---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nothing that a Christian and a Muslim can…"
description: "\"“Nothing that a Christian and a Muslim can say to each other will render their beliefs mutually vulnerable to discourse, because the very tenets of the..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/077/sam-harris-457_christian_nothing-that-a-christian-and-a-muslim-ca_1786266.jpg"
---

#  Nothing that a Christian and a Muslim can say to each…

![“Nothing that a Christian and a Muslim can say to each other will render their beliefs mutually vulnerable to discourse, because the very tenets of their faith have immunized them against the power of conversation. Believing strongly, without evidence, they have kicked themselves loose of the…” quote by Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/077/sam-harris-457_christian_nothing-that-a-christian-and-a-muslim-ca_1786266.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/077/sam-harris-457_christian_nothing-that-a-christian-and-a-muslim-ca_1786266.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/077/sam-harris-457_christian_nothing-that-a-christian-and-a-muslim-ca_1786266.jpg)

> ““Nothing that a Christian and a Muslim can say to each other will render their beliefs mutually vulnerable to discourse, because the very tenets of their faith have immunized them against the power of conversation. Believing strongly, without evidence, they have kicked themselves loose of the world. It is therefore in the very nature of faith to serve as an impediment to further inquiry.””

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Faith often blocks open dialogue because beliefs are insulated from critique.

**In simple terms:** Faith can hinder conversation.

Key Takeaway

Encourage evidence‑based discussion.

Themes

religion dialogue critical thinking

Mood

critical analytical

Type

philosophical controversial

When to use this quote

- interfaith meetings
- public debates
- education

Key Concepts

philosophy skepticism

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we discuss beliefs respectfully?
- What role does faith play in personal identity?

A Different Perspective

Faith can also provide community and comfort.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Christian Muslim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-muslim-562984/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Conversation Believing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation-believing-1905206/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Faith Immunized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith-immunized-1905207/) [Islam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islam/) [Muslim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/muslim/) [Muslim Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/muslim-say-1905205/)

## Related quotes

> [One lie about God which we have heard said on T.V. is when someone says God made a mistake. We must not say these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/one-lie-about-god-which-we-have-heard-said-on-t-v-is-when-someone/)

[Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/)

> [“Why can't I be a Hindu, a Christian, and a Muslim?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/why-can-t-i-be-a-hindu-a-christian-and-a-muslim/)

[Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/)

> [“If you cannot be a human, instead you prefer to be a Christian, Muslim, Hindu or anything else, then how dare you call yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-you-cannot-be-a-human-instead-you-prefer-to-be-a-christian-muslim/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [I'll tell you that when an innocent person is killed, we never go about asking or inquiring whether they were Jewish or Christian or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hassan-rouhani/i-ll-tell-you-that-when-an-innocent-person-is-killed-we-never-go/)

[Hassan Rouhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hassan-rouhani/)

> [Just as there is no such thing as Christian physics or Muslim Algebra, we will see tht there is no such thing as Christian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/just-as-there-is-no-such-thing-as-christian-physics-or-muslim-algebra/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [Muslim moderates, wherever they are, must be given every tool necessary to win a war of ideas with their co-religionists. Otherwise, we will have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/muslim-moderates-wherever-they-are-must-be-given-every-tool-necessary/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [ “You'd know if you were \[a cat person\]. It's like being a Christian or a Muslim. You just KNOW when you are one.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-brown/you-d-know-if-you-were-a-cat-person-it-s-like-being-a-christian-or-a/)

[Helen Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-brown/)

> [ \[A\]ll churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Muslim, are simply human inventions. They use fear to enslave us. They are a monopoly for power and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/a-ll-churches-whether-jewish-christian-or-muslim-are-simply-human/)

[Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/)

> [The fundamentalists of every faith remain blind to the truth that the “sigh within the prayer is the same in the heart of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/the-fundamentalists-of-every-faith-remain-blind-to-the-truth-that-the/)

[David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/)

> [For many Sudanese, it's for strength they choose to be Christian rather than Muslim. My mum was a Muslim but she became a Christian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuel-jal/for-many-sudanese-it-s-for-strength-they-choose-to-be-christian/)

[Emmanuel Jal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuel-jal/)

> [It's quite common for a Sufi mystic to cry in ecstasy that he's neither a Jew, a Christian, nor a Muslim. He is at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/it-s-quite-common-for-a-sufi-mystic-to-cry-in-ecstasy-that-he-s/)

[Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/)

> [I don't want people to chop off the citizens' or anybody's heads in the Middle East, OK? Because they're Christian or Muslim or anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-don-t-want-people-to-chop-off-the-citizens-or-anybody-s-heads-in/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [I have come not to disturb or destroy any faith, but to confirm each in his own faith - so that the Christian becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sathya-sai-baba/i-have-come-not-to-disturb-or-destroy-any-faith-but-to-confirm-each/)

[Sathya Sai Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sathya-sai-baba/)

> [I as a Muslim want you, as a Christian, to really be a perfect Christian. I want my Jewish friends to be perfect Jews,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/feisal-abdul-rauf/i-as-a-muslim-want-you-as-a-christian-to-really-be-a-perfect/)

[Feisal Abdul Rauf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/feisal-abdul-rauf/)

> [I am from Scotland, and I am Christian, not Muslim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-stewart/i-am-from-scotland-and-i-am-christian-not-muslim/)

[Rory Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-stewart/)

