--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We do not believe in heaven or hell…" description: "\"“We do not believe in heaven or hell...; we do not believe in eternal damnation. We believe only in the unavoidable horror of hurting others and of lik..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/alice-walker-347_heaven-hell_we-do-not-believe-in-heaven-or-hell-we-d_672640.png" --- # We do not believe in heaven or hell...; we do not believe… ![“We do not believe in heaven or hell...; we do not believe in eternal damnation. We believe only in the unavoidable horror of hurting others and of likewise being hurt.” quote by Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/alice-walker-347_heaven-hell_we-do-not-believe-in-heaven-or-hell-we-d_672640.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/alice-walker-347_heaven-hell_we-do-not-believe-in-heaven-or-hell-we-d_672640.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/alice-walker-347_heaven-hell_we-do-not-believe-in-heaven-or-hell-we-d_672640.png) > ““We do not believe in heaven or hell...; we do not believe in eternal damnation. We believe only in the unavoidable horror of hurting others and of likewise being hurt.”” [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote stresses that moral responsibility comes from the pain we cause and receive, not from supernatural beliefs. **In simple terms:** We are accountable for hurting others and being hurt. Key Takeaway Recognize and reduce harm in relationships. Themes responsibility empathy humanity Mood reflective serious Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - social justice - conflict resolution Key Concepts moral philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does this view affect forgiveness? - Can we prevent harm without belief in afterlife? A Different Perspective It may overlook systemic factors that cause harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heaven or hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven-or-hell/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Hurting others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurting-others/) ## Related quotes > [I'll remember her not the one who made me felt like hell, but the one who made me believe that heaven exist ..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaypee/i-ll-remember-her-not-the-one-who-made-me-felt-like-hell-but-the-one/) [Jaypee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaypee/) > [I believe there's a heaven you know. Afterwards, there's, you know, a place called hell. And I believe it's when we have a relationship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-believe-there-s-a-heaven-you-know-afterwards-there-s-you-know-a/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I think, when we start dealing with heaven or hell issues, what we really need to gravitate toward is that man is an eternal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-d-jakes/i-think-when-we-start-dealing-with-heaven-or-hell-issues-what-we/) [T. D. Jakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-d-jakes/) > [“Being a vampire is not a curse. It’s a disease,” Tessa filled in. “But they still can’t enter hallowed ground, then? Does that mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/being-a-vampire-is-not-a-curse-it-s-a-disease-tessa-filled-in-but/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“I believe there is no heaven or hell. There are no devils or angels. No afterlife or salvation. My soul won't be incarnated or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhavya-kaushik/i-believe-there-is-no-heaven-or-hell-there-are-no-devils-or-angels-no/) [Bhavya Kaushik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhavya-kaushik/) > [“Being an atheist means you have to realise that when you die, that really is it. You've got to make the most of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-bellamy/being-an-atheist-means-you-have-to-realise-that-when-you-die-that-2/) [Matthew Bellamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-bellamy/) > [“Reader, did you ever hate? I hope not. I never did but once; and I trust I never shall again. Somebody has called it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-jacobs/reader-did-you-ever-hate-i-hope-not-i-never-did-but-once-and-i-trust/) [Harriet Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-jacobs/) > [I don't believe in Hell, but I believe in my parents' couch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-watsky/i-don-t-believe-in-hell-but-i-believe-in-my-parents-couch/) [George Watsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-watsky/) > [“I was in heaven, I was in hell, Believe in neither, But fear them as well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/modest-mouse/i-was-in-heaven-i-was-in-hell-believe-in-neither-but-fear-them-as-well/) [Modest Mouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/modest-mouse/) > [There is a hell, believe me i've seen it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-a-hell-believe-me-i-ve-seen-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Some folks believe. Some folds need to see to believe. Some folds need their loved ones hurled off the top of a castle by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/some-folks-believe-some-folds-need-to-see-to-believe-some-folds-need/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [“To hell with you all, I DO believe”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/to-hell-with-you-all-i-do-believe/) [Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/) > [I don't believe in hell. I believe in unemployment, but not hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/i-don-t-believe-in-hell-i-believe-in-unemployment-but-not-hell/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [Among us is a hell, believe me, I have seen it. Somewhere a far, lies a heaven. Let's keep it a secret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/among-us-is-a-hell-believe-me-i-have-seen-it-somewhere-a-far-lies-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is a Hell, believe me I've seen it There is a Heaven, let's keep it a secret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-a-hell-believe-me-i-ve-seen-it-there-is-a-heaven-let-s-keep/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Alice Walker > [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Just be what it is that you are, and that is just fine. You don't have to be what you're not in any way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/just-be-what-it-is-that-you-are-and-that-is-just-fine-you-don-t-have/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“Remember this-- say it & know it is true: Alice loves me Alice loves me and I am not blamed for this. ... she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/remember-this-say-it-know-it-is-true-alice-loves-me-alice-loves-me/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“Only the sky above us do we hold in common.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/only-the-sky-above-us-do-we-hold-in-common/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“Why aren't you happy in America, if everyone there drives motorcars?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/why-aren-t-you-happy-in-america-if-everyone-there-drives-motorcars/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“She saw poetry where other writers merely saw failure to cope with English.