--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's a horrible idea that God, this…" description: "\"It's a horrible idea that God, this paragon of wisdom and knowledge, power, couldn't think of a better way to forgive us our sins than to come down to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/094/richard-dawkins-115_alter-ego_it-s-a-horrible-idea-that-god-this-parag_2937749.jpg" --- # It's a horrible idea that God, this paragon of wisdom and… ![“It's a horrible idea that God, this paragon of wisdom and knowledge, power, couldn't think of a better way to forgive us our sins than to come down to Earth in his alter ego as his son and have himself hideously tortured and executed so that he could forgive himself.” quote by Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/094/richard-dawkins-115_alter-ego_it-s-a-horrible-idea-that-god-this-parag_2937749.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/094/richard-dawkins-115_alter-ego_it-s-a-horrible-idea-that-god-this-parag_2937749.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/094/richard-dawkins-115_alter-ego_it-s-a-horrible-idea-that-god-this-parag_2937749.jpg) > “It's a horrible idea that God, this paragon of wisdom and knowledge, power, couldn't think of a better way to forgive us our sins than to come down to Earth in his alter ego as his son and have himself hideously tortured and executed so that he could forgive himself.” [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. The critique argues that portraying God as a son who suffers to forgive is a paradoxical, flawed theological narrative. **In simple terms:** Seeing God as a suffering son is contradictory. Key Takeaway Question the logic of divine sacrifice narratives. Themes theology criticism paradox faith humanism Mood skeptical analytical Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - debate on doctrine - ethical analysis - personal belief systems Key Concepts philosophy religious critique logic Questions to Reflect On - Does this view change your perception of forgiveness? - Can divine sacrifice be reconciled with omnipotence? A Different Perspective Such analogies may oversimplify complex theological concepts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alter ego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alter-ego/) [Better way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-way/) [Down to earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/down-to-earth/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Ego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego/) [Forgiving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiving/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Knowledge and wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge-and-wisdom/) [Paragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paragon/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Power of knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-of-knowledge/) [Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sin/) [Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wisdom And Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom-and-knowledge/) ## Related quotes > [“This is a horrible idea," I say with a smile. "Go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-skrutskie/this-is-a-horrible-idea-i-say-with-a-smile-go/) [Emily Skrutskie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-skrutskie/) > [I think 99 percent of the time, texting your ex is a horrible idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jp-saxe/i-think-99-percent-of-the-time-texting-your-ex-is-a-horrible-idea/) [JP Saxe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jp-saxe/) > [I wouldn't even have braces on my teeth. I think they are horrible and this idea that everyone should conform and be perfect is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wouldn-t-even-have-braces-on-my-teeth-i-think-they-are-horrible-and-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I had this idea about terrible things happening to orphans, and I knew it was such a horrible idea that the idea of writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/i-had-this-idea-about-terrible-things-happening-to-orphans-and-i-knew/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [It's really helpful to have somebody to bounce off of and that will say, 'Yeah, that's a horrible idea. You shouldn't do it.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-yuh-nelson/it-s-really-helpful-to-have-somebody-to-bounce-off-of-and-that-will/) [Jennifer Yuh Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-yuh-nelson/) > [I think it's a horrible idea. To try to do a Buffy without Joss Whedon, I mean that's, like, honestly, to be incredibly non-eloquent:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-michelle-gellar/i-think-it-s-a-horrible-idea-to-try-to-do-a-buffy-without-joss-whedon/) [Sarah Michelle Gellar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-michelle-gellar/) > [“Humans suffered the darkness of ignorance until the serpent introduced them to the light of reason and the bright illumination of knowledge and understanding.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sinclair/humans-suffered-the-darkness-of-ignorance-until-the-serpent/) [David Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sinclair/) > [They are afraid of educated women. They are afraid of the power of knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/they-are-afraid-of-educated-women-they-are-afraid-of-the-power-of/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [God himself, finding he was in the midst of spirits and glory, because he was more intelligent, saw proper to institute laws whereby the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-smith-jr/god-himself-finding-he-was-in-the-midst-of-spirits-and-glory-because/) [Joseph Smith, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-smith-jr/) > [I had a full college experience. I kind of learned how to be a good student at Bard. I had never really cared about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-chalamet/i-had-a-full-college-experience-i-kind-of-learned-how-to-be-a-good/) [Pauline Chalamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-chalamet/) > [Personal power is the ability to go into other planes, to cross that threshold from one dimension to another. Why do that? Because it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/personal-power-is-the-ability-to-go-into-other-planes-to-cross-that/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [God himself is increasing and progressing in knowledge, power, and dominion, and will do so, worlds without end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigham-young/god-himself-is-increasing-and-progressing-in-knowledge-power-and/) [Brigham Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigham-young/) > [The impact of giving someone a connected smartphone is no different from giving them a real computer. I look at how my kids learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sundar-pichai/the-impact-of-giving-someone-a-connected-smartphone-is-no-different/) [Sundar