Religion is about turning untested belief into unshakable truth through the power of institutions and the passage of time.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Dawkins defines religion as institutionalized belief that becomes unshakable over time. He suggests institutions cement ideas without testing them.
- In plain terms
- Religion turns untested beliefs into facts using institutions.
- What can you take from it?
- Institutions can lock beliefs before testing.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What makes a belief hard to question?
Another view
Some beliefs persist for reasons other than institutional power.
More from Richard Dawkins
I want to examine that dangerous thing that's common to Judaism and Christianity as well: the process of non-thinking called faith.
Permalink to quote #73 One of the things that is wrong with religion is that it teaches us to be satisfied with answers which are not really answers at all.
Permalink to quote #75 What worries me about religion is that it teaches people to be satisfied with not understanding.
Permalink to quote #72
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