--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Having spent a substantial part of my…" description: "\"Having spent a substantial part of my career parodying religious figures from my own Christian background, I am aghast at the notion that it could, in ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae6/rowan-atkinson-3883_aghast_having-spent-a-substantial-part-of-my-ca_2056290.png" --- # Having spent a substantial part of my career parodying… ![“Having spent a substantial part of my career parodying religious figures from my own Christian background, I am aghast at the notion that it could, in effect, be made illegal to imply ridicule of a religion or to lampoon religious figures.” quote by Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae6/rowan-atkinson-3883_aghast_having-spent-a-substantial-part-of-my-ca_2056290.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae6/rowan-atkinson-3883_aghast_having-spent-a-substantial-part-of-my-ca_2056290.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae6/rowan-atkinson-3883_aghast_having-spent-a-substantial-part-of-my-ca_2056290.png) > “Having spent a substantial part of my career parodying religious figures from my own Christian background, I am aghast at the notion that it could, in effect, be made illegal to imply ridicule of a religion or to lampoon religious figures.” [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Critiques the idea of criminalizing religious satire, emphasizing free expression and the absurdity of banning ridicule. **In simple terms:** Ridiculing religion should stay legal. Key Takeaway Defend free speech in satire. Themes free speech religion satire law censorship Mood defiant provocative thoughtful Type political philosophical When to use this quote - comedian performances - political debates - media regulation - public protests Key Concepts civil liberties social critique cultural norms Questions to Reflect On - Should satire ever be limited to protect belief? - How does humor challenge power structures? A Different Perspective Legal restrictions may clash with democratic values and can be misused. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aghast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aghast/) [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Backgrounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backgrounds/) [Careers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careers/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Effects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effects/) [Figures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/figures/) [Illegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illegal/) [Lampoon Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lampoon-religious-3899973/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [My own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-own/) [Notion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notion/) [Parodying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parodying-1465757/) [Parodying Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parodying-religious-3899971/) [Positive atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive-atheism/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religion Lampoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-lampoon-3899972/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Ridicule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ridicule/) [Ridicule Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ridicule-religion-2785116/) ## Related quotes > [“I don't ridicule religion, it ridicules itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-don-t-ridicule-religion-it-ridicules-itself/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [If you told me thirty years ago that people would be parodying documentary films, I never would have believed it. It wasn't clear that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/if-you-told-me-thirty-years-ago-that-people-would-be-parodying/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [It's easy to be smart when you are parodying smart people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/it-s-easy-to-be-smart-when-you-are-parodying-smart-people/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) > [With good parody, you have to be smarter that the people you’re parodying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/with-good-parody-you-have-to-be-smarter-that-the-people-you-re/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [I guess I'm part of the art house, but we really have to shake up our ideas, because we're kind of self-parodying ourselves. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mullan/i-guess-i-m-part-of-the-art-house-but-we-really-have-to-shake-up-our/) [Peter Mullan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mullan/) > [There's a rich history at Westboro of parodying pop culture. The thing about pop culture is that it gives us a shared language. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-phelps-roper/there-s-a-rich-history-at-westboro-of-parodying-pop-culture-the-thing/) [Megan Phelps-Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-phelps-roper/) > [If smart people are parodying it, that's a sure sign that some less smart people are believing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/if-smart-people-are-parodying-it-that-s-a-sure-sign-that-some-less/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [I love 'Airplane,' and I love 'Naked Gun' and all those films, where you're parodying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barratt/i-love-airplane-and-i-love-naked-gun-and-all-those-films-where-you-re/) [Julian Barratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barratt/) > [The 'Room On Fire' tour was us parodying ourselves. It was almost comical when I look back at it. We were really living off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fab-moretti/the-room-on-fire-tour-was-us-parodying-ourselves-it-was-almost/) [Fab Moretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fab-moretti/) > [I fell into presenting after doing about a decade of parody shows of presenter-based shows, and a lot of it was me parodying a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-deayton/i-fell-into-presenting-after-doing-about-a-decade-of-parody-shows-of/) [Angus Deayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-deayton/) > [Build a house?" exclaimed John. "For the Wendy," said Curly. "For Wendy?" John said, aghast. "Why, she is only a girl!" "That," explained Curly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/build-a-house-exclaimed-john-for-the-wendy-said-curly-for-wendy-john/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am SHADOW, and my dwelling is near to the Catacombs of Ptolemais, and hard by those dim plains of Helusion which border upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/i-am-shadow-and-my-dwelling-is-near-to-the-catacombs-of-ptolemais-and/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [I once won a second prize in a history concert. My parents came to the ceremony. Somebody else had won the prize for best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-chua/i-once-won-a-second-prize-in-a-history-concert-my-parents-came-to-the/) [Amy Chua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-chua/) > [At daybreak, on the bleak sea-beach, A fisherman stood aghast, To see the form of a maiden fair, Lashed close to a drifting mast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/at-daybreak-on-the-bleak-sea-beach-a-fisherman-stood-aghast-to-see/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) > [Anecdote: The extent of Michael Jackson's fame at its height, and his eagerness to exploit it is shown by an incident in 1984 when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/anecdote-the-extent-of-michael-jackson-s-fame-at-its-height-and-his/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) ## More by Rowan Atkinson > [Without wanting to claim that I'm really like James Bond I would certainly prefer to be thought of as closer to James Bond than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/without-wanting-to-claim-that-i-m-really-like-james-bond-i-would/) [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) > [Get that right, then- if you get the quality right, then the marketability or whatever; your ability to sell videos or your ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/get-that-right-then-if-you-get-the-quality-right-then-the/) [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) > [Funny things tend not to happen to me. I am not a natural comic. I need to think about things a lot before I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/funny-things-tend-not-to-happen-to-me-i-am-not-a-natural-comic-i-need/) [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) > [Nope, I don't enjoy work generally. Not because I'm lazy; it's just all so stressful and worrying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/nope-i-don-t-enjoy-work-generally-not-because-i-m-lazy-it-s-just-all/) [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) > [A law which attempts to say you can criticise and ridicule ideas as long as they are not religious ideas is a very peculiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/a-law-which-attempts-to-say-you-can-criticise-and-ridicule-ideas-as/) [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) > [The path of my life is strewn with cow pats from the devil's own satanic herd!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/the-path-of-my-life-is-strewn-with-cow-pats-from-the-devil-s-own/) [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) > [I would never be a television presenter. It's not something I could ever do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/i-would-never-be-a-television-presenter-it-s-not-something-i-could/) [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) > [To criticise a person for their race is a manifestly irrational and ridiculous. But to criticise their religion - that is a right. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/to-criticise-a-person-for-their-race-is-a-manifestly-irrational-and/) [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) > [But I always feel that whatever I do, I could do better. I suppose it is perfectionism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/but-i-always-feel-that-whatever-i-do-i-could-do-better-i-suppose-it/) [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) > [Apart from the fact that your physical ability starts to decline, I also think someone in their fifties being childlike becomes a little sad.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/apart-from-the-fact-that-your-physical-ability-starts-to-decline-i/) [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) > [“To criticize a person for their race is manifestly irrational and ridiculous, but to criticize their religion, that is a right. That is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/to-criticize-a-person-for-their-race-is-manifestly-irrational-and/) [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) > [But, actually, so many of the clerics that I've met, particularly the Church of England clerics, are people of such extraordinary smugness and arrogance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/but-actually-so-many-of-the-clerics-that-i-ve-met-particularly-the/) [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) > [I'm not really a writer, so my main problem always is finding the writing talent to write something of the caliber that you would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/i-m-not-really-a-writer-so-my-main-problem-always-is-finding-the/) [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) > [I'm not a collector. I don't like the toy cupboard syndrome that causes so many good cars to evaporate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/i-m-not-a-collector-i-don-t-like-the-toy-cupboard-syndrome-that/) [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) > [If you're a serious actor, it's when you know you're going to die tomorrow that you really start to feel it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/if-you-re-a-serious-actor-it-s-when-you-know-you-re-going-to-die/) [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) [Explore all 120 Rowan Atkinson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) ## More Aghast quotes > [Anecdote: The extent of Michael Jackson's fame at its height, and his eagerness to exploit it is shown by an incident in 1984 when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/anecdote-the-extent-of-michael-jackson-s-fame-at-its-height-and-his/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [At