--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If God has made us in his image, we have…" description: "\"If God has made us in his image, we have returned him the favor.\" — Voltaire" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/voltaire-173_agnostic_if-god-has-made-us-in-his-image-we-have_1997223.png" --- # If God has made us in his image, we have returned him the… ![“If God has made us in his image, we have returned him the favor.” quote by Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/voltaire-173_agnostic_if-god-has-made-us-in-his-image-we-have_1997223.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/voltaire-173_agnostic_if-god-has-made-us-in-his-image-we-have_1997223.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/voltaire-173_agnostic_if-god-has-made-us-in-his-image-we-have_1997223.png) > “If God has made us in his image, we have returned him the favor.” [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If humans are made in God's image, they reciprocate by honoring that divine likeness within themselves. **In simple terms:** We reflect God's image by honoring each other. Key Takeaway Treat others with respect and dignity. Themes theology humanism ethics Mood inspirational reflective Type moral philosophical When to use this quote - interpersonal relationships - community building - leadership training - conflict resolution Key Concepts philosophy moral psychology Questions to Reflect On - What actions honor the divine in others? - How can we recognize the divine in ourselves? A Different Perspective Human flaws can obscure this reciprocity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agnostic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agnostic/) [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Atheist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheist/) [Favor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/favor/) [Favors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/favors/) [Funny atheist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny-atheist/) [Funny religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny-religious/) [God image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-image/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/image/) [Image Returned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/image-returned-3494314/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Returned Favor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/returned-favor-3494313/) ## Related quotes > [With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weinberg/with-or-without-religion-you-would-have-good-people-doing-good-things/) [Steven Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weinberg/) > [For good people to do evil things, it takes religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weinberg/for-good-people-to-do-evil-things-it-takes-religion/) [Steven Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weinberg/) > [Man would indeeded be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/man-would-indeeded-be-in-a-poor-way-if-he-had-to-be-restrained-by/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The most heinous and the most cruel crimes of which history has record have been committed under the cover of religion or equally noble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-most-heinous-and-the-most-cruel-crimes-of-which-history-has/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Those who believe absurdities will commit atrocities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/those-who-believe-absurdities-will-commit-atrocities/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/give-a-man-a-fish-and-he-will-eat-for-a-day-teach-a-man-to-fish-and-3/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [Believing there is no God gives me more room for belief in family, people, love, truth, beauty, sex, Jell-o, and all the other things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/believing-there-is-no-god-gives-me-more-room-for-belief-in-family/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [If I were not an atheist, I would believe in a God who would choose to save people on the basis of the totality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/if-i-were-not-an-atheist-i-would-believe-in-a-god-who-would-choose-to/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason: The Morning Daylight appears plainer when you put out your Candle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/the-way-to-see-by-faith-is-to-shut-the-eye-of-reason-the-morning/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [In God We Trust. I don't believe it would sound any better if it were true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/in-god-we-trust-i-don-t-believe-it-would-sound-any-better-if-it-were/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [In the past 10,000 years, humans have devised roughly 100,000 religions based on roughly 2,500 gods. So the only difference between myself and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shermer/in-the-past-10-000-years-humans-have-devised-roughly-100-000/) [Michael Shermer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shermer/) > [A person isn't considered insane if there are a number of people who believe the same way. Insanity isn't supposed to be a communicable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-pirsig/a-person-isn-t-considered-insane-if-there-are-a-number-of-people-who/) [Robert M. Pirsig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-pirsig/) > [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/) > [“George Bush says he speaks to god every day, and Christians love him for it. If George Bush said he spoke to god through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/george-bush-says-he-speaks-to-god-every-day-and-christians-love-him/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man living in the sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/religion-has-actually-convinced-people-that-there-s-an-invisible-man/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) ## More by Voltaire > [In every province, the chief occupations, in order of importance, are lovemaking, malicious gossip, and talking nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/in-every-province-the-chief-occupations-in-order-of-importance-are/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Fanaticism, to which men are so much inclined, has always served not only to render them more brutalized but more wicked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/fanaticism-to-which-men-are-so-much-inclined-has-always-served-not/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [History is the study of the world's crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/history-is-the-study-of-the-world-s-crime/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [We’re neither pure, nor wise, nor good; we do the best we know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/we-re-neither-pure-nor-wise-nor-good-we-do-the-best-we-know/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [It is with books as with men: a very small number play a great part, the rest are lost in the multitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/it-is-with-books-as-with-men-a-very-small-number-play-a-great-part/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Meslier was the most singular phenomenon ever seen among all the meteors fatal to the Christian religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/meslier-was-the-most-singular-phenomenon-ever-seen-among-all-the/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/every-sensible-man-every-honorable-man-must-hold-the-christian-sect/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Being unable to make people more reasonable, I preferred to be happy away from them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/being-unable-to-make-people-more-reasonable-i-preferred-to-be-happy/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [When his highness sends a ship to Egypt, does he trouble his head whether the mice on board are at their ease or not?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/when-his-highness-sends-a-ship-to-egypt-does-he-trouble-his-head/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Madness is to think of too many things in succession too fast, or of one thing too exclusively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/madness-is-to-think-of-too-many-things-in-succession-too-fast-or-of/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/god-gave-us-the-gift-of-life-it-is-up-to-us-to-give-ourselves-the/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [It is not inequality which is the real misfortune, it is dependence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/it-is-not-inequality-which-is-the-real-misfortune-it-is-dependence/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Providence has given us hope and sleep as a compensation for the many cares of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/providence-has-given-us-hope-and-sleep-as-a-compensation-for-the-many/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Men use thought only to justify their wrong doings, and employ speech only to conceal their thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/men-use-thought-only-to-justify-their-wrong-doings-and-employ-speech/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/work-spares-us-from-three-evils-boredom-vice-and-need/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) [Explore all 934 Voltaire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) ## 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": "If God has made us in his image, we have returned him the favor.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Voltaire" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/if-god-has-made-us-in-his-image-we-have-returned-him-the-favor/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Agnostic" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/if-god-has-made-us-in-his-image-we-have-returned-him-the-favor/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/voltaire-173_agnostic_if-god-has-made-us-in-his-image-we-have_1997223.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/voltaire-173_agnostic_if-god-has-made-us-in-his-image-we-have_1997223.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/voltaire-173_agnostic_if-god-has-made-us-in-his-image-we-have_1997223.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If God has made us in his image, we have returned him the favor.” — Voltaire", "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": "Voltaire", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If God has made us in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/if-god-has-made-us-in-his-image-we-have-returned-him-the-favor/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/if-god-has-made-us-in-his-image-we-have-returned-him-the-favor/#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 } } ] } ```