--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I might say that the debate between…" description: "\"I might say that the debate between atheists and Christians is rather stale to me, because the Christians say, \"You must be a Christian, or you must be..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_atheist_i-might-say-that-the-debate-between-athe_3011993.png" --- # I might say that the debate between atheists and… ![“I might say that the debate between atheists and Christians is rather stale to me, because the Christians say, "You must be a Christian, or you must be a religious man, in order to be good," and the atheists will say, "It's beneath the dignity of a free man to bow his knee to a god, as if he were…” quote by Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_atheist_i-might-say-that-the-debate-between-athe_3011993.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_atheist_i-might-say-that-the-debate-between-athe_3011993.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_atheist_i-might-say-that-the-debate-between-athe_3011993.png) > “I might say that the debate between atheists and Christians is rather stale to me, because the Christians say, "You must be a Christian, or you must be a religious man, in order to be good," and the atheists will say, "It's beneath the dignity of a free man to bow his knee to a god, as if he were a sinner," or something like that.” [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Debates on morality become stale when tied to religious identity; freedom lies in moral autonomy. **In simple terms:** Moral arguments lose value when linked to religion. Key Takeaway Seek moral reasoning beyond religion. Themes ethics freedom religion debate Mood analytical thought‑provoking Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - political discourse - personal belief systems Key Concepts secularism existentialism Questions to Reflect On - Can morality be universal without religion? - What role does faith play in ethics? A Different Perspective May overlook communal values. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atheist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheist/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Debate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debate/) [Dignity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dignity/) [Free man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-man/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) ## Related quotes > [One odd thing about the current debate between religious people and atheists is that the participants don't seem to care that they entirely fail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-crane/one-odd-thing-about-the-current-debate-between-religious-people-and/) [Tim Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-crane/) > [“Since the beginning of religious history, our species has been caught in a never-ending cross fire –atheists, Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, the faithful of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/since-the-beginning-of-religious-history-our-species-has-been-caught/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [I defy my honored opponents to give me the name of a single man imprisoned in the United States, Great Britain, or West Germany…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wurmbrand/i-defy-my-honored-opponents-to-give-me-the-name-of-a-single-man/) [Richard Wurmbrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wurmbrand/) > [“I’ll admit that both atheists and Christians are guilty of cherry-picking the Bible.  In a book so long and rambling, I suppose that there’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-lugeons/i-ll-admit-that-both-atheists-and-christians-are-guilty-of-cherry/) [Noah Lugeons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-lugeons/) > [“If we are to discuss the idea of God and be restricted to rational arguments, then it is probably useful to know what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/if-we-are-to-discuss-the-idea-of-god-and-be-restricted-to-rational/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [The Romans called the Christians atheists. Why? Well, the Christians had a god of sorts, but it wasn't a real god. They didn't believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-romans-called-the-christians-atheists-why-well-the-christians-had/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [There are atheists and Christians, and there are people in both groups who are a little too heavy-handed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-dick/there-are-atheists-and-christians-and-there-are-people-in-both-groups/) [Andy Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-dick/) > [I have something to say to the religionist who feels atheists never say anything positive: You are an intelligent human being. Your life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barker/i-have-something-to-say-to-the-religionist-who-feels-atheists-never/) [Dan Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barker/) > [“Strange to hear atheists say 'god' when having great sex.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/strange-to-hear-atheists-say-god-when-having-great-sex/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [“But it’s atheists who say that the world wasn’t made by anyone, and you say you’re not an atheist . . ." I’m not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/but-it-s-atheists-who-say-that-the-world-wasn-t-made-by-anyone-and/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [I would fain ask one of these bigotted Infidels, supposing all the great Points of Atheism... were laid together and formed into a kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/i-would-fain-ask-one-of-these-bigotted-infidels-supposing-all-the/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [“Some things that are labeled Christian aren’t true, and some things that aren’t labeled Christian are true. Some atheists say lots of things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/some-things-that-are-labeled-christian-aren-t-true-and-some-things/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [“Still, the belief in God was essentially a question of faith. Even for those, like Jeremy, who believed in the big bang theory, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/still-the-belief-in-god-was-essentially-a-question-of-faith-even-for/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [There are, after all, atheists who say they wish the fable were true but are unable to suspend the requisite disbelief, or who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-are-after-all-atheists-who-say-they-wish-the-fable-were-true/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's kind of fun to listen to Christians who say: I'm a New Testament Christian. What other kind of Christian is there?