---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I discarded the idea that God was…"
description: "\"“When I discarded the idea that God was not a man (as I had been raised to think and believe without question), I grew distant, and the flame that once..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/380/b-g-bowers-28158_burnt_when-i-discarded-the-idea-that-god-was-n_490717.jpg"
---

#  When I discarded the idea that God was not a man (as I had…

![“When I discarded the idea that God was not a man (as I had been raised to think and believe without question), I grew distant, and the flame that once lit my path began to flicker and hiss like a candle burnt to its wick, making longevity impossible without a new energy source.” quote by B.G. Bowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/380/b-g-bowers-28158_burnt_when-i-discarded-the-idea-that-god-was-n_490717.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/380/b-g-bowers-28158_burnt_when-i-discarded-the-idea-that-god-was-n_490717.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/380/b-g-bowers-28158_burnt_when-i-discarded-the-idea-that-god-was-n_490717.jpg)

> ““When I discarded the idea that God was not a man (as I had been raised to think and believe without question), I grew distant, and the flame that once lit my path began to flicker and hiss like a candle burnt to its wick, making longevity impossible without a new energy source.””

[B.G. Bowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-g-bowers/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Questioning divine humanity can dim spiritual drive, requiring new sources of inspiration to sustain purpose

**In simple terms:** Losing belief in God weakens motivation, needing new energy

Key Takeaway

Seek fresh inspiration when old beliefs falter

Themes

faith identity motivation

Mood

reflective hopeful

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- career crises
- spiritual doubt
- creative blocks

Key Concepts

existentialism spiritual renewal psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- What new sources can rekindle your purpose?
- Can community replace lost divine inspiration?

A Different Perspective

Rejection of God may not be the only cause of loss; community support can help

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Paradigm shift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paradigm-shift/) [Patriarchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriarchy/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/)

## Related quotes

> [The one who never valued my love Coincidentally I was loving only her That candle itself burnt my hand The one I was protecting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aj/the-one-who-never-valued-my-love-coincidentally-i-was-loving-only-her/)

AJ

> [Yes." His gaze grew distant. "If I'd have the chance, if my position permitted, I would have pleaded with her not to accept the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-britain/yes-his-gaze-grew-distant-if-i-d-have-the-chance-if-my-position/)

[Kristen Britain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-britain/)

> [Time drops in decay Like a candle burnt out. And the mountains and woods Have their day, have their day; But, kindly old rout…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/time-drops-in-decay-like-a-candle-burnt-out-and-the-mountains-and/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Our human knowledge is a candle burnt On a dim altar to a sun-vast Truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-aurobindo/our-human-knowledge-is-a-candle-burnt-on-a-dim-altar-to-a-sun-vast/)

[Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-aurobindo/)

> [We're living through a paradigm shift. People are going to look back at us and say, 'They used to cut people's legs off.' Then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lanza/we-re-living-through-a-paradigm-shift-people-are-going-to-look-back/)

[Robert Lanza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lanza/)

> [“In our humble12 opinion, the South in general’s attitude regarding the war and everything that came after needs a major paradigm shift. Put simply:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trae-crowder/in-our-humble12-opinion-the-south-in-general-s-attitude-regarding-the/)

[Trae Crowder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trae-crowder/)

> [“Changing the way LGBTQ individuals with chronic or life-limiting illnesses are cared for requires a paradigm shift in the way we (collectively, as health…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-d-acquaviva/changing-the-way-lgbtq-individuals-with-chronic-or-life-limiting/)

[Kimberly D. Acquaviva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-d-acquaviva/)

> [“Western Civilization was responsible for a paradigm shift in history. It created the industrial and scientific revolutions that enabled the birth of a transportation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-fulford/western-civilization-was-responsible-for-a-paradigm-shift-in-history/)

Benjamin Fulford

> [“Foremost, we need a paradigm shift in cultural attitudes towards gender stereotypes. Everyone—both men and women —needs to step outside of their comfort zone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alisa-melekhina/foremost-we-need-a-paradigm-shift-in-cultural-attitudes-towards/)

Alisa Melekhina

> [The progressive integration of new technologies in our economy amounts to a paradigm shift with a profound impact on the context and content of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-de-croo/the-progressive-integration-of-new-technologies-in-our-economy/)

[Alexander De Croo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-de-croo/)

> [We urgently need a paradigm shift in our concept of the purposes and practices of education. We need to leave behind the concept of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/we-urgently-need-a-paradigm-shift-in-our-concept-of-the-purposes-and/)

[Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/)

