Abraham Quote by Richard Dawkins
“Theologians will protest that the story of Abraham sacrificing Issac should not be taken as literal fact. And the appropriate response is twofold: first, many, many people even to this day, do take the whole of their Scripture to be literal fact, and they have a great deal of political power over the rest of us, especially in the United States and in the Islamic world. Second, if not of literal fact, how should we take the story? As an alagory? Then an alagory for what? Surely, nothing praiseworthy. As a moral lesson? But what kind of morals could one derive from this appalling story?”
About This Quote
Source Book: The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins, 2006
The quote critiques literalist readings of religious narratives and urges allegorical or moral interpretation, highlighting political influence of literalism.
In simple terms: Literal belief in scripture can be politically powerful; interpret stories symbolically or morally.
Key Takeaway
Question literalism, seek deeper meaning.
Themes
religion
interpretation
politics
ethics
Mood
critical
thoughtful
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- theological debates
- political discourse
- education
- interfaith dialogue
- media analysis
Key Concepts
literalism
allegory
morality
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we balance respect for tradition with critical analysis?
- What moral lessons can be drawn from controversial stories?
A Different Perspective
Literal readings may ignore historical context and nuance.
![“If you make a determination that [story of Abraham and the sacrifice of Isaac] is not historical, do you throw it away? I don't think we can say whether it's precisely, scientifically historical.” quote by Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/505/elie-wiesel-341_abraham_if-you-make-a-determination-that-story-o_831812.jpg)
![“Donald Trump is not going to be the nominee, because we are not going to allow - people will wake up and we're not going to allow a con artist to take over the party of [Abraham] Lincoln and [Ronald] Reagan.” quote by Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c6a/marco-rubio-355_abraham_donald-trump-is-not-going-to-be-the-nomi_14750.jpg)
