--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Once again, I am sorry to take a…" description: "\"“Once again, I am sorry to take a sledgehammer to so small and fragile a nut, but I have to do so because more than 40 per cent of the American people ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60f/richard-dawkins-115_american-people_once-again-i-am-sorry-to-take-a-sledgeha_1692478.jpg" --- # Once again, I am sorry to take a sledgehammer to so small… ![“Once again, I am sorry to take a sledgehammer to so small and fragile a nut, but I have to do so because more than 40 per cent of the American people believe literally in the story of Noah’s Ark.” quote by Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60f/richard-dawkins-115_american-people_once-again-i-am-sorry-to-take-a-sledgeha_1692478.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60f/richard-dawkins-115_american-people_once-again-i-am-sorry-to-take-a-sledgeha_1692478.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60f/richard-dawkins-115_american-people_once-again-i-am-sorry-to-take-a-sledgeha_1692478.jpg) > ““Once again, I am sorry to take a sledgehammer to so small and fragile a nut, but I have to do so because more than 40 per cent of the American people believe literally in the story of Noah’s Ark.”” [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. He apologizes for using a strong argument to counter widespread literal belief in Noah’s Ark. **In simple terms:** Uses strong argument against literal belief. Key Takeaway Address misinformation with clear evidence. Themes religion belief science myth Mood critical direct Type skeptical educational When to use this quote - education - media commentary - faith discussions Key Concepts critical thinking evidence public discourse Questions to Reflect On - How to engage respectfully? - What evidence is most persuasive? A Different Perspective Strong tactics may alienate believers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [American people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) [Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noah/) ## Related quotes > [A few years after my first son was born, he wanted to know how we chose his name, so I began reading him the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-becker/a-few-years-after-my-first-son-was-born-he-wanted-to-know-how-we/) [Boris Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-becker/) > [“Begin in Genesis with the well-loved story of Noah, derived from the Babylonian myth of Uta-Napisthim and known from the older mythologies of several…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/begin-in-genesis-with-the-well-loved-story-of-noah-derived-from-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“Where I'm at is a big Episcopal church in downtown Newark, New Jersey, sitting in the dark while I try to rescue the doomed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/where-i-m-at-is-a-big-episcopal-church-in-downtown-newark-new-jersey/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [I always liked the story of Noah's Ark and the idea of starting anew by rescuing the things you like and leaving the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/i-always-liked-the-story-of-noah-s-ark-and-the-idea-of-starting-anew/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Republican politicians often evoke the Bible when it suits their purposes. But they disregard some of its most important teachings when formulating policy. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-steyer/republican-politicians-often-evoke-the-bible-when-it-suits-their/) [Tom Steyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-steyer/) > [The story of Noah is self-contradictory, uncorroborated by independent historical evidence, and is generally at odds with everything we know about our planet's geology,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-hill/the-story-of-noah-is-self-contradictory-uncorroborated-by-independent/) [Kyle Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-hill/) > [It is possible to take the story of Noah figuratively, although virtually every Near East ancient civilization has its own version of the flood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/it-is-possible-to-take-the-story-of-noah-figuratively-although/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [My dad's a Pentecostal minister, meaning that he's full of charisma. If he's telling a story about Noah's ark, you best know each tiger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyega/my-dad-s-a-pentecostal-minister-meaning-that-he-s-full-of-charisma-if/) [John Boyega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyega/) > [The biblical story of Noah can be found in the book of Genesis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah/the-biblical-story-of-noah-can-be-found-in-the-book-of-genesis/) [Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah/) > [The story of Noah, like other stories in the first 11 chapters of Genesis, are archetypal. Noah's story tells us that human beings have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-hamilton/the-story-of-noah-like-other-stories-in-the-first-11-chapters-of/) [Adam Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-hamilton/) > [It is said that if Noah's ark had to be built by a company; they would not have laid the keel yet; and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/it-is-said-that-if-noah-s-ark-had-to-be-built-by-a-company-they-would/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [It took us 2,000 years to find Noah’s Ark. Do we ever find Flight 370?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hemmer/it-took-us-2-000-years-to-find-noah-s-ark-do-we-ever-find-flight-370/) Bill Hemmer > [My Sunday school teachers had turned Bible narrative into children's fables. 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I read everything I found about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-crowe/i-never-looked-at-noah-as-an-animal-collector-i-always-thought-of-him/) [Russell Crowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-crowe/) > [“From my chair I had a clear view of Hobie’s Noah’s Ark: paired elephants, zebras, carven beasts marching two by two, clear down to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/from-my-chair-i-had-a-clear-view-of-hobie-s-noah-s-ark-paired/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) ## 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. 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