--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Religionists have a perceived need…" description: "\"“Religionists have a perceived need, planted there as a part of the brainwashing they’ve received. They need no religion, but they think they do, becau..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7b/david-silverman-24528_religion_religionists-have-a-perceived-need-plant_716505.jpg" --- # Religionists have a perceived need, planted there as a… ![“Religionists have a perceived need, planted there as a part of the brainwashing they’ve received. They need no religion, but they think they do, because religion has convinced them of it.” quote by David Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7b/david-silverman-24528_religion_religionists-have-a-perceived-need-plant_716505.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7b/david-silverman-24528_religion_religionists-have-a-perceived-need-plant_716505.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7b/david-silverman-24528_religion_religionists-have-a-perceived-need-plant_716505.jpg) > ““Religionists have a perceived need, planted there as a part of the brainwashing they’ve received. They need no religion, but they think they do, because religion has convinced them of it.”” [David Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-silverman/) ## 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 how people feel compelled to adopt religion due to cultural conditioning, suggesting belief is a product of brainwashing rather than genuine need. **In simple terms:** Religion seen as brainwashing. Key Takeaway Question belief origins. Themes faith culture psychology Mood critical analytical Type sociological philosophical When to use this quote - education - public discourse - personal development - media analysis Key Concepts social conditioning identity formation Questions to Reflect On - What drives genuine faith versus imposed belief? - How can societies foster authentic spiritual exploration? A Different Perspective May overlook sincere spiritual experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religion Convinced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-convinced-3508534/) [Religion Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-think/) [Religionists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religionists/) [Religionists Perceived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religionists-perceived-5639759/) [Think Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-religion/) ## Related quotes > [I have my own spiritual thing, but am not part of an organized religion. I think religion is very special and individual to each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-alba/i-have-my-own-spiritual-thing-but-am-not-part-of-an-organized/) [Jessica Alba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-alba/) > [I don't believe there's any inherent darkness at the center of religion at all. I think religion actually is a morally neutral force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/i-don-t-believe-there-s-any-inherent-darkness-at-the-center-of/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [Yeah, I mean, having been raised like a Catholic, I have a sort of sympathy for religion, in that I think that religion's religion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-mckenna/yeah-i-mean-having-been-raised-like-a-catholic-i-have-a-sort-of/) [Declan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-mckenna/) > [Everything is more or less organized matter. To think so is against religion, but I think so just the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/everything-is-more-or-less-organized-matter-to-think-so-is-against/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [I think we have to give religion its due. I think we have to respect those for whom religion is important, but equally respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-think-we-have-to-give-religion-its-due-i-think-we-have-to-respect/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Religionists want religion's placement on the pedestal of respect preserved by any means. But religion deserves no respect. Rather, it has earned scorn, ridicule,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-silverman/religionists-want-religion-s-placement-on-the-pedestal-of-respect/) [David Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-silverman/) > [“Science is getting knocked on all sides these days, not only from religious fundamentalists, but from all kinds of people who perceive science as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mcgee/science-is-getting-knocked-on-all-sides-these-days-not-only-from/) [Margaret McGee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mcgee/) > [Religion has convinced us that there's something else entirely other than concerns about suffering. There's concerns about what God wants, there's concerns about what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/religion-has-convinced-us-that-there-s-something-else-entirely-other/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [ “How is it that, in this one area of our lives \[religion\], we have convinced ourselves that our beliefs about the world can float… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/how-is-it-that-in-this-one-area-of-our-lives-religion-we-have/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“It never before happened that the rich ruling and more educated minority, which has the most influence on the masses, not only disbelieved the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/it-never-before-happened-that-the-rich-ruling-and-more-educated/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Mahatma Gandhi was always talking of religion...He was convinced that was right...The fact is, we young people didn't agree with him on many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/mahatma-gandhi-was-always-talking-of-religion-he-was-convinced-that/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [Religion has convinced people that theres an invisible man ¦ Living in the sky. Who watches everything you do every minute of every day.