Credulity Quote by Thomas Paine
““I have spoken of Jonah, and of the story of him and the whale. — A fit story for ridicule, if it was written to be believed; or of laughter, if it was intended to try what credulity could swallow; for, if it could swallow Jonah and the whale it could swallow anything.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Age of Reason, 1794
The Jonah story illustrates that if a tale can be believed, it can also be mocked; belief and ridicule are two sides of credulity.
In simple terms: Stories can be both believed and ridiculed.
Key Takeaway
Question the plausibility of narratives.
Themes
faith
skepticism
mythology
Mood
critical
skeptical
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- religious discourse
- education
- media analysis
Key Concepts
literature
critical thinking
belief systems
Questions to Reflect On
- What narratives do we accept without scrutiny?
- How does ridicule challenge authority?
A Different Perspective
Blind belief may ignore evidence.
![“That many good men have believed this strange fable [Christianity], and lived very good lives under that belief (for credulity is not a crime) is what I have no doubt of. In the first place, they were educated to believe it, and they would have believed anything else in the same manner . There are…” quote by Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ef2/thomas-paine-267_absurdity_that-many-good-men-have-believed-this-st_2075778.jpg)