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/she-saw-poetry-where-other-writers-merely-saw-failure-to-cope-with/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [My mother had handed down respect for the possibilities...and the will to grasp them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/my-mother-had-handed-down-respect-for-the-possibilities-and-the-will/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Helped are those who are content to be themselves; they will never lack mystery in their lives and the joys of self-discovery will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/helped-are-those-who-are-content-to-be-themselves-they-will-never/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“As others might prepare for an exam whose subject matter is unknown to them, so I must study, cram, for every conversation with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/as-others-might-prepare-for-an-exam-whose-subject-matter-is-unknown/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [The original crime of niggers and lesbians is that they prefer themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/the-original-crime-of-niggers-and-lesbians-is-that-they-prefer/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [My mother was very strong. Once, she picked up a coconut and smashed it against my father's head. It taught me about women defending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/my-mother-was-very-strong-once-she-picked-up-a-coconut-and-smashed-it/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Many readers fail to realize this, but 'The Color Purple' is a theological text. It is about the reclamation of one's original God: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/many-readers-fail-to-realize-this-but-the-color-purple-is-a/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [The good news may be that Nature is phasing out the white man, but the bad news is that's who She thinks we all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/the-good-news-may-be-that-nature-is-phasing-out-the-white-man-but-the/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Humans - whatever billions we are - we don't have the control. We are considered expendable, basically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/humans-whatever-billions-we-are-we-don-t-have-the-control-we-are/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [All my life I had to fight. I had to fight my daddy. I had to fight my uncles. I had to fight my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/all-my-life-i-had-to-fight-i-had-to-fight-my-daddy-i-had-to-fight-my/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) [Explore all 654 Alice Walker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) ## More Heaven hell quotes > [The self is like a baseball. Throw it back to the divine pitcher who pitched it to you in the first place, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/the-self-is-like-a-baseball-throw-it-back-to-the-divine-pitcher-who/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [“There is no heaven or hell. No matter what you do while you're alive, everybody goes to the same place once you die. Death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsugumi-ohba/there-is-no-heaven-or-hell-no-matter-what-you-do-while-you-re-alive/) [Tsugumi Ohba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsugumi-ohba/) > [There is no God. There's no heaven. There's no hell. There are no angels. When you die, you go in the ground, the worms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/there-is-no-god-there-s-no-heaven-there-s-no-hell-there-are-no-angels/) [Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/) > [Marriage may be the closest thing to Heaven or Hell any of us will know on this earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-louis-cole/marriage-may-be-the-closest-thing-to-heaven-or-hell-any-of-us-will/) [Edwin Louis Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-louis-cole/) > [We're in the transition between birth and death. But the one that people often know about is the transition between the moment of death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-re-in-the-transition-between-birth-and-death-but-the-one-that/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [Better to reign in hell than serve in heav'n.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/better-to-reign-in-hell-than-serve-in-heav-n/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [“Look up at heaven and hell in the sky, for the stars are balls of fire suspended there by the angels.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/look-up-at-heaven-and-hell-in-the-sky-for-the-stars-are-balls-of-fire/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [By the skillful and sustained use of propaganda, one can make a people see even heaven as hell or an extremely wretched life as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/by-the-skillful-and-sustained-use-of-propaganda-one-can-make-a-people/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [For Jesus, heaven and hell were present realities. Ways of living we can enter into here and now. He talked very little of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/for-jesus-heaven-and-hell-were-present-realities-ways-of-living-we/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [If the Lord should bring a wicked man to heaven, heaven would be hell to him; for he who loves not grace upon earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-love/if-the-lord-should-bring-a-wicked-man-to-heaven-heaven-would-be-hell/) [Christopher Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-love/) > [“Dear Die-ary, I've been to heaven and hell...and I still don't know if there is a god or a devil. Still...it's something to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhonen-vasquez/dear-die-ary-i-ve-been-to-heaven-and-hell-and-i-still-don-t-know-if/) [Jhonen Vasquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhonen-vasquez/) > [“I play out the cards. They say: This is Heaven, this is Hell. It is one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-gulland/i-play-out-the-cards-they-say-this-is-heaven-this-is-hell-it-is-one/) [Sandra Gulland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-gulland/) > [What bliss will fill the ransomed souls, when they in glory dwell, to see the sinner as he rolls, in quenchless flames of hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-watts/what-bliss-will-fill-the-ransomed-souls-when-they-in-glory-dwell-to/) [Isaac Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-watts/) > [There is no heaven and there is no hell. They are not geographical, they are part of your psychology. They are psychological. To live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/there-is-no-heaven-and-there-is-no-hell-they-are-not-geographical/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“While life on earth offers many choices, eternity offers only two: heaven or hell. Your relationship to God on earth will determine your relationship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/while-life-on-earth-offers-many-choices-eternity-offers-only-two/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) Browse all 399 Heaven hell quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We do not believe in heaven or hell...; we do not believe in eternal damnation. 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