--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As long as we accept the principle that…" description: "\"As long as we accept the principle that religious faith must be respected simply because it is religious faith, it is hard to withhold respect from the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9e/richard-dawkins-115_accepting_as-long-as-we-accept-the-principle-that_712735.jpg" --- # As long as we accept the principle that religious faith… ![“As long as we accept the principle that religious faith must be respected simply because it is religious faith, it is hard to withhold respect from the faith of Osama bin Laden and the suicide bombers” quote by Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9e/richard-dawkins-115_accepting_as-long-as-we-accept-the-principle-that_712735.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9e/richard-dawkins-115_accepting_as-long-as-we-accept-the-principle-that_712735.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9e/richard-dawkins-115_accepting_as-long-as-we-accept-the-principle-that_712735.jpg) > “As long as we accept the principle that religious faith must be respected simply because it is religious faith, it is hard to withhold respect from the faith of Osama bin Laden and the suicide bombers” [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Respect for religious belief should be based on rational criteria, not merely on its label, challenging blanket respect for harmful ideologies. **In simple terms:** Respect faith only when it has merit, not just because it's faith. Key Takeaway Evaluate beliefs by their consequences. Themes ethics religion critical thinking Mood critical serious Type philosophical controversial When to use this quote - public policy - education - media discourse - interfaith dialogue Key Concepts moral philosophy secularism Questions to Reflect On - When should respect be withheld? - How do we balance tolerance and safety? A Different Perspective Blind respect can enable extremist actions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accepting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepting/) [Bin laden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bin-laden/) [Bombers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bombers/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Faith Osama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith-osama-5619081/) [Faith Respected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith-respected-4098215/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Osama bin laden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/osama-bin-laden/) [Principle Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principle-religious-720757/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Religious faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-faith/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Respect Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect-faith-1194869/) [Suicide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suicide/) [Suicide bombers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suicide-bombers/) [Withhold Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/withhold-respect-5619082/) ## Related quotes > [“As long as we accept the principle that religious faith must be respected simply because it is religious faith, it is hard to withhold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/as-long-as-we-accept-the-principle-that-religious-faith-must-be-2/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Moderates want their faith respected. They don't want faith itself criticized, and yet faith itself is what is bringing us all this - this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/moderates-want-their-faith-respected-they-don-t-want-faith-itself/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“If children were taught to question and think through their beliefs, instead of being taught the superior virtue of faith without question, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/if-children-were-taught-to-question-and-think-through-their-beliefs-2/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [If children were taught to question and think through their beliefs, instead of being taught the superior virtue of faith without question, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/if-children-were-taught-to-question-and-think-through-their-beliefs/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [ \[Tibet\] is a small country based on religious principle, religious traditions. It never wanted any conquest. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/tibet-is-a-small-country-based-on-religious-principle-religious/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [The traditional Jeffersonian principle of religious freedom was so broadly democratic that it included the right to have no religion at all - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/the-traditional-jeffersonian-principle-of-religious-freedom-was-so/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Religious ideas about good and evil tend to focus on how to achieve well-being in the next life, and this makes them terrible guides…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/religious-ideas-about-good-and-evil-tend-to-focus-on-how-to-achieve/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [But I think it is also important that we pay tribute and acknowledge another great principle, and that is the principle of religious conviction.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/but-i-think-it-is-also-important-that-we-pay-tribute-and-acknowledge/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [“... But besides the danger of a direct mixture of Religion & civil Government , there is an evil which ought to be guarded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/but-besides-the-danger-of-a-direct-mixture-of-religion-civil/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [I think it is appropriate that we pay tribute to this great constitutional principle which is enshrined in the First Amendment of the Constitution:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/i-think-it-is-appropriate-that-we-pay-tribute-to-this-great/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Is the appointment of Chaplains to the two Houses of Congress consistent with the Constitution, and with the pure principle of religious freedom? In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/is-the-appointment-of-chaplains-to-the-two-houses-of-congress/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [Nondiscrimination is a great American principle. It's a core American principle, as is religious freedom. When you have two important American principles coming into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-haynes/nondiscrimination-is-a-great-american-principle-it-s-a-core-american/) [Charles Haynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-haynes/) > [America is a nation that is founded on the principle of religious freedom. That is the reason this country exists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/america-is-a-nation-that-is-founded-on-the-principle-of-religious/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I respect faith, but doubt is what gets you an education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-mizner/i-respect-faith-but-doubt-is-what-gets-you-an-education/) [Wilson Mizner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-mizner/) > [Both Faith and Terror are instruments for the elimination of individual self-respect. Terror crushes the autonomy of self-respect, where Faith obtains its more or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/both-faith-and-terror-are-instruments-for-the-elimination-of/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) ## More by Richard Dawkins > [At the deepest level, all living things that have ever been looked at have the same DNA code. And many of the same genes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/at-the-deepest-level-all-living-things-that-have-ever-been-looked-at/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The word 'mundane' has come to mean 'boring' and 'dull', and it really shouldn't - it should mean the opposite. Because it comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-word-mundane-has-come-to-mean-boring-and-dull-and-it-really/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [We animals are the most complicated things in the known universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-animals-are-the-most-complicated-things-in-the-known-universe/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“The fundamentalist Kurt Wise proclaims that all the evidence in the universe would not change his mind. The true scientist, however passionately he may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-fundamentalist-kurt-wise-proclaims-that-all-the-evidence-in-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“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/) > [Religions do make claims about the universe--the same kinds of claims that scientists make, except they're usually false.