--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This much I can say with definiteness…" description: "\"This much I can say with definiteness - namely, that there is no scientific basis for the denial of religion - nor is there in my judgment any excuse f..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/robert-andrews-millikan-21380_atheism_this-much-i-can-say-with-definiteness-na_1621694.png" --- # This much I can say with definiteness - namely, that there… ![“This much I can say with definiteness - namely, that there is no scientific basis for the denial of religion - nor is there in my judgment any excuse for a conflict between science and religion, for their fields are entirely different. Men who know very little of science and men who know very…” quote by Robert Andrews Millikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/robert-andrews-millikan-21380_atheism_this-much-i-can-say-with-definiteness-na_1621694.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/robert-andrews-millikan-21380_atheism_this-much-i-can-say-with-definiteness-na_1621694.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/robert-andrews-millikan-21380_atheism_this-much-i-can-say-with-definiteness-na_1621694.png) > “This much I can say with definiteness - namely, that there is no scientific basis for the denial of religion - nor is there in my judgment any excuse for a conflict between science and religion, for their fields are entirely different. Men who know very little of science and men who know very little of religion do indeed get to quarreling, and the onlookers imagine that there is a conflict between science and religion, whereas the conflict is only between two different species of ignorance.” [Robert Andrews Millikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-andrews-millikan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Science and religion address different questions; conflict stems from ignorance, not fields. **In simple terms:** Science and religion differ; conflict is ignorance. Key Takeaway Recognize distinct domains and avoid false conflicts. Themes science religion ignorance conflict epistemology Mood analytical inquisitive Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - academic debate - interfaith dialogue - education policy Key Concepts domain separation intellectual humility Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions cause perceived conflict? - How can education reduce ignorance? A Different Perspective Some see conflict due to cultural narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Bases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bases/) [Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) [Denial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denial/) [Denial Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denial-religion-281119/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuse/) [Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fields/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [Imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine/) [Imagine that](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine-that/) [Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religion Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-conflict-281120/) [Religion Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-judgment-281121/) [Religion Quarreling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-quarreling-281118/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Science and religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-and-religion/) [Science religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-religion/) [Species](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/species/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [Is there any conflict between science and religion? There is no conflict in the mind of God, but often there is conflict in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/is-there-any-conflict-between-science-and-religion-there-is-no/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [There is no conflict between science and religion. Conflict only arises from an incomplete knowledge of either science or religion, or both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-m-nelson/there-is-no-conflict-between-science-and-religion-conflict-only/) [Russell M. Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-m-nelson/) > [There is not one text reference to characteristic Protestant religious life in these books... The dominant theme is the denial of religion as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-vitz/there-is-not-one-text-reference-to-characteristic-protestant/) [Paul Vitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-vitz/) > [ “‎"The indictment \[the Western/modern question, 'Why be moral?'\] also issued from a gross underrating of the 'moral' force that was regarded within the Islamic… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wael-b-hallaq/the-indictment-the-western-modern-question-why-be-moral-also-issued/) [Wael B. Hallaq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wael-b-hallaq/) > [Fear is the parent of cruelty, and therefore it is no wonder if cruelty and religion go hand in hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/fear-is-the-parent-of-cruelty-and-therefore-it-is-no-wonder-if/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Science and religion both make claims about the fundamental workings of the universe. Although these claims are not a priori incompatible (we could imagine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-carroll/science-and-religion-both-make-claims-about-the-fundamental-workings/) [Sean Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-carroll/) > [“as collective institutions, science and religion prefer order and power over truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/as-collective-institutions-science-and-religion-prefer-order-and/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [Since science and religion provide two different perspectives on the human situation, they must ultimately be able to be reconciled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-griffith/since-science-and-religion-provide-two-different-perspectives-on-the/) [Jeremy Griffith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-griffith/) > [It was not by accident that the greatest thinkers of all ages were deeply religious souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-planck/it-was-not-by-accident-that-the-greatest-thinkers-of-all-ages-were/) [Max Planck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-planck/) > [Science and religion are not at odds. Science is simply too young to understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/science-and-religion-are-not-at-odds-science-is-simply-too-young-to/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [To be sure, the doctrine of a personal God interfering with natural events could never be refuted, in the real sense, by science, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/to-be-sure-the-doctrine-of-a-personal-god-interfering-with-natural/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Is this a topic whose time has truly come? The integration of science and religion? Or have I just written a clever book that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/is-this-a-topic-whose-time-has-truly-come-the-integration-of-science/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [Science and religion will meet and shake hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/science-and-religion-will-meet-and-shake-hands/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weinberg/with-or-without-religion-you-would-have-good-people-doing-good-things/) [Steven Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weinberg/) > [To claim that science and religion pose different questions to the world is not to suggest that if the bones of Jesus were discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/to-claim-that-science-and-religion-pose-different-questions-to-the/) [Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/) ## More by Robert Andrews Millikan > [Just how we fit into the plans of the Great Architect and how much he has assigned us to do we do not know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-andrews-millikan/just-how-we-fit-into-the-plans-of-the-great-architect-and-how-much-he/) [Robert Andrews Millikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-andrews-millikan/) > [There is no likelihood man can ever tap the power of the atom. 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Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [God speaks through me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/god-speaks-through-me/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [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/) > [You cannot ... transmute some incoherent mixture of words into sense merely by introducing the three-letter word "God" to be its grammatical subject.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-flew/you-cannot-transmute-some-incoherent-mixture-of-words-into-sense/) [Antony Flew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-flew/) > [Many humanists have argued that happiness involves a combination of hedonism and creative moral development; that an exuberant life fuses excellence and enjoyment, meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/many-humanists-have-argued-that-happiness-involves-a-combination-of/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [If, with all the time at my disposal, with all the wealth of the resources of this vast universe, to do with as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/if-with-all-the-time-at-my-disposal-with-all-the-wealth-of-the/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [Do you think that was kind? 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