--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I cannot say for sure when my reliable…" description: "\"“I cannot say for sure when my reliable ideas about God began to slip away, but the big chest I used to keep them in is smaller than a shoebox now. Mos..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c8/barbara-brown-taylor-3225_ashamed_i-cannot-say-for-sure-when-my-reliable-i_233778.png" --- # I cannot say for sure when my reliable ideas about God… ![“I cannot say for sure when my reliable ideas about God began to slip away, but the big chest I used to keep them in is smaller than a shoebox now. Most of the time, I feel so ashamed about this that I do not own up to it unless someone else mentions it first. Then we find a quiet place where we…” quote by Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c8/barbara-brown-taylor-3225_ashamed_i-cannot-say-for-sure-when-my-reliable-i_233778.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c8/barbara-brown-taylor-3225_ashamed_i-cannot-say-for-sure-when-my-reliable-i_233778.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c8/barbara-brown-taylor-3225_ashamed_i-cannot-say-for-sure-when-my-reliable-i_233778.png) > ““I cannot say for sure when my reliable ideas about God began to slip away, but the big chest I used to keep them in is smaller than a shoebox now. Most of the time, I feel so ashamed about this that I do not own up to it unless someone else mentions it first. Then we find a quiet place where we can talk about what it is like to feel more and more devoted to a relationship that we are less and less able to say anything about.”” [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Faith can feel less certain over time, leading to shame and silence unless openly discussed. **In simple terms:** Faith can become uncertain and cause shame. Key Takeaway Talk openly about doubts to reduce shame. Themes faith shame communication spirituality Mood reflective introspective Type personal spiritual When to use this quote - personal counseling - faith groups - journaling - supportive friendships Key Concepts existential doubt personal growth religious identity Questions to Reflect On - How does sharing doubt change your relationship with faith? - What safe spaces help you discuss spiritual uncertainty? A Different Perspective Silence can deepen isolation and prevent healing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ashamed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ashamed/) [Quiet place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quiet-place/) ## Related quotes > [“Or my eyes go back to seeing it that way. When I entered the cave hoping for a glimpse of celestial brightness, it never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/or-my-eyes-go-back-to-seeing-it-that-way-when-i-entered-the-cave/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [To be shame-bound means that whenever you feel any feeling, need or drive, you immediately feel ashamed. The dynamic core of your human life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/to-be-shame-bound-means-that-whenever-you-feel-any-feeling-need-or/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [Under the ground seep the toxins of the population that lives above. If you have to, you will eat roots and earthworms. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/under-the-ground-seep-the-toxins-of-the-population-that-lives-above/) [Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) > [Saying I feel guilty is a mere form of words. Saying I feel ashamed is not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/saying-i-feel-guilty-is-a-mere-form-of-words-saying-i-feel-ashamed-is/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [I feel ashamed that so many of us cannot imagine a better way to do things than locking children up all day in cells…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/i-feel-ashamed-that-so-many-of-us-cannot-imagine-a-better-way-to-do/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) > [Remembering That: Your have been right to doubt the abilities of someone But on the basis of incomplete information to act out this you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/remembering-that-your-have-been-right-to-doubt-the-abilities-of/) Mak\_786 > [Made me feel ashamed of belonging to these overpowering, technical superior countries fighting against what seemed to me quite defenseless people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-blake/made-me-feel-ashamed-of-belonging-to-these-overpowering-technical/) [George Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-blake/) > [I don't feel ashamed of my wife's political background, and I don't think she should either. I feel that the people who administered the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-rea/i-don-t-feel-ashamed-of-my-wife-s-political-background-and-i-don-t/) [Stephen Rea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-rea/) > [“All worries and troubles have gone from my breast and I play joyfully far from the world For a person of Zen no limits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mus-soseki/all-worries-and-troubles-have-gone-from-my-breast-and-i-play-joyfully/) [Musō Soseki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mus-soseki/) > [I am one of the many Scots who has had to leave Scotland in order to find employment so I in no way feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-macfadyen/i-am-one-of-the-many-scots-who-has-had-to-leave-scotland-in-order-to/) [Angus Macfadyen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-macfadyen/) > [I never reread what I've written. I'm far too afraid to feel ashamed of what I've done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/i-never-reread-what-i-ve-written-i-m-far-too-afraid-to-feel-ashamed/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [Don't feel ashamed for having those feelings and those memories. What happened in the past can't be changed, but they can be a guide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-v-snyder/don-t-feel-ashamed-for-having-those-feelings-and-those-memories-what/) [Maria V. Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-v-snyder/) > [“You see, this happened a few months ago, but it's still going on right now, and it ought to make us feel ashamed when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/you-see-this-happened-a-few-months-ago-but-it-s-still-going-on-right/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [“When somebody, no matter who, gives everything, it makes people feel ashamed for him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/when-somebody-no-matter-who-gives-everything-it-makes-people-feel/) [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) > [Experience is the only real teacher and if you keep a diary you get three bites at educating yourself - when it happens, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/experience-is-the-only-real-teacher-and-if-you-keep-a-diary-you-get/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) ## More by Barbara Brown Taylor > [The poets began drifting away from churches as the jurists grew louder and more insistent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/the-poets-began-drifting-away-from-churches-as-the-jurists-grew/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [I decided I got to say whether I was Christian or not, and so I've relaxed enormously since then. I'm the one who gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/i-decided-i-got-to-say-whether-i-was-christian-or-not-and-so-i-ve/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [Having been brought up with a definition of faith as adherence to a set of beliefs, I have more and more begun to turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/having-been-brought-up-with-a-definition-of-faith-as-adherence-to-a/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [I don't miss the ministry, because I'm completely engaged in it. 