--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Dogmatic religion has been used to…" description: "\"Dogmatic religion has been used to fantastic effect over thousands of years to fuel and exploit emotions like fear and guilt, and the feeling of being ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39f/david-icke-2940_belief_dogmatic-religion-has-been-used-to-fanta_42656.jpg" --- # Dogmatic religion has been used to fantastic effect over… ![“Dogmatic religion has been used to fantastic effect over thousands of years to fuel and exploit emotions like fear and guilt, and the feeling of being 'unworthy'. This has encouraged people to hand over their right to think and feel to a Bible and a priest because they have not had the confidence…” quote by David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39f/david-icke-2940_belief_dogmatic-religion-has-been-used-to-fanta_42656.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39f/david-icke-2940_belief_dogmatic-religion-has-been-used-to-fanta_42656.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39f/david-icke-2940_belief_dogmatic-religion-has-been-used-to-fanta_42656.jpg) > “Dogmatic religion has been used to fantastic effect over thousands of years to fuel and exploit emotions like fear and guilt, and the feeling of being 'unworthy'. This has encouraged people to hand over their right to think and feel to a Bible and a priest because they have not had the confidence or self-belief to realize that they have a right, and an infinite gift, to make their own decisions” [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) ## 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 argues that organized religion manipulates emotions such as fear and guilt to suppress individual autonomy, urging people to surrender personal judgment to religious authority. **In simple terms:** Religion can be a tool for emotional control. Key Takeaway Beware of doctrines that diminish self‑trust. Themes Power and control Emotion manipulation Individual autonomy Religion Psychology Freedom Mood Skeptical Empowering Reflective Type Philosophical Critical Sociopolitical When to use this quote - When questioning personal beliefs - In confronting religious dogma - During spiritual crises - When evaluating moral authority Key Concepts Authority Fear Guilt Self‑belief Practical Applications - Encouraging critical thinking about faith - Designing secular ethics curricula Questions to Reflect On - How does fear shape obedience? - What alternatives exist to religious authority? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Belief in self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief-in-self/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Dogmatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dogmatic/) [Dogmatic Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dogmatic-religion-253647/) [Effects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effects/) [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Exploits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exploits/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Fantastic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantastic/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Feel Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-bible-460855/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Fuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fuel/) [Guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Infinite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infinite/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Priests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/priests/) [Realizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realizing/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religion Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-used-460854/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Unworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unworthy/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [All forms of dogmatic religion should go. The world did without them in the past and can do so again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/all-forms-of-dogmatic-religion-should-go-the-world-did-without-them/) [Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/) > [Judaism is not a dogmatic religion but one which loves debate, in which scholarship has played a big part. Scholars never agree about anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-zeldin/judaism-is-not-a-dogmatic-religion-but-one-which-loves-debate-in/) [Theodore Zeldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-zeldin/) > [If I were personally to define religion, I would say that it is a bandage that man has invented to protect a soul made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/if-i-were-personally-to-define-religion-i-would-say-that-it-is-a/) [Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/) > [“Dogmatic religion is not open to people having direct access to those higher realms.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eben-alexander/dogmatic-religion-is-not-open-to-people-having-direct-access-to-those/) [Eben Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eben-alexander/) > [The principle itself of dogmatic religion, dogmatic morality, dogmatic philosophy, is what requires to be booted out; not any particular manifestation of that principle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-principle-itself-of-dogmatic-religion-dogmatic-morality-dogmatic-2/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [I sometimes find the vegetarians are more conditioned and more dogmatic than anything else, more than the religion. It's terrible, you must chew the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irina-tweedie/i-sometimes-find-the-vegetarians-are-more-conditioned-and-more/) [Irina Tweedie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irina-tweedie/) > [“You know you're a Puritan when you feel that even the Bible needs to be cleaned up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-maguire/you-know-you-re-a-puritan-when-you-feel-that-even-the-bible-needs-to/) [James Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-maguire/) > [By playing down to the idea of the common man, dogmatic political authority exploits him... So the ideal of innate aristocracy of which hour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lloyd-wright/by-playing-down-to-the-idea-of-the-common-man-dogmatic-political/) [Frank Lloyd Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lloyd-wright/) > [The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. The religion which based on experience, which refuses dogmatic. If there's any religion that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-religion-of-the-future-will-be-a-cosmic-religion-the-religion/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [There are two things you need if you are to uncover and communicate what is really happening in the world. One is to free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/there-are-two-things-you-need-if-you-are-to-uncover-and-communicate/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [Spirituality in Washington can be more of a - I don't want to say it - but, a networking opportunity. Religion is often used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/spirituality-in-washington-can-be-more-of-a-i-don-t-want-to-say-it/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [“Religion is often used as a sword to divide, rather than as a balm to heal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-wallis/religion-is-often-used-as-a-sword-to-divide-rather-than-as-a-balm-to/) [Jim Wallis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-wallis/) > [Religion is to be used as a stepping stone to God but it must never be used as a tower to hold one