--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can't get through seminary and come…" description: "\"You can't get through seminary and come out believing in God!\" — Daniel Dennett" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/daniel-dennett-3895_believe_you-can-t-get-through-seminary-and-come_2860676.png" --- # You can't get through seminary and come out believing in… ![“You can't get through seminary and come out believing in God!” quote by Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/daniel-dennett-3895_believe_you-can-t-get-through-seminary-and-come_2860676.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/daniel-dennett-3895_believe_you-can-t-get-through-seminary-and-come_2860676.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/daniel-dennett-3895_believe_you-can-t-get-through-seminary-and-come_2860676.png) > “You can't get through seminary and come out believing in God!” [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) ## 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 critiques the notion that formal religious training guarantees belief, highlighting that rational inquiry can lead to doubt. **In simple terms:** Religious study doesn't ensure faith. Key Takeaway Question assumptions about faith formation. Themes religion education skepticism belief critical thinking Mood thoughtful analytical Type critical philosophical When to use this quote - seminary students - theology scholars - faith seekers - academic curricula Key Concepts philosophy of religion cognitive dissonance Questions to Reflect On - How does education influence belief? - Can doubt coexist with religious practice? A Different Perspective Belief may persist despite rigorous study; personal experience matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe in god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-in-god/) [Believing God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believing-god/) [Believing In God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believing-in-god/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [A nation can assume that the addition of the words "under God" to its pledge of allegiance gives evidence that its citizens actually believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/a-nation-can-assume-that-the-addition-of-the-words-under-god-to-its/) [Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/) > [At its root, this is what faith is. It is not believing in God. It's believing God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/at-its-root-this-is-what-faith-is-it-is-not-believing-in-god-it-s/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [I don't understand why so many people who are sophisticated in science go on believing in God. I wish I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-don-t-understand-why-so-many-people-who-are-sophisticated-in/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Man is so created that as to his internal he cannot die; for he is capable of believing in God, and thus of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-swedenborg/man-is-so-created-that-as-to-his-internal-he-cannot-die-for-he-is/) [Emanuel Swedenborg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-swedenborg/) > [I believe we will start believing in God as we get closer to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-stern/i-believe-we-will-start-believing-in-god-as-we-get-closer-to-death/) [Howard Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-stern/) > [Believing in books is a lot like believing in God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-schumacher/believing-in-books-is-a-lot-like-believing-in-god/) [Julie Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-schumacher/) > [Reasons for declaring belief is not are not the same as reasons for believing in god.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/reasons-for-declaring-belief-is-not-are-not-the-same-as-reasons-for/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [Deliverance from believing lies must come from believing truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-penn-lewis/deliverance-from-believing-lies-must-come-from-believing-truth/) Jessie Penn-Lewis > [“I'd rather live my life believing in God to die and see there is one. Because if there isn't one, it means there's no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-chami-kassis/i-d-rather-live-my-life-believing-in-god-to-die-and-see-there-is-one/) [Sandra Chami Kassis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-chami-kassis/) > [“If anything or anyone removes peace from you or inflicts confusion and judgment on you, this thing or person is not of God regardless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/if-anything-or-anyone-removes-peace-from-you-or-inflicts-confusion/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) > [Life becomes too hard when you stop believing in God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-becomes-too-hard-when-you-stop-believing-in-god/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Believing in God was something I took as much for granted as the air I breathed. Religion wasn't something that came out of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-widdecombe/believing-in-god-was-something-i-took-as-much-for-granted-as-the-air/) [Ann Widdecombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-widdecombe/) > [“Whatever you set your mind to do, believing in God shall be done. Do not look back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oludotun-salako/whatever-you-set-your-mind-to-do-believing-in-god-shall-be-done-do/) Oludotun Salako > [I have altogether failed to comprehend as to how undue pride or vain-gloriousness could ever stand in the way of a man believing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhagat-singh/i-have-altogether-failed-to-comprehend-as-to-how-undue-pride-or-vain/) [Bhagat Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhagat-singh/) > [“Believing in God and turning into Monsters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/believing-in-god-and-turning-into-monsters/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) ## More by Daniel Dennett > [Virtually every major technological advance in the history of the human species- back to the invention of stone tools and the domestication of fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/virtually-every-major-technological-advance-in-the-history-of-the/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [Churches have given us great treasures such as music and architecture. Whether that pays for the harm they have done is another matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/churches-have-given-us-great-treasures-such-as-music-and-architecture/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [The secret of happiness is: Find something more important than you are and dedicate your life to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/the-secret-of-happiness-is-find-something-more-important-than-you-are/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [Whereas religions may serve a benign purpose by letting many people feel comfortable with the level of morality they themselves can attain, no religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/whereas-religions-may-serve-a-benign-purpose-by-letting-many-people/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [There's no polite way to say to somebody (religious followers) 'Do you realize you've wasted your life?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/there-s-no-polite-way-to-say-to-somebody-religious-followers-do-you/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [Wherever there is a design that is highly successful in a broad range of similar environments, it is apt to emerge again and again,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/wherever-there-is-a-design-that-is-highly-successful-in-a-broad-range/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [The haven all memes depend on reaching is the human mind, but a human mind is itself an artifact created when memes restructure a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/the-haven-all-memes-depend-on-reaching-is-the-human-mind-but-a-human/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [Cost is always an object - the second law of thermodynamics sees to that](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/cost-is-always-an-object-the-second-law-of-thermodynamics-sees-to-that/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [In the beginning, there were no reasons; there were only causes. Nothing had a purpose, nothing has so much as a function; there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/in-the-beginning-there-were-no-reasons-there-were-only-causes-nothing/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [I look around the world and see so many wonderful things that I love and enjoy and benefit from, whether it's art or music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/i-look-around-the-world-and-see-so-many-wonderful-things-that-i-love/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [In all mammalian species that have so far been carefully studied, the rate at which their members engage in the killing of conspecifics is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/in-all-mammalian-species-that-have-so-far-been-carefully-studied-the/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [Cults and prophets proclaiming the imminent end of the world have been with us for several millennia, and it has been another sour sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/cults-and-prophets-proclaiming-the-imminent-end-of-the-world-have/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [Consciousness is cerebral celebrity--nothing more and nothing less. Those contents are conscious that persevere, that monopolize resources long enough to achieve certain typical and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/consciousness-is-cerebral-celebrity-nothing-more-and-nothing-less/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [People ache to believe that we human beings are vastly different from all other species - and they are right! We are different. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/people-ache-to-believe-that-we-human-beings-are-vastly-different-from/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [Minds are in limited supply, and each mind has a limited capacity for memes, and hence there is considerable competition among memes for entry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/minds-are-in-limited-supply-and-each-mind-has-a-limited-capacity-for/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) [Explore all 120 Daniel Dennett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You can't get through seminary and come out believing in God!", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Daniel Dennett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/you-can-t-get-through-seminary-and-come-out-believing-in-god/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/you-can-t-get-through-seminary-and-come-out-believing-in-god/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/daniel-dennett-3895_believe_you-can-t-get-through-seminary-and-come_2860676.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/daniel-dennett-3895_believe_you-can-t-get-through-seminary-and-come_2860676.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/daniel-dennett-3895_believe_you-can-t-get-through-seminary-and-come_2860676.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can't get through seminary and come out believing in God!” — Daniel Dennett", "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": "Daniel Dennett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You can't get through seminary and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/you-can-t-get-through-seminary-and-come-out-believing-in-god/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/you-can-t-get-through-seminary-and-come-out-believing-in-god/#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 } } ] } ```