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It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/the-beauty-in-the-losing-is-a-loss-finally-of-self-consciousness/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [“The world for which you have been so carefully prepared is being taken away from you,' he said, 'by the grace of God.' (Walter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/the-world-for-which-you-have-been-so-carefully-prepared-is-being-2/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [So if waiting is an aggravation, it is at least partly because we do not like being reminded of our limits. We like doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/so-if-waiting-is-an-aggravation-it-is-at-least-partly-because-we-do/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [Jesus was not killed by atheism and anarchy. He was brought down by law and order allied with religion, which is always a deadly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/jesus-was-not-killed-by-atheism-and-anarchy-he-was-brought-down-by/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [It can be difficult to be an introvert in church, especially if you happen to be the pastor. Liking to be alone can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/it-can-be-difficult-to-be-an-introvert-in-church-especially-if-you/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [I'm a follower of the Christ path, and that opens a huge discussion about what we even mean by words like "Christian."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/i-m-a-follower-of-the-christ-path-and-that-opens-a-huge-discussion/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) [Explore all 136 Barbara Brown Taylor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) ## More Ashamed quotes > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [I know what you're thinking... and you oughtta be ashamed of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-preston/i-know-what-you-re-thinking-and-you-oughtta-be-ashamed-of-yourself/) Robert Preston > [You never meet the writer when you're making a TV movie in America - they're too ashamed to show up and see how their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/you-never-meet-the-writer-when-you-re-making-a-tv-movie-in-america/) [Joe Don Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-don-baker/) > [I'm not ashamed of the things I believe and why I believe them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/i-m-not-ashamed-of-the-things-i-believe-and-why-i-believe-them/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [If, with all the time at my disposal, with all the wealth of the resources of this vast universe, to do with as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/if-with-all-the-time-at-my-disposal-with-all-the-wealth-of-the/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [“with her own life. And I was ashamed.” Humiliated. Broken. Miserable. If Wilcher had stood by Jaymee, if her father hadn’t berated her, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-green/with-her-own-life-and-i-was-ashamed-humiliated-broken-miserable-if/) Stacy Green > [You should avoid hedging, at least that's what I think. You should be ashamed to die until you've made some contribution to mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-johns/you-should-avoid-hedging-at-least-that-s-what-i-think-you-should-be/) Vernon Johns > [There was no mistake in us making abortion legal and available on demand. That was what we call progress. Just like it was no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ruffalo/there-was-no-mistake-in-us-making-abortion-legal-and-available-on/) [Mark Ruffalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ruffalo/) > [“When all are undressed, one is somehow not ashamed, but when one's the only one undressed and everybody is looking, it's degrading,' he kept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/when-all-are-undressed-one-is-somehow-not-ashamed-but-when-one-s-the/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [There are a great many colored people who are ashamed of the cake-walk, but I think they ought to be proud of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-weldon-johnson/there-are-a-great-many-colored-people-who-are-ashamed-of-the-cake/) [James Weldon Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-weldon-johnson/) > [I love him who is ashamed when the dice fall in his favour, and who then asketh: "Am I a dishonest player?" - for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/i-love-him-who-is-ashamed-when-the-dice-fall-in-his-favour-and-who/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zondervan-publishing/whoever-is-ashamed-of-me-and-my-words-the-son-of-man-will-be-ashamed/) [Zondervan Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zondervan-publishing/) > [You were never created to live depressed, defeated, guilty, condemned, ashamed or unworthy. You were created to be victorious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/you-were-never-created-to-live-depressed-defeated-guilty-condemned/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I never wonder to see men wicked, but I often wonder to see them not ashamed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/i-never-wonder-to-see-men-wicked-but-i-often-wonder-to-see-them-not/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [“To survive during the Khmer Rouge, you had to steal, cheat, lie, point fingers at others, even kill. And now you are ashamed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-brinkley/to-survive-during-the-khmer-rouge-you-had-to-steal-cheat-lie-point/) [Joel Brinkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-brinkley/) [Browse all 1,607 Ashamed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ashamed/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I cannot say for sure when my reliable ideas about God began to slip away, but the big chest I used to keep them in is smaller than a shoebox now. Most of the time, I feel so ashamed about this that I do not own up to it unless someone else mentions it first. 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