aloft…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peace-pilgrim/religion-is-to-be-used-as-a-stepping-stone-to-god-but-it-must-never/) [Peace Pilgrim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peace-pilgrim/) > [In the early 1800s, religion was often used as a way to keep slavery in place. Slaves were forced to attend the church of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/in-the-early-1800s-religion-was-often-used-as-a-way-to-keep-slavery/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [I think there's an opportunity hopefully for religion to be not so much used as a cudgel but invoked as a way of calling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-buttigieg/i-think-there-s-an-opportunity-hopefully-for-religion-to-be-not-so/) [Pete Buttigieg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-buttigieg/) ## More by David Icke > [The families in positions of great financial power obsessively interbreed with each other. But I'm not talking about one Earth race, Jewish or non-Jewish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/the-families-in-positions-of-great-financial-power-obsessively/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [“Yesterday is gone, tomorrow doesn’t exist – we need to accept Now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/yesterday-is-gone-tomorrow-doesn-t-exist-we-need-to-accept-now/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [Any society where it's a crime or a hassle to be different is a society based on psychological fascism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/any-society-where-it-s-a-crime-or-a-hassle-to-be-different-is-a/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [Life constantly presents the greatest opportunity brilliantly disguised as the biggest disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/life-constantly-presents-the-greatest-opportunity-brilliantly/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [What is interesting to me, as I travel, is that exactly the same agenda is being implemented in every country I travel to. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/what-is-interesting-to-me-as-i-travel-is-that-exactly-the-same-agenda/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [“Most people would deny such a world (ancient highly advanced civilizations in the remote past) ever existed because it would be so at odds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/most-people-would-deny-such-a-world-ancient-highly-advanced/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [Cleverness without wisdom: the most destructive force on Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/cleverness-without-wisdom-the-most-destructive-force-on-earth/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [In terms of the way people see me, it breaks down into two very clear and distinct groups: those who think they know me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/in-terms-of-the-way-people-see-me-it-breaks-down-into-two-very-clear/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [I know that you are part of me and I am part of you because we are all aspects of the same infinite consciousness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/i-know-that-you-are-part-of-me-and-i-am-part-of-you-because-we-are/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [It's not where you start or where you finish. It is the distance between the two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/it-s-not-where-you-start-or-where-you-finish-it-is-the-distance/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [The most effective way to close down the human mind and to manipulate its sense of self is to program into it some form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/the-most-effective-way-to-close-down-the-human-mind-and-to-manipulate/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [Interestingly, the British government announced a few weeks ago that they were going to introduce 500 educational targets for preschool children. And teachers complained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/interestingly-the-british-government-announced-a-few-weeks-ago-that/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [In the Atlantean period there were many energies being used and information and knowledge being used which were, for particular reasons of safety, withdrawn,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/in-the-atlantean-period-there-were-many-energies-being-used-and/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [“When we give our minds and our responsibility away, we give our lives away. If enough of us do it, we give the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/when-we-give-our-minds-and-our-responsibility-away-we-give-our-lives/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [Official history is merely a veil to hide the truth of what really happened. When the veil is lifted, again and again we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/official-history-is-merely-a-veil-to-hide-the-truth-of-what-really/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) [Explore all 139 David Icke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) ## More Belief quotes > [“Cine a ucis stelele? Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/) [Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/) > [“MIND & GRIND Self-belief and hard work can propel you past more talented peers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/mind-grind-self-belief-and-hard-work-can-propel-you-past-more/) [Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [It took me 20 years of hard training to get the physique I have today. what you need is what i had - BELIEF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/it-took-me-20-years-of-hard-training-to-get-the-physique-i-have-today/) [Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/) > [“Here is a fundamental difference between the man of faith and the man of unbelief. The unbeliever is 'of the world', judges everything by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/here-is-a-fundamental-difference-between-the-man-of-faith-and-the-man/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [“She herself vacillated when it came to belief. She did not particularly believe in God. Or, rather, she didn't believe in a particular God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-goodman/she-herself-vacillated-when-it-came-to-belief-she-did-not/) [Allegra Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-goodman/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [“Rigid traditions capture souls prisons of spiritual thought man’s religion has captured a god grown too small and very weak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle/rigid-traditions-capture-souls-prisons-of-spiritual-thought-man-s/) [David W Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [In business, as in politics, it is never easy to go against the beliefs and attitudes held by the majority. The businessman who moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-paul-getty/in-business-as-in-politics-it-is-never-easy-to-go-against-the-beliefs/) [J. Paul Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-paul-getty/) > [There's no greatest moment in the arts. It's a life; it's a continuity thing. You can't have a great moment because it's spiritual. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-neiman/there-s-no-greatest-moment-in-the-arts-it-s-a-life-it-s-a-continuity/) [LeRoy Neiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-neiman/) > [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) [Browse all 10,268 Belief quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Dogmatic religion has been used to fantastic effect over thousands of years to fuel and exploit emotions like fear and guilt, and the feeling of being 'unworthy'. 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