--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is hard to see how a great man can be…" description: "\"It is hard to see how a great man can be an atheist. Without the sustaining influence of faith in a divine power we could have little faith in ourselve..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/calvin-coolidge-764_achieve_it-is-hard-to-see-how-a-great-man-can-be_2880366.jpg" --- # It is hard to see how a great man can be an atheist… ![“It is hard to see how a great man can be an atheist. Without the sustaining influence of faith in a divine power we could have little faith in ourselves. We need to feel that behind us is intelligence and love. Doubters do not achieve; skeptics do not contribute; cynics do not create. Faith is the…” quote by Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/calvin-coolidge-764_achieve_it-is-hard-to-see-how-a-great-man-can-be_2880366.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/calvin-coolidge-764_achieve_it-is-hard-to-see-how-a-great-man-can-be_2880366.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/calvin-coolidge-764_achieve_it-is-hard-to-see-how-a-great-man-can-be_2880366.jpg) > “It is hard to see how a great man can be an atheist. Without the sustaining influence of faith in a divine power we could have little faith in ourselves. We need to feel that behind us is intelligence and love. Doubters do not achieve; skeptics do not contribute; cynics do not create. Faith is the great motive power, and no man realizes his full possibilities unless he has the deep conviction that life is eternally important, and that his work, well done, is a part of an unending plan.” [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Faith in a higher power fuels self‑confidence and achievement; without it, doubt hinders progress. **In simple terms:** Faith inspires personal potential. Key Takeaway Cultivate belief in purpose. Themes faith purpose potential Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal development - spiritual practice - leadership training Key Concepts existential meaning psychological motivation Questions to Reflect On - How does purpose arise without faith? - Can secular meaning motivate similarly? A Different Perspective Secular perspectives may reject divine faith. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Atheist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheist/) [Conviction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conviction/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine/) [Divine power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine-power/) [Doubters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubters/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Great man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-man/) [Great men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-men/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Little faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-faith/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Motive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motive/) [Possibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility/) [Skeptic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skeptic/) [Unending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unending/) ## Related quotes > [It is hard to see how a great man can be an atheist. . . . We need to feel that behind us is intelligence and love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/it-is-hard-to-see-how-a-great-man-can-be-an-atheist-we-need-to-feel/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [The United States is at a turning point because of a decreasing influence of faith .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/os-guinness/the-united-states-is-at-a-turning-point-because-of-a-decreasing/) [Os Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/os-guinness/) > [God gave me the gift of faith. I don't mean that in any miraculous sense, I mean through the parents who educated me, through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/god-gave-me-the-gift-of-faith-i-don-t-mean-that-in-any-miraculous/) [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) > [Faith is the great motive power, and no man realizes his full possibilities unless he has the deep conviction that life is eternally important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/faith-is-the-great-motive-power-and-no-man-realizes-his-full/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [Doubters do not achieve; skeptics do not contribute; cynics do not create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/doubters-do-not-achieve-skeptics-do-not-contribute-cynics-do-not/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [My personal attitude toward atheists is the same attitude that I have toward Christians, and would be governed by a very orthodox text: "By…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/my-personal-attitude-toward-atheists-is-the-same-attitude-that-i-have-2/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [The footprint of the savage traced in the sand is sufficient to attest the presence of man to the atheist who will not recognize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-miller/the-footprint-of-the-savage-traced-in-the-sand-is-sufficient-to/) [Hugh Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-miller/) > [Whether the man is an atheist or a Christian, I would judge him by his fruits, and I have therefore many agnostic friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/whether-the-man-is-an-atheist-or-a-christian-i-would-judge-him-by-his/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Man can be an atheist only in theory, not in practice, because the universe is too frightening and too chaotic to be too independent!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/man-can-be-an-atheist-only-in-theory-not-in-practice-because-the/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [A little philosophy makes a man an Atheist: a great deal converts him to religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/a-little-philosophy-makes-a-man-an-atheist-a-great-deal-converts-him/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [A pious man is one who would be an atheist if the king were.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-pious-man-is-one-who-would-be-an-atheist-if-the-king-were/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [“By the time I had complete my 22nd year, I was a new man - an atheist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bela-bartok/by-the-time-i-had-complete-my-22nd-year-i-was-a-new-man-an-atheist/) [Béla Bartók](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bela-bartok/) > [“It doesn't sound logical to say that a man is an atheist just because he's probably someone who knows his own God...personally.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta-betelgeuse-incident/it-doesn-t-sound-logical-to-say-that-a-man-is-an-atheist-just-because/) [Toba Beta \[Betelgeuse Incident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta-betelgeuse-incident/) > [I consider myself spiritual and I'm married to a man who is both an atheist and a humanist, and my kids have been raised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-consider-myself-spiritual-and-i-m-married-to-a-man-who-is-both-an/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [A man cannot become an atheist merely by wishing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/a-man-cannot-become-an-atheist-merely-by-wishing-it/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) ## More by Calvin Coolidge > [Not all those who are attempting to conduct successful businesses are profiteers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/not-all-those-who-are-attempting-to-conduct-successful-businesses-are/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [A wholesome regard for the memory of the great men of long ago is the best assurance to a people of a continuation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/a-wholesome-regard-for-the-memory-of-the-great-men-of-long-ago-is-the/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [“I have noticed that nothing I have never said ever did me any harm.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/i-have-noticed-that-nothing-i-have-never-said-ever-did-me-any-harm/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [“It has been my observation in life that, if one will only exercise the patience to wait, his wants are likely to be filled.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/it-has-been-my-observation-in-life-that-if-one-will-only-exercise-the/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [The man who builds a factory builds a temple, that the man who works there worships there, and to each is due, not scorn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/the-man-who-builds-a-factory-builds-a-temple-that-the-man-who-works/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [The property of the people belongs to the people. 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