--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: History has the relation to truth that…" description: "\"“History has the relation to truth that theology has to religion — ie., none to speak of”\" — Robert A. Heinlein" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/067/robert-a-heinlein-209_history_history-has-the-relation-to-truth-that-t_3175620.jpg" --- # History has the relation to truth that theology has to… ![“History has the relation to truth that theology has to religion — ie., none to speak of” quote by Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/067/robert-a-heinlein-209_history_history-has-the-relation-to-truth-that-t_3175620.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/067/robert-a-heinlein-209_history_history-has-the-relation-to-truth-that-t_3175620.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/067/robert-a-heinlein-209_history_history-has-the-relation-to-truth-that-t_3175620.jpg) > ““History has the relation to truth that theology has to religion — ie., none to speak of”” [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. History and theology both claim authority but lack direct proof, making them similarly speculative. **In simple terms:** History and theology are both unprovable claims. Key Takeaway Question claims critically. Themes skepticism epistemology history Mood critical analytical Type philosophical skeptical When to use this quote - academic debate - public discourse - media analysis Key Concepts relativism truth faith Questions to Reflect On - How do we distinguish factual history from myth? - Can theology ever be proven? A Different Perspective History can be misused to justify false narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Relation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-relation-5797521/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religion Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-speak-434856/) [Theology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theology/) [Theology Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theology-religion-1505665/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Theology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-theology-1753881/) ## Related quotes > [It is not opinions that man needs: it is TRUTH. It is not theology; it is God. It is not religion: it is Christ.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horatius-bonar/it-is-not-opinions-that-man-needs-it-is-truth-it-is-not-theology-it/) [Horatius Bonar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horatius-bonar/) > [God is the Truth. The Bible is the truth about the Truth. Theology is the truth about the truth about the Truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wurmbrand/god-is-the-truth-the-bible-is-the-truth-about-the-truth-theology-is/) [Richard Wurmbrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wurmbrand/) > [Theology is but a science of applied to God. As schools change theology must necessarily change. Truth is everlasting, but our ideas of truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/theology-is-but-a-science-of-applied-to-god-as-schools-change/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [Let us put theology out of religion. Theology has always sent the worst to heaven, the best to hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/let-us-put-theology-out-of-religion-theology-has-always-sent-the/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [I cannot now evaluate the events that, at the end of those thirty years, made me discover the necessity of religious belief. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/i-cannot-now-evaluate-the-events-that-at-the-end-of-those-thirty/) [Igor Stravinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-stravinsky/) > [theology is to religion what poisons are to food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/theology-is-to-religion-what-poisons-are-to-food/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [“Everything we learn—economics, philosophy, biology, mathematics—has to be understood in light of the overarching reality of the character of God. That is why, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/everything-we-learn-economics-philosophy-biology-mathematics-has-to/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) > [These ancient stories in religion speak to our desire. But they move us toward hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-pagels/these-ancient-stories-in-religion-speak-to-our-desire-but-they-move/) [Elaine Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-pagels/) > [It is difficult to attack me directly on religion because I never speak of it. Formally I am a strict observer of decorum and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etienne-francois-duc-de-choiseul/it-is-difficult-to-attack-me-directly-on-religion-because-i-never/) [Etienne Francois, duc de Choiseul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etienne-francois-duc-de-choiseul/) > [He who has religion will speak poetry. But philosophy is the tool with which to seek and discover religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/he-who-has-religion-will-speak-poetry-but-philosophy-is-the-tool-with/) [Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/) > [Mohammed knew that most people are terribly cowardly and stupid. That is why he promised two beautiful women to every courageous warrior who dies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-himmler/mohammed-knew-that-most-people-are-terribly-cowardly-and-stupid-that/) [Heinrich Himmler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-himmler/) > [“I am not an atheist. But the religion that I do advocate is not of the Bible, Vedas, Quran or any other scripture. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/i-am-not-an-atheist-but-the-religion-that-i-do-advocate-is-not-of-the/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“God is the Wonderful Counselor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/god-is-the-wonderful-counselor/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [ By profession a biologist, \[Thomas Henry Huxley\] covered in fact the whole field of the exact sciences, and then bulged through its four fences.