Pichai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sundar-pichai/) > [I promise you, if you will heed the voice of warning of the Holy Ghost and will follow His direction, you will be blessed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/i-promise-you-if-you-will-heed-the-voice-of-warning-of-the-holy-ghost/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [Enlightenment requires discipline, balance, knowledge, power, happiness and a sense of responsibility and sacrifice, being able to do things with your life that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightenment-requires-discipline-balance-knowledge-power-happiness/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) ## 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 Alter ego quotes > [“What people saw when he appeared before them, then, was not really him, but a person he had invented, an artificial creature he could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/what-people-saw-when-he-appeared-before-them-then-was-not-really-him/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [Effeminate men intrigue me more than anything in the world. I see them as my alter egos. I feel very drawn to them. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/effeminate-men-intrigue-me-more-than-anything-in-the-world-i-see-them/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [What happens if the music or alter ego isn't well received? The fact that people are talking about it, I won already.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/musiq-soulchild/what-happens-if-the-music-or-alter-ego-isn-t-well-received-the-fact/) [Musiq Soulchild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/musiq-soulchild/) > [Wearing a corset, a ball gown, heels and a swan hat with wings to fight in the forest gave me a whole new appreciation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-collins/wearing-a-corset-a-ball-gown-heels-and-a-swan-hat-with-wings-to-fight/) [Lily Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-collins/) > [It's almost like it's my alter ego when I get on stage... I turn into this different person, seriously. Bipolar disorder. I'm tired of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/britney-spears/it-s-almost-like-it-s-my-alter-ego-when-i-get-on-stage-i-turn-into/) [Britney Spears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/britney-spears/) > [The first thing Islam does is to destroy the self image of the believers. It convinces them that without Islam they are worthless creatures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-sina/the-first-thing-islam-does-is-to-destroy-the-self-image-of-the/) [Ali Sina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-sina/) > [I loved the idea that I had an alter-ego but that my true identity was very well known and very much on the surface.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-rhodes/i-loved-the-idea-that-i-had-an-alter-ego-but-that-my-true-identity/) [Cody Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-rhodes/) > [I had this alter ego where I would go to the theater with mom. I wasn't embarrassed by it; it was separate for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jai-courtney/i-had-this-alter-ego-where-i-would-go-to-the-theater-with-mom-i-wasn/) [Jai Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jai-courtney/) > [I wish I could escape into some alter-ego, just so I could feel more comfortable onstage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-del-rey/i-wish-i-could-escape-into-some-alter-ego-just-so-i-could-feel-more/) [Lana Del Rey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lana-del-rey/) > [Tulse Luper, who without too many confessions, in a sense, is a fictive version of me. I have to say he has far more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-greenaway/tulse-luper-who-without-too-many-confessions-in-a-sense-is-a-fictive/) [Peter Greenaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-greenaway/) > [In America they like my spicy TV alter ego, probably because there were a lot of Italians and Hispanics in the country, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-tonioli/in-america-they-like-my-spicy-tv-alter-ego-probably-because-there/) [Bruno Tonioli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-tonioli/) > [When I go onstage, I kind of turn into a beast sometimes, this alter-ego, you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-scherzinger/when-i-go-onstage-i-kind-of-turn-into-a-beast-sometimes-this-alter/) [Nicole Scherzinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-scherzinger/) > [ “The First \[Friend\] is the alter ego, the man who first reveals to you that you are not alone in the world by turning… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-first-friend-is-the-alter-ego-the-man-who-first-reveals-to-you/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [I don't feel I have an alter ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dita-von-teese/i-don-t-feel-i-have-an-alter-ego/) [Dita Von Teese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dita-von-teese/) > [ The \[travel\] writer, looking back at the journey from a distance of a year or two (or three), is a different character from the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-raban/the-travel-writer-looking-back-at-the-journey-from-a-distance-of-a/) [Jonathan Raban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-raban/) [Browse all 79 Alter ego quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alter-ego/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's a horrible idea that God, this paragon of wisdom and knowledge, power, couldn't think of a better way to forgive us our sins than to come down to Earth in his alter ego as his son and have himself hideously tortured and executed so that he could forgive himself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Dawkins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/it-s-a-horrible-idea-that-god-this-paragon-of-wisdom-and-knowledge/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alter ego" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/it-s-a-horrible-idea-that-god-this-paragon-of-wisdom-and-knowledge/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/094/richard-dawkins-115_alter-ego_it-s-a-horrible-idea-that-god-this-parag_2937749.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/094/richard-dawkins-115_alter-ego_it-s-a-horrible-idea-that-god-this-parag_2937749.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/094/richard-dawkins-115_alter-ego_it-s-a-horrible-idea-that-god-this-parag_2937749.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's a horrible idea that God, this paragon of wisdom and knowledge, power, couldn't think of a better way…” — 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": "It's a horrible idea that God,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/it-s-a-horrible-idea-that-god-this-paragon-of-wisdom-and-knowledge/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/it-s-a-horrible-idea-that-god-this-paragon-of-wisdom-and-knowledge/#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 } } ] } ```