--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I do not expect that the mere fact that I…" description: "\"I do not expect that the mere fact that I was once an evangelical apologist and now see things differently should itself count as evidence that I must ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/417/robert-m-price-13230_agnostic_i-do-not-expect-that-the-mere-fact-that_2060335.jpg" --- # I do not expect that the mere fact that I was once an… ![“I do not expect that the mere fact that I was once an evangelical apologist and now see things differently should itself count as evidence that I must be right. That would be the genetic fallacy. It would be just as erroneous to think that John Rankin must be right in having embraced evangelical…” quote by Robert M. Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/417/robert-m-price-13230_agnostic_i-do-not-expect-that-the-mere-fact-that_2060335.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/417/robert-m-price-13230_agnostic_i-do-not-expect-that-the-mere-fact-that_2060335.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/417/robert-m-price-13230_agnostic_i-do-not-expect-that-the-mere-fact-that_2060335.jpg) > “I do not expect that the mere fact that I was once an evangelical apologist and now see things differently should itself count as evidence that I must be right. That would be the genetic fallacy. It would be just as erroneous to think that John Rankin must be right in having embraced evangelical Christianity since he had once been an agnostic Unitarian and repudiated it for the Christian faith.” [Robert M. Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-price/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker warns against judging truth based on a person’s past beliefs, highlighting the genetic fallacy. **In simple terms:** Don’t judge ideas by who they came from. Key Takeaway Focus on evidence, not origins. Themes critical thinking logic bias religion argumentation Mood skeptical analytical reflective Type philosophical critical academic When to use this quote - debates on faith - academic discussions - personal belief changes - public policy arguments - media commentary Key Concepts genetic fallacy epistemology argument analysis Questions to Reflect On - How do you evaluate arguments independent of their source? - When is a person’s history relevant to their claim? A Different Perspective It may overlook genuine transformation or new insights that arise from personal experience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agnostic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agnostic/) [Agnostic Unitarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agnostic-unitarian-3927670/) [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Christian faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-faith/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Evangelical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evangelical/) [Evangelical Apologist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evangelical-apologist-3927668/) [Evangelical Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evangelical-christianity-1811515/) [Evidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evidence/) [Fact Evangelical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fact-evangelical-2107507/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Fallacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fallacy/) [Genetic Fallacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genetic-fallacy-3927669/) [Mere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mere/) [Positive atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive-atheism/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Unitarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unitarian/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [“One of the deep prejudices that the age of mechanism instilled in our culture, and that infects our religious and materialist fundamentalisms alike, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/one-of-the-deep-prejudices-that-the-age-of-mechanism-instilled-in-our/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [I think it goes back to the fact that the evangelical community often does not have a biblical vision of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-campolo/i-think-it-goes-back-to-the-fact-that-the-evangelical-community-often/) [Tony Campolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-campolo/) > [Evangelical Christianity, as everyone knows, is founded upon hate, as the Christianity of Christ was founded upon love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/evangelical-christianity-as-everyone-knows-is-founded-upon-hate-as/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“For a Catholic understanding of the faith there is no reason why the basic concern of Evangelical Christianity as it comes to expression in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-rahner/for-a-catholic-understanding-of-the-faith-there-is-no-reason-why-the/) [Karl Rahner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-rahner/) > [“Any Christianity that rests upon a dichotomy - some sort of platonic concept - simply does not have an answer to nature, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/any-christianity-that-rests-upon-a-dichotomy-some-sort-of-platonic/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [The God of Evangelical Christianity is a Monster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/the-god-of-evangelical-christianity-is-a-monster/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [“The roots of 20th century American fundamentalism can be discerned in the confluence of these two streams of immigration, culture, and history. A unique…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-himes/the-roots-of-20th-century-american-fundamentalism-can-be-discerned-in/) [Andrew Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-himes/) > [American foreign policy in the George W. Bush era was made by a president closely affiliated with evangelical Christianity. The thrust of his agenda…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/american-foreign-policy-in-the-george-w-bush-era-was-made-by-a/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [A Unitarian is a person who believes in at most one God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/a-unitarian-is-a-person-who-believes-in-at-most-one-god/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [My family for several generations have been members of the Unitarian Church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leverett-saltonstall/my-family-for-several-generations-have-been-members-of-the-unitarian/) [Leverett Saltonstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leverett-saltonstall/) > [Manly natural religion - it is not joining the Church; it is not to believe in a creed, Hebrew, Protestant, Catholic, Trinitarian, Unitarian, Nothingarian.