--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The most ridiculous concept ever…" description: "\"The most ridiculous concept ever perpetrated by Homo Sapiens is that the Lord God of Creation, Shaper and Ruler of the Universes, wants the saccharine ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd5/robert-a-heinlein-209_adoration_the-most-ridiculous-concept-ever-perpetr_1664685.jpg" --- # The most ridiculous concept ever perpetrated by Homo… ![“The most ridiculous concept ever perpetrated by Homo Sapiens is that the Lord God of Creation, Shaper and Ruler of the Universes, wants the saccharine adoration of his creations, that he can be persuaded by their prayers, and becomes petulant if he does not receive this flattery. Yet this…” quote by Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd5/robert-a-heinlein-209_adoration_the-most-ridiculous-concept-ever-perpetr_1664685.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd5/robert-a-heinlein-209_adoration_the-most-ridiculous-concept-ever-perpetr_1664685.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd5/robert-a-heinlein-209_adoration_the-most-ridiculous-concept-ever-perpetr_1664685.jpg) > “The most ridiculous concept ever perpetrated by Homo Sapiens is that the Lord God of Creation, Shaper and Ruler of the Universes, wants the saccharine adoration of his creations, that he can be persuaded by their prayers, and becomes petulant if he does not receive this flattery. Yet this ridiculous notion, without one real shred of evidence to bolster it, has gone on to found one of the oldest, largest and least productive industries in history.” [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. The quote criticizes the idea that a deity seeks human praise and can be swayed by prayer, calling it unfounded and the basis of a massive, unproductive industry. **In simple terms:** It says worshiping God for flattery is absurd and fuels a huge, useless industry. Key Takeaway Question the assumptions behind religious profit motives. Themes religion economics skepticism Mood critical contemplative Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - church fundraising - political lobbying - media narratives - personal belief systems Key Concepts theology human nature institutional power Questions to Reflect On - What evidence would change your view on religious influence? - How do you distinguish spiritual value from economic exploitation? A Different Perspective Faith may provide meaning despite lack of empirical proof. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adoration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adoration/) [Creation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation/) [Flattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flattery/) [Homo sapiens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homo-sapiens/) [Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry/) [Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lord/) [Lord god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lord-god/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Rulers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rulers/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) ## Related quotes > [“The most preposterous notion that Homo sapiens has ever dreamed up is that the Lord God of Creation, Shaper and Ruler of all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-most-preposterous-notion-that-homo-sapiens-has-ever-dreamed-up-is/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [I grew up in suburban Brisbane, so to say you wanted to be an actor was a ridiculous concept.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-passmore/i-grew-up-in-suburban-brisbane-so-to-say-you-wanted-to-be-an-actor/) [Matt Passmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-passmore/) > [I'm not one of these guys who says 'Now I'm on a really hot show. Better quit soon before I get labeled.' That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-probst/i-m-not-one-of-these-guys-who-says-now-i-m-on-a-really-hot-show/) [Jeff Probst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-probst/) > [The idea that a big country is going to go out and send troops into some country to take their resources, and then the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/the-idea-that-a-big-country-is-going-to-go-out-and-send-troops-into/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [Animals can be driven crazy by placing too many in too small a pen. Homo sapiens is the only animal that voluntarily does this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/animals-can-be-driven-crazy-by-placing-too-many-in-too-small-a-pen/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Election is an act of God before creation in which He chooses some people to be saved, not on account of any foreseen merit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-grudem/election-is-an-act-of-god-before-creation-in-which-he-chooses-some/) [Wayne Grudem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-grudem/) > [“When man banishes God and his neighbour from his heart, he loses his sovereignty over God’s creation, bestowed on him by virtue of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archimandrite-zacharias-zacharou/when-man-banishes-god-and-his-neighbour-from-his-heart-he-loses-his/) [Archimandrite Zacharias Zacharou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archimandrite-zacharias-zacharou/) > [All men bear the image of God. They have value not because they are redeemed, but because they are God's creation in God's image.