## More by Sam Harris

> [“Moderates in every faith are obliged to loosely interpret (or simply ignore) much of their canons in the interests of living in the modern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/moderates-in-every-faith-are-obliged-to-loosely-interpret-or-simply/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [There is no question but that nominally religious scientists like Francis Collins and Kenneth R. Miller are doing lasting harm to our discourse by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/there-is-no-question-but-that-nominally-religious-scientists-like/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [We have Christians against Muslims against Jews, and no matter how liberal your theology, merely identifying yourself as a Christian or a Jew lends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/we-have-christians-against-muslims-against-jews-and-no-matter-how/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [“Your principal concern appears to be that the Creator of the universe will take offense at something people do while naked. This prudery of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/your-principal-concern-appears-to-be-that-the-creator-of-the-universe/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [“As manuals for contemplative understanding, the Bible and the Koran are worse than useless. Whatever wisdom can be found in their pages is never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/as-manuals-for-contemplative-understanding-the-bible-and-the-koran/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [About 120 million of us place the big bang 2,500 years after the Babylonians and Sumerians learned to brew beer. If our polls are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/about-120-million-of-us-place-the-big-bang-2-500-years-after-the/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [“If your golf instructor were to insist that you shave your head, sleep no more than four hours each night, renounce sex, and subsist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/if-your-golf-instructor-were-to-insist-that-you-shave-your-head-sleep/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [The fact that one can lose one's sense of self in an ocean of tranquility does not mean that one's consciousness is immaterial or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-fact-that-one-can-lose-one-s-sense-of-self-in-an-ocean-of/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [The second commandment is "Thou shall not construct any graven images." Is this really the pinnacle of what we can achieve morally? The second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-second-commandment-is-thou-shall-not-construct-any-graven-images/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [“But the reality of consciousness appears irreducible. Only consciousness can know itself—and directly, through first-person experience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/but-the-reality-of-consciousness-appears-irreducible-only/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [“Whether or not one likes Huntington's formulation, one thing is clear: the evil that has finally reached our shores is not merely the evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/whether-or-not-one-likes-huntington-s-formulation-one-thing-is-clear/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [The problem is that religion tends to give people bad reasons to be good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-problem-is-that-religion-tends-to-give-people-bad-reasons-to-be/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [Muslim moderates, wherever they are, must be given every tool necessary to win a war of ideas with their co-religionists. Otherwise, we will have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/muslim-moderates-wherever-they-are-must-be-given-every-tool-necessary/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [The idea that any one of our religions represents the infallible word of the One True God requires an encyclopedic ignorance of history, mythology,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-idea-that-any-one-of-our-religions-represents-the-infallible-word/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [“What could possibly cause billions of human beings to reconsider their religious beliefs? And yet, it is obvious that an utter revolution in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/what-could-possibly-cause-billions-of-human-beings-to-reconsider/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

[Explore all 543 Sam Harris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

## More Christian quotes

> [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/)

[Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/)

> [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/)

[Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/)

> [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Why do Christians sing when they are together? The reason is, quite simply, because in singing together it is possible for them to speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/why-do-christians-sing-when-they-are-together-the-reason-is-quite/)

[Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/)

> [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/)

[Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/)

> [“A question for Christians who accept evolution: When did we gain a "soul"? Did Homo habilis have a soul? Homo ergaster? Did God only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-mcafee/a-question-for-christians-who-accept-evolution-when-did-we-gain-a/)

[David G. McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-mcafee/)

> [Always have the fear of God in your heart, and remember that God is always with you, everywhere, whether you are walking or sitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennadius-of-constantinople/always-have-the-fear-of-god-in-your-heart-and-remember-that-god-is/)

[Gennadius of Constantinople](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennadius-of-constantinople/)

> [For many, the call to be a Christian can seem demanding, even overwhelming. But we need not be afraid or feel inadequate. The Savior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-hales/for-many-the-call-to-be-a-christian-can-seem-demanding-even/)

[Robert D. Hales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-hales/)

> [A real Christian in an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-real-christian-in-an-odd-number-anyway-he-feels-supreme-love-for/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When the Lord Jesus Christ became my surety . . . He went to Calvary's cross, and all my guilt was charged against Him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/when-the-lord-jesus-christ-became-my-surety-he-went-to-calvary-s/)

[Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/)

> [The world's history is a divine poem, of which the history of every nation is a canto, and every man a word. Its strains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/the-world-s-history-is-a-divine-poem-of-which-the-history-of-every/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [Poor David Hume is dying fast, but with more real cheerfulness and good humor and with more real resignation to the necessary course of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/poor-david-hume-is-dying-fast-but-with-more-real-cheerfulness-and/)

[Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/)

> [“Is there any holy beings like human beings?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/is-there-any-holy-beings-like-human-beings/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/)

[Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/)

> [We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/we-need-to-discover-all-over-again-that-worship-is-natural-to-the/)

[J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/)

[Browse all 14,306 Christian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Nothing that a Christian and a Muslim can say to each other will render their beliefs mutually vulnerable to discourse, because the very tenets of their faith have immunized them against the power of conversation. Believing strongly, without evidence, they have kicked themselves loose of the world. It is therefore in the very nature of faith to serve as an impediment to further inquiry.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sam Harris"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/nothing-that-a-christian-and-a-muslim-can-say-to-each-other-will/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Christian"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/nothing-that-a-christian-and-a-muslim-can-say-to-each-other-will/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/077/sam-harris-457_christian_nothing-that-a-christian-and-a-muslim-ca_1786266.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/077/sam-harris-457_christian_nothing-that-a-christian-and-a-muslim-ca_1786266.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/077/sam-harris-457_christian_nothing-that-a-christian-and-a-muslim-ca_1786266.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Nothing that a Christian and a Muslim can say to each other will render their beliefs mutually vulnerable to…” — Sam Harris",
                "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": "Sam Harris",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Nothing that a Christian and a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/nothing-that-a-christian-and-a-muslim-can-say-to-each-other-will/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/nothing-that-a-christian-and-a-muslim-can-say-to-each-other-will/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
