. It is not an entity. Chance is nothing. 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