> [“Your reality may not be as bad as you see it through the lens of your eyes, but it’s because that’s how you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cosmina-movilescu/your-reality-may-not-be-as-bad-as-you-see-it-through-the-lens-of-your/)

Cosmina Movilescu

> [Citizens across the United States are now uniting in a great cause to establish a Department of Peace, seeking nothing less than the transformation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-kucinich/citizens-across-the-united-states-are-now-uniting-in-a-great-cause-to/)

[Dennis Kucinich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-kucinich/)

> [“Unlocking your potential begins with a paradigm shift.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/itayi-garande/unlocking-your-potential-begins-with-a-paradigm-shift/)

[Itayi Garande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/itayi-garande/)

> [The mantra of the new historicists was "we have betrayed ourselves." Since their emergence, there have been more or less interesting paradigm shifts having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-fry/the-mantra-of-the-new-historicists-was-we-have-betrayed-ourselves/)

[Paul Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-fry/)

## More by B.G. Bowers

> [“Death is the great disruptor; it thrusts us opposite life’s mirror, invites our truthful exploration, and reveals the naked truth; from which rebirth is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-g-bowers/death-is-the-great-disruptor-it-thrusts-us-opposite-life-s-mirror/)

[B.G. Bowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-g-bowers/)

> [“Survival depends on denial, and death comes swiftly to those who forsake it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-g-bowers/survival-depends-on-denial-and-death-comes-swiftly-to-those-who/)

[B.G. Bowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-g-bowers/)

> [“I sometimes marvel at how far I’ve come - blissful, even, in the knowledge that I am slowly becoming a well-evolved human being -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-g-bowers/i-sometimes-marvel-at-how-far-i-ve-come-blissful-even-in-the/)

[B.G. Bowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-g-bowers/)

> [“Secure your dreams for they are the wings of your soul, and, when vulnerable, flight is inconceivable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-g-bowers/secure-your-dreams-for-they-are-the-wings-of-your-soul-and-when/)

[B.G. Bowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-g-bowers/)

> [“Life was a bloody battlefield until I conquered the enemy and won the war. Now, life is a journey, and I am a warrior.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-g-bowers/life-was-a-bloody-battlefield-until-i-conquered-the-enemy-and-won-the/)

[B.G. Bowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-g-bowers/)

> [“I walked to Mairangi Bay beach, day after day, seeking companionship in the roar of the ocean, and contemplating the shipwreck of my life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-g-bowers/i-walked-to-mairangi-bay-beach-day-after-day-seeking-companionship-in/)

[B.G. Bowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-g-bowers/)

> [“Sometimes you have to cross the boundaries of Death in order to discover the meaning of Life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-g-bowers/sometimes-you-have-to-cross-the-boundaries-of-death-in-order-to/)

[B.G. Bowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-g-bowers/)

> [“There are those whose love awakens our own and those whose love undermines. As long as we are blind to this fact, true love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-g-bowers/there-are-those-whose-love-awakens-our-own-and-those-whose-love/)

[B.G. Bowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-g-bowers/)

> [“My hand-stitched wings itch to take flight to test the winds of change that inevitably blow at the end of a cycle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-g-bowers/my-hand-stitched-wings-itch-to-take-flight-to-test-the-winds-of/)

[B.G. Bowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-g-bowers/)

> [“Those who nurse secrets, nurse a chaotic world of amplified silence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-g-bowers/those-who-nurse-secrets-nurse-a-chaotic-world-of-amplified-silence/)

[B.G. Bowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-g-bowers/)

> [“When the door to suicide opens it becomes a viable option that you never considered before, but, once ajar, it initiates an invasion strategy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-g-bowers/when-the-door-to-suicide-opens-it-becomes-a-viable-option-that-you/)

[B.G. Bowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-g-bowers/)

> [“The loss of innocence is inevitable, but the death of innocence disturbs the natural order. The death of innocence causes an imbalance and initiates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-g-bowers/the-loss-of-innocence-is-inevitable-but-the-death-of-innocence/)

[B.G. Bowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-g-bowers/)

> [“In the end, it was the secrets that held me hostage and fuelled my depression, but, once released, emancipation - from fear, shame, guilt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-g-bowers/in-the-end-it-was-the-secrets-that-held-me-hostage-and-fuelled-my/)

[B.G. Bowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-g-bowers/)

> [“Change blows through the branches of our existence. It fortifies the roots on which we stand, infuses crimson experience with autumn hues, dismantles Winter’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-g-bowers/change-blows-through-the-branches-of-our-existence-it-fortifies-the/)

[B.G. Bowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-g-bowers/)

> [“Death descended like a theatrical storm over the Drakensberg Mountains, stranding me while it ran its course.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-g-bowers/death-descended-like-a-theatrical-storm-over-the-drakensberg/)

