I was discussing certain elements of the whole existence of deities with a like-minded fellow forumite, and I wanted to share with her a particular quote that has always resonated with me, but I simply cannot find who said it. My google skills are not up to the task.

I may be paraphrasing, but as I remember it it goes

"God created man in his own image, and we have certainly repaid the compliment".

Ring any bells with anyone?

I've seen this on a t-shirt. A quick Google search doesn't give me a source though, seems like the author is unknown.

virphen wrote:I was discussing certain elements of the whole existence of deities with a like-minded fellow forumite, and I wanted to share with her a particular quote that has always resonated with me, but I simply cannot find who said it. My google skills are not up to the task.

I may be paraphrasing, but as I remember it it goes

"God created man in his own image, and we have certainly repaid the compliment".

Ring any bells with anyone?

Hume? Or one of the Marx brothers!

It's Voltaire.

Thanks Callan!

yes, it is Voltaire:


"Si Dieu nous a faits à son image, nous le lui avons bien rendu."

I think this would translate as "If God created us in his image, we certainly paid him back."

Callan wrote:It's Voltaire.

Thanks, I did search for that as I had the impression it was, but couldn't find it, but your post made my look harder and I did find a few references to that quote in the form "God made man in his own image and ever since man has been seeking to return the compliment". But I can't find where he is supposed to have said it, but it doesn't really matter.

virphen wrote:

Callan wrote:It's Voltaire.

Thanks, I did search for that as I had the impression it was, but couldn't find it, but your post made my look harder and I did find a few references to that quote in the form "God made man in his own image and ever since man has been seeking to return the compliment". But I can't find where he is supposed to have said it, but it doesn't really matter.

Apparently it's in his notebooks Notebooks (c.1735-c.1750)

Doh, I was only looking for an English translation

Great quote - reminds me of Montaigne's quip, "Oh senseless man, who cannot possibly make a worm or a flea and yet will create Gods by the dozen!"

Wish I hadn't lost that copy of The Portable Voltaire - he's always good for a bon mot, especially on religion.

Pierre Laplace gave a copy of his work Celestial Mechanics to Napoleon. Napoleon was advised that there was no mention of God in the work, which was mighty piece of mathematics. Napoleon, teasing Laplace, said he noticed there was no mention of God in the work. Laplace looked shocked and said, 'But , majesty , I had no need of such a hypothesis.'

God created man in his image, and man, being a gentleman, returned the favour.

This what you are looking for? Currently being used by a forumite on another site as his sig.

Look up DeepThought on http://openforum.mweb.co.za

I was looking for the quote "God created man in His own image, and man, being a gentleman, returned the compliment." Finally found it as being from Mark Twain. Twain might have been paraphrasing Voltaire, or another similar quote I found as originating with Jean-Jacques Rousseau: "God created man in his own image. And man, being a gentleman, returned the favor."

abr wrote:I was looking for the quote "God created man in His own image, and man, being a gentleman, returned the compliment." Finally found it as being from Mark Twain. Twain might have been paraphrasing Voltaire, or another similar quote I found as originating with Jean-Jacques Rousseau: "God created man in his own image. And man, being a gentleman, returned the favor."

Welcome to the forum.