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-parker/manly-natural-religion-it-is-not-joining-the-church-it-is-not-to/) [Theodore Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-parker/) > [ ...\[T\]oday's Washington is about as attentive to the Tenth Amendment as the Unitarian Church is to the Book of Revelation. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-sobran/t-oday-s-washington-is-about-as-attentive-to-the-tenth-amendment-as/) [Joseph Sobran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-sobran/) > [ “He \[Erasmus Darwin\] used to say that 'unitarianism was a feather-bed to catch a falling Christian.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/he-erasmus-darwin-used-to-say-that-unitarianism-was-a-feather-bed-to/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [I was raised Unitarian, and my mother said she took us to church so that we wouldn't get religious later in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sean-greer/i-was-raised-unitarian-and-my-mother-said-she-took-us-to-church-so/) [Andrew Sean Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sean-greer/) > [ As \[The Nation columnist Katha\] Pollitt points out, when one starts looking beneath the surface of things and adding together the out-front atheists with… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-angier/as-the-nation-columnist-katha-pollitt-points-out-when-one-starts/) [Natalie Angier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-angier/) ## More by Robert M. Price > ["You ask me how I know he lives?" asks the revival chorus. "He lives within my heart." Exactly! A figment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-price/you-ask-me-how-i-know-he-lives-asks-the-revival-chorus-he-lives/) [Robert M. Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-price/) > [The Koran was assembled from a variety of prior Hagarene texts (hence the contradictions re Jesus' death) in order to provide the Moses-like Muhammad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-price/the-koran-was-assembled-from-a-variety-of-prior-hagarene-texts-hence/) [Robert M. Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-price/) > [The notorious tendency of conservative apologists and New Age paperback writers alike is to leap from mere possibility to the right to believe. "If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-price/the-notorious-tendency-of-conservative-apologists-and-new-age/) [Robert M. Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-price/) > [Real morality is not the product of fearing a spanking. But what does fundamentalist hell-belief encourage? It retards any developing moral judgment by freezing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-price/real-morality-is-not-the-product-of-fearing-a-spanking-but-what-does/) [Robert M. Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-price/) > [“The answer is simple: if you cannot find meaning inherent in life right now, as you live it in this visible world, the addition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-price/the-answer-is-simple-if-you-cannot-find-meaning-inherent-in-life/) [Robert M. Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-price/) > [“Warren is stuck in Sunday School-level, pretheological fundamentalism. It is religious infantilism of the kind that Freud to conclude that religion is nothing more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-price/warren-is-stuck-in-sunday-school-level-pretheological-fundamentalism/) [Robert M. Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-price/) > [Fundamentalism fills you with answers before you even think to ask the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-price/fundamentalism-fills-you-with-answers-before-you-even-think-to-ask/) [Robert M. Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-price/) > [“Born-again living seemed to me just a crutch which no longer facilitated healing and growth, but actually protracted immaturity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-price/born-again-living-seemed-to-me-just-a-crutch-which-no-longer/) [Robert M. Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-price/) > [“But if subjective pietism is not the real crux of this all-important Gospel, if it is instead belief in the plan of salvation, how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-price/but-if-subjective-pietism-is-not-the-real-crux-of-this-all-important/) [Robert M. Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-price/) > [I wonder how appropriate it is to try to 'argue someone into the kingdom.' Many apologists hotly deny any such charge, but I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-price/i-wonder-how-appropriate-it-is-to-try-to-argue-someone-into-the/) [Robert M. Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-price/) > [“I bet you've seen the fundamentalist bumper sticker that says, "God said it! I believe it! That settles it!" It must be a typo…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-price/i-bet-you-ve-seen-the-fundamentalist-bumper-sticker-that-says-god/) [Robert M. Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-price/) > [The born-again gospel promises joy and peace of mind, but it does so by prolonging childhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-price/the-born-again-gospel-promises-joy-and-peace-of-mind-but-it-does-so/) [Robert M. Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-price/) > [A critic may reject some miracle stories as legendary, and not others, with no inconsistency at all for the simple reason that even if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-price/a-critic-may-reject-some-miracle-stories-as-legendary-and-not-others/) [Robert M. Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-price/) > [“Luke 17:5-6, a Lukan paraphrase of Mark 11:22-24, strikes a surprising note of pessimism: "The apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith!' And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-price/luke-17-5-6-a-lukan-paraphrase-of-mark-11-22-24-strikes-a-surprising/) [Robert M. Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-price/) > [Today's Politically Correct "historical Jesuses" are no different, being mere clones of the scholars who design them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-price/today-s-politically-correct-historical-jesuses-are-no-different-being/) [Robert M. Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-price/) [Explore all 51 Robert M. Price quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-price/) ## More Agnostic quotes > [“She herself vacillated when it came to belief. She did not particularly believe in God. Or, rather, she didn't believe in a particular God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-goodman/she-herself-vacillated-when-it-came-to-belief-she-did-not/) [Allegra Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-goodman/) > [The prayer of the agnostic: "O God, if there is a God, save my soul if I have a soul."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/the-prayer-of-the-agnostic-o-god-if-there-is-a-god-save-my-soul-if-i/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [I'm actually, for the most part, a complete agnostic politically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-witten/i-m-actually-for-the-most-part-a-complete-agnostic-politically/) [Edward Witten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-witten/) > [Even when I was saying I was Agnostic and trying to figure out my thoughts, I felt God was allowing me to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfre-woodard/even-when-i-was-saying-i-was-agnostic-and-trying-to-figure-out-my/) [Alfre Woodard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfre-woodard/) > [There is, in fact, nothing about religious opinions that entitles them to any more respect than other opinions get. On the contrary, they tend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/there-is-in-fact-nothing-about-religious-opinions-that-entitles-them/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“Some people are so stiff and inhumane as the dogma's they believe in”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/some-people-are-so-stiff-and-inhumane-as-the-dogma-s-they-believe-in/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [“An atheist is someone who is disappointed in his search of god. He is a man who strongly needed god but couldn't find him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/an-atheist-is-someone-who-is-disappointed-in-his-search-of-god-he-is/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [If a humanist or an atheist or an agnostic says, "We'll bake you a pie," we can go right into the kitchen and bake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/if-a-humanist-or-an-atheist-or-an-agnostic-says-we-ll-bake-you-a-pie/) [Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/) > [I'm agnostic because I went through the usual process of parents insisting you go to church, and yet they didn't. So there's me, sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ridley-scott/i-m-agnostic-because-i-went-through-the-usual-process-of-parents/) [Ridley Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ridley-scott/) > [Intellect, at its best, can make you agnostic. Being theist or atheist is still a matter of choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheel-farooq/intellect-at-its-best-can-make-you-agnostic-being-theist-or-atheist/) [Raheel Farooq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheel-farooq/) > [To be agnostic is to be open-minded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-agnostic-is-to-be-open-minded/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All Gaza's temples are torn down and burned and the city is cleansed of every belief but the Christian faith. The most stubborn opponents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsay-macmullen/all-gaza-s-temples-are-torn-down-and-burned-and-the-city-is-cleansed/) [Ramsay MacMullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsay-macmullen/) > [I'm still agnostic. But in the words of Elton Richards, I'm now a reverant agnostic. Which isn't an oxymoron, I swear. I now believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-still-agnostic-but-in-the-words-of-elton-richards-i-m-now-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I'm agnostic. By definition, I'm unsure of what to believe in, but I'm also borderline-capable of believing in anything and everything, or nothing at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lola/i-m-agnostic-by-definition-i-m-unsure-of-what-to-believe-in-but-i-m/) [Lauren Lola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lola/) > [“The Agnostic is one who asserts 'what no one denies' that there are limits to the sphere of human intelligence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-stephen/the-agnostic-is-one-who-asserts-what-no-one-denies-that-there-are/) [Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/) [Browse all 492 Agnostic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agnostic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I do not expect that the mere fact that I was once an evangelical apologist and now see things differently should itself count as evidence that I must be right. That would be the genetic fallacy. 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