Men rarely (if ever) manage to dream up a god superior to themselves. Most gods have the manners and morals of a spoiled child.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Heinlein suggests humans create gods in their own image, attributing childish behavior to them.
- In plain terms
- People make gods that act like spoiled children because they reflect human nature.
- What can you take from it?
- Recognize human traits in religious beliefs.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Do we imagine gods or do they exist?
- Why do deities have human flaws?
Another view
It reduces complex theology to psychological projection.
More from Robert A. Heinlein
Men are more sentimental than women. It blurs their thinking.
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Permalink to quote #105 Masturbation is cheap, clean, convenient, and free of any possibility of wrongdoing - and you don't have to go home in the cold. But it's lonely.
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