daybreak, on the bleak sea-beach, A fisherman stood aghast, To see the form of a maiden fair, Lashed close to a drifting mast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/at-daybreak-on-the-bleak-sea-beach-a-fisherman-stood-aghast-to-see/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) > [I once won a second prize in a history concert. My parents came to the ceremony. Somebody else had won the prize for best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-chua/i-once-won-a-second-prize-in-a-history-concert-my-parents-came-to-the/) [Amy Chua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-chua/) > [I am SHADOW, and my dwelling is near to the Catacombs of Ptolemais, and hard by those dim plains of Helusion which border upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/i-am-shadow-and-my-dwelling-is-near-to-the-catacombs-of-ptolemais-and/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [Build a house?" exclaimed John. "For the Wendy," said Curly. "For Wendy?" John said, aghast. "Why, she is only a girl!" "That," explained Curly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/build-a-house-exclaimed-john-for-the-wendy-said-curly-for-wendy-john/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Somehow this madness must cease. We must stop now. I speak as a child of God and brother to the suffering poor of Vietnam.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somehow-this-madness-must-cease-we-must-stop-now-i-speak-as-a-child/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The show with Buckley and Vidal was happening live. There was no editing. There was no delay. So they were aghast. How America reacted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-neville/the-show-with-buckley-and-vidal-was-happening-live-there-was-no/) [Morgan Neville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-neville/) > [You must never believe what the newspapers say. I stand aghast at the impudence of the lies they contain, things not only false in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-brownell-jameson/you-must-never-believe-what-the-newspapers-say-i-stand-aghast-at-the/) [Anna Brownell Jameson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-brownell-jameson/) > [Alice?” She spun toward the door, her skirts whirling softly. “Yes?” she forced out. “Do you know what I am holding in my hand?”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaelen-foley/alice-she-spun-toward-the-door-her-skirts-whirling-softly-yes-she/) [Gaelen Foley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaelen-foley/) > [The love of writing comes at a very early age. For me, for instance, comic books so affected me. And a lot of people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-mosley/the-love-of-writing-comes-at-a-very-early-age-for-me-for-instance/) [Walter Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-mosley/) > [...surely there is something in madness, even the demoniac, which Satan flees, aghast at his own handiwork, and which God looks on in pity..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/surely-there-is-something-in-madness-even-the-demoniac-which-satan/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [Liberals think their campaign against Wal-Mart is a way of introducing the subject of class into America's political argument, and they are more correct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/liberals-think-their-campaign-against-wal-mart-is-a-way-of/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [I think Dr. Ben Carson is a unique political personality. He's what we call a conviction politician. He actually believes in what he says.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-henninger/i-think-dr-ben-carson-is-a-unique-political-personality-he-s-what-we/) [Daniel Henninger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-henninger/) > [By the grey woods, by the swamp, where the toad and newt encamp, by the dismal tarns and pools, where dwell the Gouls. By…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/by-the-grey-woods-by-the-swamp-where-the-toad-and-newt-encamp-by-the/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [Where nature with accustomed round Sweeps and garnishes the ground With kindly beauty, warm or cold Alternate seasons never old: Heathen, how furiously you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-graves/where-nature-with-accustomed-round-sweeps-and-garnishes-the-ground/) [Robert Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-graves/) [Browse all 19 Aghast quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aghast/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Having spent a substantial part of my career parodying religious figures from my own Christian background, I am aghast at the notion that it could, in effect, be made illegal to imply ridicule of a religion or to lampoon religious figures.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rowan Atkinson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/having-spent-a-substantial-part-of-my-career-parodying-religious/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Aghast" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/having-spent-a-substantial-part-of-my-career-parodying-religious/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae6/rowan-atkinson-3883_aghast_having-spent-a-substantial-part-of-my-ca_2056290.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae6/rowan-atkinson-3883_aghast_having-spent-a-substantial-part-of-my-ca_2056290.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae6/rowan-atkinson-3883_aghast_having-spent-a-substantial-part-of-my-ca_2056290.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Having spent a substantial part of my career parodying religious figures from my own Christian background, I…” — Rowan Atkinson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Rowan Atkinson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Having spent a substantial part of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/having-spent-a-substantial-part-of-my-career-parodying-religious/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/having-spent-a-substantial-part-of-my-career-parodying-religious/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```