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-terry/it-s-kind-of-fun-to-listen-to-christians-who-say-i-m-a-new-testament/) [Randall Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-terry/) ## More by Reinhold Niebuhr > [There are evidently limits to the achievements of science; and there are irresolvable contradictions both between prosperity and virtue, and between happiness and ''the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/there-are-evidently-limits-to-the-achievements-of-science-and-there/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Perhapsthemost sublimeinsights oftheJewishprophets and the Christian gospel is the knowledge that since perfection is love, the apprehension of perfection is at once the means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/perhapsthemost-sublimeinsights-ofthejewishprophets-and-the-christian/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [The essence of man is his freedom. Sin is committed in that freedom. Sin can therefore not be attributed to a defect in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/the-essence-of-man-is-his-freedom-sin-is-committed-in-that-freedom/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Liberalism makes this mistake in regard to private property and Marxism makes it in regard to socialized property... The Marxist illusion is partly derived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/liberalism-makes-this-mistake-in-regard-to-private-property-and/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Human beings are endowed by nature with both selfish and unselfish impulses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/human-beings-are-endowed-by-nature-with-both-selfish-and-unselfish/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [There are historic situations in which refusal to defend the inheritance of a civilization, however imperfect, against tyranny and aggression may result in consequences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/there-are-historic-situations-in-which-refusal-to-defend-the/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/god-grant-me-the-serenity-to-accept-the-things-i-cannot-change/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Freedom is necessary for two reasons. It's necessary for the individual, because the individual, no matter how good the society is, every individual has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/freedom-is-necessary-for-two-reasons-it-s-necessary-for-the/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [The pretensions of final truth are always partlyan effort to obscure a darkly felt consciousness of the limits of human knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/the-pretensions-of-final-truth-are-always-partlyan-effort-to-obscure/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [All social cooperation on a larger scale than the most intimate social group requires a measure of coercion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/all-social-cooperation-on-a-larger-scale-than-the-most-intimate/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Man is always worse than most people suspect, but also generally better than most people dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/man-is-always-worse-than-most-people-suspect-but-also-generally/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [When a church reaches up beyond its group and tries to enforce its standards upon a society that doesn't accept these standards, and perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/when-a-church-reaches-up-beyond-its-group-and-tries-to-enforce-its/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [...(I)ndividual selfhood is expressed in the self's capacity for self-transcendence and not in its rational capacity for conceptual and analytic procedures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/i-ndividual-selfhood-is-expressed-in-the-self-s-capacity-for-self/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [The whole art of politics consists in directing rationally the irrationalities of men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/the-whole-art-of-politics-consists-in-directing-rationally-the/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Religion is so frequently a source of confusion in political life, and so frequently dangerous to democracy, precisely because it introduces absolutes into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/religion-is-so-frequently-a-source-of-confusion-in-political-life-and/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) [Explore all 200 Reinhold Niebuhr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) ## 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": "I might say that the debate between atheists and Christians is rather stale to me, because the Christians say, \"You must be a Christian, or you must be a religious man, in order to be good,\" and the atheists will say, \"It's beneath the dignity of a free man to bow his knee to a god, as if he were a sinner,\" or something like that.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Reinhold Niebuhr" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/i-might-say-that-the-debate-between-atheists-and-christians-is-rather/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Atheist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/i-might-say-that-the-debate-between-atheists-and-christians-is-rather/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_atheist_i-might-say-that-the-debate-between-athe_3011993.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_atheist_i-might-say-that-the-debate-between-athe_3011993.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_atheist_i-might-say-that-the-debate-between-athe_3011993.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I might say that the debate between atheists and Christians is rather stale to me, because the Christians…” — Reinhold Niebuhr", "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": "Reinhold Niebuhr", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I might say that the debate...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/i-might-say-that-the-debate-between-atheists-and-christians-is-rather/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/i-might-say-that-the-debate-between-atheists-and-christians-is-rather/#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 } } ] } ```