Why is it that when we talk to God we’re said to be praying but when God talks to us we’re schizophrenic?

The quip highlights how society polices the boundary between accepted spirituality and pathologized experience. By framing prayer and “hearing God” as parallel acts, Tomlin points to the role of authority and consensus in deciding what counts as faith versus delusion. The humor doesn’t simply mock religion; it questions the arbitrariness of labels and invites empathy for people whose inner experiences are dismissed or medicalized. At the same time, it underscores a tension in religious language: many traditions describe a reciprocal relationship with the divine, yet modern secular culture often treats direct divine communication as suspect.

1) "Why is it that when we talk to God, we're said to be praying; but when God talks to us, we're schizophrenic?" 2) "When we talk to God, it's prayer. When God talks to us, it's schizophrenia." 3) "If I talk to God, I'm praying. If God talks to me, I'm schizophrenic."