[B.G. Bowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-g-bowers/)

[Explore all 19 B.G. Bowers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-g-bowers/)

## More Burnt quotes

> [“Nothing. Where all was burnt to ash before them no fires were to be had and the nights were long and dark and cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/nothing-where-all-was-burnt-to-ash-before-them-no-fires-were-to-be/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [“You tried to so hard to forget me; you burnt the letters I made. Though my memory has been dying, I hope the feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-james/you-tried-to-so-hard-to-forget-me-you-burnt-the-letters-i-made-though/)

Joshua James

> [It was love at first sight. Until reality struck like lightning and burnt up everything leaving me with nothing but scars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-was-love-at-first-sight-until-reality-struck-like-lightning-and/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [A burnt dog dreads the fire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/a-burnt-dog-dreads-the-fire/)

[Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/)

> [“None of these is in line with your original ideal of using the alien civilization as a way to reform humanity. YE: I started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-cixin/none-of-these-is-in-line-with-your-original-ideal-of-using-the-alien/)

[Liu Cixin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-cixin/)

> [“A burnt broom that has had enough, and refuses to burn further...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/a-burnt-broom-that-has-had-enough-and-refuses-to-burn-further/)

[Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/)

> [“We burnt the salt and the herbs (in America it is correct to drop the h in herbs---it does sound odd.)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dodie-smith-i-capture-the-castle/we-burnt-the-salt-and-the-herbs-in-america-it-is-correct-to-drop-the/)

[Dodie Smith I Capture the Castle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dodie-smith-i-capture-the-castle/)

> [“Moth to a flame. Somehow we both got burnt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-mummert/moth-to-a-flame-somehow-we-both-got-burnt/)

[Teresa Mummert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-mummert/)

> [He was now in that state of fire that she loved. She wanted to be burnt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/he-was-now-in-that-state-of-fire-that-she-loved-she-wanted-to-be-burnt/)

[Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/)

> [The girl is lost ;she is burnt flesh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fad-ibra/the-girl-is-lost-she-is-burnt-flesh/)

[Fad Ibra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fad-ibra/)

> [A burnt child dreads the fair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sreenadh/a-burnt-child-dreads-the-fair/)

[Sreenadh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sreenadh/)

> [Alas! that my body, clean and whole, never been corrupted, today must be consumed and burnt to ashes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-of-arc/alas-that-my-body-clean-and-whole-never-been-corrupted-today-must-be/)

[Joan of Arc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-of-arc/)

> [There are also always those burnt, hard kernels at the bottom that don't pop. You know why they don't pop? They don't pop because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-maron/there-are-also-always-those-burnt-hard-kernels-at-the-bottom-that-don/)

[Marc Maron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-maron/)

> [Of the big horror movies of the '70s, you have 'The Omen,' 'The Sentinel,' 'Rosemary's Baby,' 'The Stepford Wives,' 'Burnt Offerings' - these are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/of-the-big-horror-movies-of-the-70s-you-have-the-omen-the-sentinel/)

[Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/)

> [In black Cataracts wouldn't whitewash away. Her filthy smoke stack she burnt me like a furnace for my future suicide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cradle-of-filth/in-black-cataracts-wouldn-t-whitewash-away-her-filthy-smoke-stack-she/)

[Cradle Of Filth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cradle-of-filth/)

Browse all 136 Burnt quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“When I discarded the idea that God was not a man (as I had been raised to think and believe without question), I grew distant, and the flame that once lit my path began to flicker and hiss like a candle burnt to its wick, making longevity impossible without a new energy source.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "B.G. Bowers"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-g-bowers/when-i-discarded-the-idea-that-god-was-not-a-man-as-i-had-been-raised/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Burnt"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-g-bowers/when-i-discarded-the-idea-that-god-was-not-a-man-as-i-had-been-raised/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/380/b-g-bowers-28158_burnt_when-i-discarded-the-idea-that-god-was-n_490717.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/380/b-g-bowers-28158_burnt_when-i-discarded-the-idea-that-god-was-n_490717.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/380/b-g-bowers-28158_burnt_when-i-discarded-the-idea-that-god-was-n_490717.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When I discarded the idea that God was not a man (as I had been raised to think and believe without…” — B.G. Bowers",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "B.G. Bowers",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-g-bowers/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“When I discarded the idea that...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-g-bowers/when-i-discarded-the-idea-that-god-was-not-a-man-as-i-had-been-raised/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-g-bowers/when-i-discarded-the-idea-that-god-was-not-a-man-as-i-had-been-raised/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