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/all-men-bear-the-image-of-god-they-have-value-not-because-they-are/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [“No matter how hard people work to suppress their knowledge of God, creation itself keeps challenging them. “Human life is a continual wrestling match…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/no-matter-how-hard-people-work-to-suppress-their-knowledge-of-god/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [“Since God is not a subject of which we can have tangible evidence through direct experience, or at least, we think there is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/since-god-is-not-a-subject-of-which-we-can-have-tangible-evidence/) [Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/) > [There is nothing wrong with God's creation. Mystery and Suffering only exist in the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-maharshi/there-is-nothing-wrong-with-god-s-creation-mystery-and-suffering-only/) [Ramana Maharshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramana-maharshi/) > [All that looks like reality to us is dependent on God. There is creation and Creator, nothing more. And creation gets all its meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/all-that-looks-like-reality-to-us-is-dependent-on-god-there-is/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“Two kinds of people , they spend a lot of time to take a perfect shot of God's creation from the same distance ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fida-rasool/two-kinds-of-people-they-spend-a-lot-of-time-to-take-a-perfect-shot/) Fida Rasool > [Mine is not a religion of the prison-house. It has room for the least among God's creation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/mine-is-not-a-religion-of-the-prison-house-it-has-room-for-the-least/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [It turns out that the God whose word will stand forever does not exist to insure our fantasies that we will not have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/it-turns-out-that-the-god-whose-word-will-stand-forever-does-not/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) ## 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 Adoration quotes > [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [“Come to Him fresh today, with no agenda but to let Him hold you. Just sit in adoration of Him, casting all of yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-gimour/come-to-him-fresh-today-with-no-agenda-but-to-let-him-hold-you-just/) [Eric Gimour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-gimour/) > [Being is good, but getting rich is better… If the gods had only the riches of men's adoration, they would be as poor as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/being-is-good-but-getting-rich-is-better-if-the-gods-had-only-the/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [You are still despised and mocked, A man too weak and infirm to be God, A God too much man to call forth adoration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil/you-are-still-despised-and-mocked-a-man-too-weak-and-infirm-to-be-god/) [Khalil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil/) > [“Adoration can be misleading. The same crowd who spread palm branches for Jesus to ride upon, was the same crowd who crucified Him three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-h-fowler/adoration-can-be-misleading-the-same-crowd-who-spread-palm-branches/) [H.H. Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-h-fowler/) > [I just want the money and the fame and the adoration, and I don't want any of the other stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-broderick/i-just-want-the-money-and-the-fame-and-the-adoration-and-i-don-t-want/) [Matthew Broderick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-broderick/) > [There and then, sitting beside her and within the strength of my adoration, I felt invincible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-matar/there-and-then-sitting-beside-her-and-within-the-strength-of-my/) [Hisham Matar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hisham-matar/) > [If we allow our self-congratulatory adoration of technology to distract us from our own contact with each other, then somehow the original agenda has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaron-lanier/if-we-allow-our-self-congratulatory-adoration-of-technology-to/) [Jaron Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaron-lanier/) > [My aim is to institute perpetual adoration," spoke St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe, Franciscan priest and founder of the Knights of the Immaculata. For he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maximilian-kolbe/my-aim-is-to-institute-perpetual-adoration-spoke-st-maximilian-maria/) [Maximilian Kolbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maximilian-kolbe/) > [Phony gurus make themselves objects of adoration and worship. Real spiritual teachers aren't interested in adoration and worship. They like respect only because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/phony-gurus-make-themselves-objects-of-adoration-and-worship-real/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Christ sits in the body at the right hand of God the Father, but we do not hold that the right hand of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-of-damascus/christ-sits-in-the-body-at-the-right-hand-of-god-the-father-but-we-do/) [John of Damascus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-of-damascus/) > [Blind adoration, in the age of action, is perfectly valueless, is often embarrassing and, equally, often painful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/blind-adoration-in-the-age-of-action-is-perfectly-valueless-is-often/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [I do not think I should care to go on worshipping a Madonna even if she did wink. One cannot make much out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/i-do-not-think-i-should-care-to-go-on-worshipping-a-madonna-even-if/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [“Let's just give her a ride into town," Suzanne said. She spoke briskly, like I was a mess that needed to be cleaned up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-cline/let-s-just-give-her-a-ride-into-town-suzanne-said-she-spoke-briskly/) [Emma Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-cline/) > [I adore the way he looks at me sometimes, as if love is a quantity he cannot measure scientifically, because it multiplies too quickly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-adore-the-way-he-looks-at-me-sometimes-as-if-love-is-a-quantity-he/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) [Browse all 340 Adoration quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adoration/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The most ridiculous concept ever perpetrated by Homo Sapiens is that the Lord God of Creation, Shaper and Ruler of the Universes, wants the saccharine adoration of his creations, that he can be persuaded by their prayers, and becomes petulant if he does not receive this flattery. 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