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/by-profession-a-biologist-thomas-henry-huxley-covered-in-fact-the/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestations of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/a-knowledge-of-the-existence-of-something-we-cannot-penetrate-of-the/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) ## More by Robert A. Heinlein > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [My folks tried to make a preacher of me and missed by a narrow margin… I would have made a good one if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/my-folks-tried-to-make-a-preacher-of-me-and-missed-by-a-narrow-margin/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ninety percent of all human wisdom is the ability to mind your own business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ninety-percent-of-all-human-wisdom-is-the-ability-to-mind-your-own/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [If we blow ourselves up we will do it by misapplication of science; if we manage to keep from blowing ourselves up, it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-we-blow-ourselves-up-we-will-do-it-by-misapplication-of-science-if/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Nor would anybody suspect. If was one thing all people took for granted, was conviction that if you feed honest figures into a computer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/nor-would-anybody-suspect-if-was-one-thing-all-people-took-for/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Women will forgive anything. Otherwise, the race would have died out long ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/women-will-forgive-anything-otherwise-the-race-would-have-died-out/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Most neuroses and some psychoses can be traced to the unnecessary and unhealthy habit of daily wallowing in the troubles and sins of five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/most-neuroses-and-some-psychoses-can-be-traced-to-the-unnecessary-and/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [No statement should be believed because it is made by an authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/no-statement-should-be-believed-because-it-is-made-by-an-authority/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“Some people are ants by nature; they have to work, even when it’s useless. Few people have a talent for constructive laziness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/some-people-are-ants-by-nature-they-have-to-work-even-when-it-s/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“The instinct to survive is human nature itself, and every aspect of our personalities derives from it. Anything that conflicts with the survival instinct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-instinct-to-survive-is-human-nature-itself-and-every-aspect-of/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“I tried to dig out of the computer a call directory for Luna. But it was still sulking. I could not get it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/i-tried-to-dig-out-of-the-computer-a-call-directory-for-luna-but-it/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“this has more aspects than a cat has hair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/this-has-more-aspects-than-a-cat-has-hair/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Never own more than you can carry in both hands at a dead run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/never-own-more-than-you-can-carry-in-both-hands-at-a-dead-run/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“In Wilson's scale of evaluations breakfast rated just after life itself and ahead of the chance of immortality." ~ By His Bootstraps / Robert A. Heinlein”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/in-wilson-s-scale-of-evaluations-breakfast-rated-just-after-life/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ignorance is curable, stupid is forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ignorance-is-curable-stupid-is-forever/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) [Explore all 888 Robert A. Heinlein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## More History quotes > [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/histories-never-conclude-they-just-pause-their-prose-their-stories/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. 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It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [What is history after all? History is facts which become lies in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/what-is-history-after-all-history-is-facts-which-become-lies-in-the/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [Things live and die, and then someone processes them into edible portions. This is a complete telling of the story, 'Food.' The basic plot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-fahrenthold/things-live-and-die-and-then-someone-processes-them-into-edible/) [David Fahrenthold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-fahrenthold/) > [History is a certain way, but you just change the point of view a little bit, and you discover a whole new side of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-schroeder/history-is-a-certain-way-but-you-just-change-the-point-of-view-a/) [Allison Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-schroeder/) > [We're at a point in history were we have to become a part of the neighborhood of inhabited planets, like a neighborhood of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-mitchell/we-re-at-a-point-in-history-were-we-have-to-become-a-part-of-the/) [Edgar Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-mitchell/) > [Today is a reality, tomorrow's a promise, and yesterday's history!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-blanks/today-is-a-reality-tomorrow-s-a-promise-and-yesterday-s-history/) [Billy Blanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-blanks/) > [Truth be told from compulsive liars with a history/Everything must change 2nd chances are a mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-dash/truth-be-told-from-compulsive-liars-with-a-history-everything-must/) [C-DASH](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-dash/) > [Every army in the history of the world has always had some deserters, usually much greater than we have today, because once again every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-hilferty/every-army-in-the-history-of-the-world-has-always-had-some-deserters/) [Bryan Hilferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-hilferty/) > [“To those great geniuses now in petticoats, who shall write novels for the beloved reader's children, these men and things will be as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/to-those-great-geniuses-now-in-petticoats-who-shall-write-novels-for/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) [Browse all 27,263 History quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“History has the relation to truth that theology has to religion — ie., none to speak of”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert A. 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