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/religions-do-make-claims-about-the-universe-the-same-kinds-of-claims/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“much of the Bible is not systematically evil but just plain weird, as you would expect of a chaotically cobbled-together anthology of disjointed documents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/much-of-the-bible-is-not-systematically-evil-but-just-plain-weird-as/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The recurrent laryngeal nerve - which runs from the head to the voice box - goes all the way down into the chest, loops…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-recurrent-laryngeal-nerve-which-runs-from-the-head-to-the-voice/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The Roman Catholic Church is an institution for whose gains the phrase "ill-gotten" might have been specially invented. And of all its money-making rip-offs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-roman-catholic-church-is-an-institution-for-whose-gains-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Let us understand what our own selfish genes are up to because we may then at least have the chance to upset their designs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/let-us-understand-what-our-own-selfish-genes-are-up-to-because-we-may/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [What's going to happen when I die? I may be buried, or I may be cremated, I may give my body to science. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/what-s-going-to-happen-when-i-die-i-may-be-buried-or-i-may-be/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Or why it is acceptable to train fast runners and high jumpers but not to breed them. I can think of some answers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/or-why-it-is-acceptable-to-train-fast-runners-and-high-jumpers-but/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [We have seen that living things are too improbable and too beautifully 'designed' to have come into existence by chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-have-seen-that-living-things-are-too-improbable-and-too/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“We will not go quietly away. If in the future that requires violence”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-will-not-go-quietly-away-if-in-the-future-that-requires-violence/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [It's a truly disgusting idea that the creator of the universe - capable of inventing the laws of physics and designing the evolutionary process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/it-s-a-truly-disgusting-idea-that-the-creator-of-the-universe-capable/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) [Explore all 1,239 Richard Dawkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## More Accepting 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/) > [Laughing, laughing, laughing, laughing! It is the jester! A voice from the Void, to cheer poor Cicero! I accept your gift, dearest Night Mother.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/laughing-laughing-laughing-laughing-it-is-the-jester-a-voice-from-the/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [This duo inside of me causes the perfect opportunity to live and learn twice as fast as those who choose to accept simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/this-duo-inside-of-me-causes-the-perfect-opportunity-to-live-and/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [Don't be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [It takes an unusually philosophic mind to accept that all one’s suffering might be to no end, really, in the larger scheme of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-takes-an-unusually-philosophic-mind-to-accept-that-all-one-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No nation being under another nation can accept gifts, and kick at the responsibility attached to those gifts, imposed by the conquering nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/no-nation-being-under-another-nation-can-accept-gifts-and-kick-at-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Even with clothing naked animals, there were people who wanted to send in money. A woman in Santa Barbara, California, sent a $40,000 check.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-abel/even-with-clothing-naked-animals-there-were-people-who-wanted-to-send/) [Alan Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-abel/) > [Society understands the architecture of academia and knows there are relevant qualifications in different fields, and the media accepts the idea of specialisations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-griffiths/society-understands-the-architecture-of-academia-and-knows-there-are/) [Jay Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-griffiths/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [As my films are born at the moment when they are reflected into another person's mind and memories, there are no misconceptions. I totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/as-my-films-are-born-at-the-moment-when-they-are-reflected-into/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) [Browse all 6,788 Accepting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As long as we accept the principle that religious faith must be respected simply because it is religious faith, it is hard to withhold respect from the faith of Osama bin Laden and the suicide bombers", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Dawkins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/as-long-as-we-accept-the-principle-that-religious-faith-must-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Accepting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/as-long-as-we-accept-the-principle-that-religious-faith-must-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9e/richard-dawkins-115_accepting_as-long-as-we-accept-the-principle-that_712735.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9e/richard-dawkins-115_accepting_as-long-as-we-accept-the-principle-that_712735.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9e/richard-dawkins-115_accepting_as-long-as-we-accept-the-principle-that_712735.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As long as we accept the principle that religious faith must be respected simply because it is religious…” — Richard Dawkins", "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": "Richard Dawkins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As long as we accept the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/as-long-as-we-accept-the-principle-that-religious-faith-must-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/as-long-as-we-accept-the-principle-that-religious-faith-must-be/#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 } } ] } ```