Christianity Quote by Richard Dawkins
““The oldest of the three Abrahamic religions, and the clear ancestor of the other two, is Judaism: originally a tribal cult of a single fiercely unpleasant God, morbidly obsessed with sexual restrictions, with the smell of charred flesh, with his own superiority over rival gods and with the exclusiveness of his chosen desert tribe. During the Roman occupation of Palestine, Christianity was founded by Paul of Tarsus as a less ruthlessly monotheistic sect of Judaism and a less exclusive one, which looked outwards from the Jews to the rest of the world. Several centuries later, Muhammad and his followers reverted to the uncompromising monotheism of the Jewish original, but not its exclusiveness, and founded Islam upon a new holy book, the Koran or Qur’an, adding a powerful ideology of military conquest to spread the faith. Christianity, too, was spread by the sword, wielded first by Roman hands after the Emperor Constantine raised it from eccentric cult to official religion, then by the Crusaders, and later by the conquistadors and other European invaders and colonists, with missionary accompaniment.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, 2006
The quote outlines a historical view of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, emphasizing origins, theological exclusivity, and the role of violence in spreading religions.
In simple terms: Religions evolved from Judaism, each adding or altering exclusivity and using force to expand.
Recognize how power and doctrine intertwine in religious history.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- academic study
- interfaith dialogue
- political analysis
- educational curricula
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do political motives shape religious narratives?
- What are the impacts of portraying religions as inherently violent?
Historical narratives can oversimplify complex developments.