--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Who will say with confidence that sexual…" description: "\"Who will say with confidence that sexual abuse is more permanently damaging to children than threatening them with the eternal and unquenchable fires o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef1/richard-dawkins-115_abuse_who-will-say-with-confidence-that-sexual_2823438.jpg" --- # Who will say with confidence that sexual abuse is more… ![“Who will say with confidence that sexual abuse is more permanently damaging to children than threatening them with the eternal and unquenchable fires of hell?” quote by Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef1/richard-dawkins-115_abuse_who-will-say-with-confidence-that-sexual_2823438.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef1/richard-dawkins-115_abuse_who-will-say-with-confidence-that-sexual_2823438.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef1/richard-dawkins-115_abuse_who-will-say-with-confidence-that-sexual_2823438.jpg) > “Who will say with confidence that sexual abuse is more permanently damaging to children than threatening them with the eternal and unquenchable fires of hell?” [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 quote argues that the psychological trauma of sexual abuse is far more lasting and damaging to children than fear of hell. **In simple terms:** Sexual abuse harms children more deeply than fear of hell. Key Takeaway Prioritize protecting children from abuse. Themes child protection psychology religion ethics Mood concerned serious thoughtful Type ethical critical advocacy When to use this quote - parenting - education - policy making - counseling - faith communities Key Concepts trauma moral panic spiritual fear Questions to Reflect On - How can societies better protect children from abuse? - What role should faith play in child welfare? A Different Perspective The statement may overlook cultural contexts where religious fear can also cause lasting harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) [Abuse Permanently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse-permanently-3606809/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Damaging Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/damaging-children-1754683/) [Eternal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternal/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Fires Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fires-hell-601057/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Sexual abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexual-abuse/) [Threatening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threatening/) ## Related quotes > [“I have a real issue with anyone trying to protect children from their own imaginations. 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Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [“Jill had described this kind of religious upbringing as a form of mental abuse, and I returned to the point, as follows: ‘You use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/jill-had-described-this-kind-of-religious-upbringing-as-a-form-of/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Regarding the accusations of sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests, deplorable and disgusting as those abuses are, they are not so harmful to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/regarding-the-accusations-of-sexual-abuse-of-children-by-catholic/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“The fires of hell are not hot enough for a man—or woman!—who would hurt his children.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/the-fires-of-hell-are-not-hot-enough-for-a-man-or-woman-who-would/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [“Why did everyone always paint love as pretty rainbows and happily ever afters? 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I speak not of the fires of hell, but the fall from heaven.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/often-times-none-but-the-devil-know-your-pain-i-speak-not-of-the/) [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) > [“The devil danced at the gates of heaven as angels swam naked in the fires of hell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-elyon/the-devil-danced-at-the-gates-of-heaven-as-angels-swam-naked-in-the/) [Kristin Elyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-elyon/) > [A match made in heaven set the fires in hell..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/a-match-made-in-heaven-set-the-fires-in-hell/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [“All the fires of hell could burn for a thousand years and it wouldn't equal what I feel for you in one minute of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/all-the-fires-of-hell-could-burn-for-a-thousand-years-and-it-wouldn-t/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [“As I was walking among the fires of Hell, delighted with the enjoyments of Genius; which to Angels looked like torment and insanity, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/as-i-was-walking-among-the-fires-of-hell-delighted-with-the-2/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [“Don't you have somewhere you need to be?" she gritted. "The kitchen? The sewers? The fires of hell?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-ivy/don-t-you-have-somewhere-you-need-to-be-she-gritted-the-kitchen-the/) [Alexandra Ivy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-ivy/) > [As I was walking among the fires of Hell, delighted with the enjoyments of Genius; which to Angels look like torment and insanity, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/as-i-was-walking-among-the-fires-of-hell-delighted-with-the/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) ## 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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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. 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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 Abuse quotes > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Being nice is okay,but don't allow anybody to abuse it...try to fight for your self when you know your on the right way...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-nice-is-okay-but-don-t-allow-anybody-to-abuse-it-try-to-fight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Build a bridge over shame by teaching kids about sexual abuse. Give them a chance to run to us should they encounter it. Be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-byers-ruch/build-a-bridge-over-shame-by-teaching-kids-about-sexual-abuse-give/) [Carolyn Byers Ruch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-byers-ruch/) > [It is sure that those are most desirous of honour or glory who cry out loudest of its abuse and the vanity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/it-is-sure-that-those-are-most-desirous-of-honour-or-glory-who-cry/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [“The sole reason I stand to open it up now is that lots of people who are in pain just like I was, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-sole-reason-i-stand-to-open-it-up-now-is-that-lots-of-people-who/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [I have a theory that all abuse, no matter what kind of abuse it is, is foremost an assault on the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-have-a-theory-that-all-abuse-no-matter-what-kind-of-abuse-it-is-is/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [“Blaming therapy, social work and other caring professions for the confabulation of testimony of 'satanic ritual abuse' legitimated a programme of political and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/blaming-therapy-social-work-and-other-caring-professions-for-the/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [Finally, the scariest thing about abuse of any shape or form, is, in my opinion, not the abuse itself, but that if it continues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cumming/finally-the-scariest-thing-about-abuse-of-any-shape-or-form-is-in-my/) [Alan Cumming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cumming/) > [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [“Stand up for yourself. 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They will mirror your actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hadinet-tekie/words-are-free-it-does-not-mean-you-should-abuse-them-be-kind-with/) [Hadinet Tekie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hadinet-tekie/) > [My illness is one often characterized by dramatic overspending - in my case through frenzied shopping sprees, credit card abuse, excessive hoarding of unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-behrman/my-illness-is-one-often-characterized-by-dramatic-overspending-in-my/) [Andy Behrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-behrman/) [Browse all 3,113 Abuse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Who will say with confidence that sexual abuse is more permanently damaging to children than threatening them with the eternal and unquenchable fires of hell?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Dawkins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/who-will-say-with-confidence-that-sexual-abuse-is-more-permanently/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Abuse" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/who-will-say-with-confidence-that-sexual-abuse-is-more-permanently/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef1/richard-dawkins-115_abuse_who-will-say-with-confidence-that-sexual_2823438.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef1/richard-dawkins-115_abuse_who-will-say-with-confidence-that-sexual_2823438.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef1/richard-dawkins-115_abuse_who-will-say-with-confidence-that-sexual_2823438.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Who will say with confidence that sexual abuse is more permanently damaging to children than threatening…” — 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": "Who will say with confidence that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/who-will-say-with-confidence-that-sexual-abuse-is-more-permanently/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/who-will-say-with-confidence-that-sexual-abuse-is-more-permanently/#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 } } ] } ```