--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An infinite God ought to be able to…" description: "\"An infinite God ought to be able to protect himself, without going in partnership with State Legislatures. Certainly he ought not so to act that laws b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c96/robert-green-ingersoll-361_able_an-infinite-god-ought-to-be-able-to-prot_1888225.png" --- # An infinite God ought to be able to protect himself… ![“An infinite God ought to be able to protect himself, without going in partnership with State Legislatures. Certainly he ought not so to act that laws become necessary to keep him from being laughed at. No one thinks of protecting Shakespeare from ridicule, by the threat of fine and imprisonment.” quote by Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c96/robert-green-ingersoll-361_able_an-infinite-god-ought-to-be-able-to-prot_1888225.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c96/robert-green-ingersoll-361_able_an-infinite-god-ought-to-be-able-to-prot_1888225.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c96/robert-green-ingersoll-361_able_an-infinite-god-ought-to-be-able-to-prot_1888225.png) > “An infinite God ought to be able to protect himself, without going in partnership with State Legislatures. Certainly he ought not so to act that laws become necessary to keep him from being laughed at. No one thinks of protecting Shakespeare from ridicule, by the threat of fine and imprisonment.” [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A deity should be self‑sufficient, not needing human laws or alliances to avoid ridicule. **In simple terms:** God shouldn't need laws to stay respectable. Key Takeaway Seek independence from external validation. Themes religion state authority individualism Mood skeptical critical thoughtful Type philosophical political satirical When to use this quote - political debate - legal reform - personal belief - public discourse Key Concepts secularism self‑sufficiency power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - Do we rely too much on law to enforce respect? - How can ideas survive without coercion? A Different Perspective Human institutions often fail to protect ideas from mockery. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Certainly Ought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainly-ought-944038/) [Fine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fine/) [Imprisonment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imprisonment/) [Infinite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infinite/) [Infinite God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infinite-god-381217/) [Laughed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughed/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Laws Necessary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws-necessary-1950982/) [Legislature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legislature/) [Ought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ought/) [Partnership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/partnership/) [Protect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protect/) [Protecting Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protecting-shakespeare-2710423/) [Ridicule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ridicule/) [Shakespeare Ridicule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakespeare-ridicule-2710424/) [State legislatures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state-legislatures/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Threat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threat/) ## Related quotes > [An infinite God ought to be able to protect Himself, without going in partnership with State Legislatures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/an-infinite-god-ought-to-be-able-to-protect-himself-without-going-in/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [God knows there certainly ought to be a window around here somewhere, for all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/god-knows-there-certainly-ought-to-be-a-window-around-here-somewhere/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [I am certainly an ought and not a must.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster/i-am-certainly-an-ought-and-not-a-must/) [E. M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster/) > [I cannot see why we should expect an infinite God to do better in another world than he does in this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/i-cannot-see-why-we-should-expect-an-infinite-god-to-do-better-in/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [If the Bible and my brain are both the work of the same infinite God, whose fault is it that the book and my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/if-the-bible-and-my-brain-are-both-the-work-of-the-same-infinite-god/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [If Jehovah cannot support his religion without going into partnership with a State Legislature, I think he ought to give it up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/if-jehovah-cannot-support-his-religion-without-going-into-partnership/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [All laws for the purpose of making man worship God, are born of the same spirit that kindled the fires of the auto da…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/all-laws-for-the-purpose-of-making-man-worship-god-are-born-of-the/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [How I wish we lived in a time when laws were not necessary to safeguard us from discrimination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbra-streisand/how-i-wish-we-lived-in-a-time-when-laws-were-not-necessary-to/) [Barbra Streisand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbra-streisand/) > [You must not deprive the colonies of their right to make laws for themselves. Parliament should only make laws necessary for the empire as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hutchinson/you-must-not-deprive-the-colonies-of-their-right-to-make-laws-for/) [Thomas Hutchinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hutchinson/) > [For as laws are necessary that good manners may be preserved, so there is need of good manner that laws may be maintained. \[It.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/for-as-laws-are-necessary-that-good-manners-may-be-preserved-so-there/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [As good government is an empire of laws, how shall your laws be made? In a large society, inhabiting an extensive country, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/as-good-government-is-an-empire-of-laws-how-shall-your-laws-be-made/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [As labor creates the wealth of the country, we demand the passage of such laws as may be necessary to protect it in all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-peter-altgeld/as-labor-creates-the-wealth-of-the-country-we-demand-the-passage-of/) [John Peter Altgeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-peter-altgeld/) > [Everything happens through immutable laws, ...everything is necessary... There are, some persons say, some events which are necessary and others which are not. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/everything-happens-through-immutable-laws-everything-is-necessary/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [For as laws are necessary that good manners be preserved, so there is need of good manners that law may be maintained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/for-as-laws-are-necessary-that-good-manners-be-preserved-so-there-is/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [As soon as laws are necessary for men, they are no longer fit for freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/as-soon-as-laws-are-necessary-for-men-they-are-no-longer-fit-for/) [Pythagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/) ## More by Robert Green Ingersoll > [Our hope of immortality does not come from any religions, but nearly all religions come from that hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/our-hope-of-immortality-does-not-come-from-any-religions-but-nearly/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [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/) > [Honest investigation is utterly impossible within the pale of any church, for the reason, that if you think the church is right you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/honest-investigation-is-utterly-impossible-within-the-pale-of-any/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [I read the other day an account of a meeting between John Knox and John Calvin. 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Without Liberty, there can be no civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/liberty-is-the-condition-of-progress-without-liberty-there-remains/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [It has been said that a man of genius should select his ancestors with great care - and yet there does not seem to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/it-has-been-said-that-a-man-of-genius-should-select-his-ancestors/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [When passions and appetites are stronger than the intellect, men are savages; when the intellect governs the passions, when the passions are servants, men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/when-passions-and-appetites-are-stronger-than-the-intellect-men-are/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [In spite of my surroundings, of my education, I had no love for God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/in-spite-of-my-surroundings-of-my-education-i-had-no-love-for-god/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [The combined wisdom and genius of all mankind cannot possibly conceive of an argument against liberty of thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/the-combined-wisdom-and-genius-of-all-mankind-cannot-possibly/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [Calvin founded a little theocracy, modeled after the Old Testament, and succeeded in erecting the most detestable government that ever existed, except the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/calvin-founded-a-little-theocracy-modeled-after-the-old-testament-and/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [I do not believe in loving enemies; I have pretty hard work to love my friends. 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