--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: By the very notion that God does not…" description: "\"“By the very notion that God does not exist an atheist embodies the idea of a supreme being by pondering the very existence he wishes to refute. How ca..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/586/tom-hamilton-283721_atheist_by-the-very-notion-that-god-does-not-exi_2652927.jpg" --- # By the very notion that God does not exist an atheist… ![“By the very notion that God does not exist an atheist embodies the idea of a supreme being by pondering the very existence he wishes to refute. How can you refute something you don't believe in? Just arguing against the nature of something implies it has attributes, which then must be recognized…” quote by Tom Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/586/tom-hamilton-283721_atheist_by-the-very-notion-that-god-does-not-exi_2652927.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/586/tom-hamilton-283721_atheist_by-the-very-notion-that-god-does-not-exi_2652927.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/586/tom-hamilton-283721_atheist_by-the-very-notion-that-god-does-not-exi_2652927.jpg) > ““By the very notion that God does not exist an atheist embodies the idea of a supreme being by pondering the very existence he wishes to refute. How can you refute something you don't believe in? Just arguing against the nature of something implies it has attributes, which then must be recognized because only something that exists has these characteristic traits. Even if the idea of no God exists in the non-believers mind, his thoughts make him more insidious than those proffesing to believe because the idea of a God is now planted in his mind and he spends all his time dwelling on the nature of something that doesn't exist, giving creation to the very thing he opposes, he has constructed his own God and it haunts him because it is with him daily as a nagging and bitter irony, that his very own mind has created, god who shall dwell within him embittering and confounding him in perpetuity.”” Tom Hamilton ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Argues that atheists inadvertently create a concept of God by debating its existence, leading to a mental construct that haunts them. **In simple terms:** Debating non‑existent concepts creates mental images. Key Takeaway Be aware of mental constructs in arguments. Themes atheism philosophy mind belief contradiction Mood analytical critical thought‑provoking Type Atheist:0 God exists:0 Religion:0 Notion God:0 Exist Atheist:0 Atheist Embodies:0 When to use this quote - debate preparation - personal introspection - academic writing Key Concepts ontology cognitive psychology theology Questions to Reflect On - Does debating a concept create belief? - How can one avoid mental constructs? A Different Perspective May overstate psychological impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atheist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheist/) [God exists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-exists/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [Morality may exist in an atheist without any religion, and in a theist with a religion quite unspiritual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-power-cobbe/morality-may-exist-in-an-atheist-without-any-religion-and-in-a-theist/) [Frances Power Cobbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-power-cobbe/) > [“I’ve lost my point. It was to the effect that you can assert the existence of something—Being—having not the slightest notion of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/i-ve-lost-my-point-it-was-to-the-effect-that-you-can-assert-the/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) > [“By night an atheist half believes in God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/by-night-an-atheist-half-believes-in-god/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) > [Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call on her tribunal for every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/fix-reason-firmly-in-her-seat-and-call-on-her-tribunal-for-every-fact/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“All atheists will go to heaven. If god exists, not believing in him does not take him away and he cannot justly condemn those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/all-atheists-will-go-to-heaven-if-god-exists-not-believing-in-him/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [To make sure that my blasphemy is thoroughly expressed, I hereby state my opinion that the notion of a god is a basic superstition,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-randi/to-make-sure-that-my-blasphemy-is-thoroughly-expressed-i-hereby-state/) [James Randi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-randi/) > [“I've spent a life-time attacking religious beliefs and have not wavered from a view of the universe that many would regard as bleak. Namely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-adams/i-ve-spent-a-life-time-attacking-religious-beliefs-and-have-not/) [Phillip Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-adams/) > [“So the popular notion that “God will never give us more than we can handle” is in reality a blatant falsehood—a lie. He will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-j-bargerhuff/so-the-popular-notion-that-god-will-never-give-us-more-than-we-can/) [Eric J. Bargerhuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-j-bargerhuff/) > [I am of course a skeptic about the divinity of Christ and a scorner of the notion that there is a God who cares…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-am-of-course-a-skeptic-about-the-divinity-of-christ-and-a-scorner/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [My view is that science only has something to say about a very particular notion of God, which goes by the name of 'god…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/my-view-is-that-science-only-has-something-to-say-about-a-very/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [Although the notion of one god may give comfort to those in need of a daddy, it reminds the rest of us that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/although-the-notion-of-one-god-may-give-comfort-to-those-in-need-of-a/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [“Consider again that pale blue dot...imagine that you take a good long look at it, imagine that you are starring at it for any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/consider-again-that-pale-blue-dot-imagine-that-you-take-a-good-long/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“The origin of superstition above given affords us a clear reason for the fact, that it comes to all men naturally, though some refer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-origin-of-superstition-above-given-affords-us-a-clear-reason-for/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“I was deeply moved by this, moved by how tremendous it felt to be so simply trusted, and I found myself thinking about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-hart/i-was-deeply-moved-by-this-moved-by-how-tremendous-it-felt-to-be-so/) [Miranda Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-hart/) > [“Technically, according to the notion of the will of God, there is no such a thing as a competent surgeon.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/technically-according-to-the-notion-of-the-will-of-god-there-is-no/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) ## More Atheist quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [That the world is in a bad shape is undeniable, but there is not the faintest reason in history to suppose that Christianity offers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/that-the-world-is-in-a-bad-shape-is-undeniable-but-there-is-not-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. 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He smiled, with his hands folded, saw his daughter's in-laws approaching near.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhavik-sarkhedi/the-atheist-joined-his-hands-it-wasn-t-against-the-gods-he-smiled/) [Bhavik Sarkhedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhavik-sarkhedi/) > [I am surprised that anyone can profess to be an atheist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/i-am-surprised-that-anyone-can-profess-to-be-an-atheist/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [“I have found it an amusing strategy, when asked whether I am an atheist, to point out that the questioner is also an atheist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-have-found-it-an-amusing-strategy-when-asked-whether-i-am-an/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [An Atheist wandering down a road where he meets up a four road junction , he asks a passer by hey !, where does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/an-atheist-wandering-down-a-road-where-he-meets-up-a-four-road/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [Good churches are not built by bad men; at least, there must be probity and enthusiasm somewhere in the society. These minsters were neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/good-churches-are-not-built-by-bad-men-at-least-there-must-be-probity/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [An ineffably holy God, who has the utmost abhorrence of sin, was never invented by any of Adam's descendents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/an-ineffably-holy-god-who-has-the-utmost-abhorrence-of-sin-was-never/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [If all the Atheists & Agnostics left America, they'd lose 93% of The National Academy of Sciences & less than 1% of the prison population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-gervais/if-all-the-atheists-agnostics-left-america-they-d-lose-93-of-the/) [Ricky Gervais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-gervais/) > [I am an atheist. I don't think there's anything divine. Beautiful, impressive, awe-inspiring - sure, but not divine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomy-arpaly/i-am-an-atheist-i-don-t-think-there-s-anything-divine-beautiful/) [Nomy Arpaly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomy-arpaly/) > [I am like all other atheists only in that I do not believe there are any gods. Beyond that, I may differ dramatically in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-carrier/i-am-like-all-other-atheists-only-in-that-i-do-not-believe-there-are/) [Richard Carrier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-carrier/) [Browse all 2,434 Atheist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“By the very notion that God does not exist an atheist embodies the idea of a supreme being by pondering the very existence he wishes to refute. How can you refute something you don't believe in? 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