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/religion-has-convinced-people-that-theres-an-invisible-man-living-in/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [“Urging the need for community upon American religionists is a vain enterprise; the experiential encounter with Jesus or God is too overwhelming for memories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-bloom/urging-the-need-for-community-upon-american-religionists-is-a-vain/) [Harold Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-bloom/) > [“New religionists, such as Williams, Dawkins, and Wilson, regard people and all other organisms as the helpless puppets, tools, or vehicles, of hidden purposive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-c-stove/new-religionists-such-as-williams-dawkins-and-wilson-regard-people/) [David C. Stove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-c-stove/) > [“When Dr. James Young Simpson sought to apply anesthesia to a woman in childbirth, the clergymen of his day foamed at the mouth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lewis/when-dr-james-young-simpson-sought-to-apply-anesthesia-to-a-woman-in/) [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) ## More by David Silverman > [“When religion demands you refrain from doing something otherwise benign, that's just a provocation to do it more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-silverman/when-religion-demands-you-refrain-from-doing-something-otherwise/) [David Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-silverman/) > [“Ignorance of fact is not evidence for fiction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-silverman/ignorance-of-fact-is-not-evidence-for-fiction/) [David Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-silverman/) > [“The true root of all evil is power, and both government and religion are effective tools for massing and maintaining power. When”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-silverman/the-true-root-of-all-evil-is-power-and-both-government-and-religion/) [David Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-silverman/) > [“Make no mistake, to a significant degree we are all victims of religion because we all have fewer rights because of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-silverman/make-no-mistake-to-a-significant-degree-we-are-all-victims-of/) [David Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-silverman/) > [“The more, and the louder, we come out today, the easier it will be for those who can't do so until tomorrow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-silverman/the-more-and-the-louder-we-come-out-today-the-easier-it-will-be-for/) [David Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-silverman/) > [“Fighting God is fighting a war for freedom of thought, which is the most important freedom we have.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-silverman/fighting-god-is-fighting-a-war-for-freedom-of-thought-which-is-the/) [David Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-silverman/) > [“Christianity spurs hate, division, and murder as it has throughout history.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-silverman/christianity-spurs-hate-division-and-murder-as-it-has-throughout/) [David Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-silverman/) > [In a Christian Theocracy, you'll never be Christian enough. There's always going to be somebody there with another version of Christianity that is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-silverman/in-a-christian-theocracy-you-ll-never-be-christian-enough-there-s/) [David Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-silverman/) > [“Every priest who hears confessions is, by definition, an accessory to ever crime he hears about and does not report to the authorities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-silverman/every-priest-who-hears-confessions-is-by-definition-an-accessory-to/) [David Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-silverman/) > [I made my daughter read the whole. That's how you make atheists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-silverman/i-made-my-daughter-read-the-whole-that-s-how-you-make-atheists/) [David Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-silverman/) > [“Religion is a giant used car, and preachers have proverbial quotas.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-silverman/religion-is-a-giant-used-car-and-preachers-have-proverbial-quotas/) [David Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-silverman/) > [“Religion serves no purpose except to funnel money and power away from those who need it and leaves in its wake nothing but broken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-silverman/religion-serves-no-purpose-except-to-funnel-money-and-power-away-from/) [David Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-silverman/) > [“If the Bible and other holy books were at all reliable sources of morality, good and bad religious people wouldn’t both be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-silverman/if-the-bible-and-other-holy-books-were-at-all-reliable-sources-of/) [David Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-silverman/) > [“Religion hurts people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-silverman/religion-hurts-people/) [David Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-silverman/) > [“Religion has no positive value.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-silverman/religion-has-no-positive-value/) [David Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-silverman/) [Explore all 24 David Silverman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-silverman/) ## More Religion quotes > [Christianity was never meant to be defined by its disciplines, but by its passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/christianity-was-never-meant-to-be-defined-by-its-disciplines-but-by/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [The love religion is all that is written here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/the-love-religion-is-all-that-is-written-here/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“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/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Personal Style comes from within. It's when the woman, her individuality and spirit come through. She uses clothes to express who she is and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-karan/personal-style-comes-from-within-it-s-when-the-woman-her/) [Donna Karan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-karan/) > [No philosophy, no religion, has ever brought so glad a message to the world as this good news of Atheism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-besant/no-philosophy-no-religion-has-ever-brought-so-glad-a-message-to-the/) [Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-besant/) > [No religion has mandated killing others as a requirement for its sustenance or promotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-religion-has-mandated-killing-others-as-a-requirement-for-its/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The goal of spiritual practice is full recovery, and the only thing you need to recover from is a fractured sense of self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-goal-of-spiritual-practice-is-full-recovery-and-the-only-thing/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Deepen your existing spiritual commitment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-buettner/deepen-your-existing-spiritual-commitment/) [Dan Buettner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-buettner/) > [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [Above Coblentz almost every mountain has a ruin and a legend. One feels everywhere the spirit of the past, and its stirring recollections come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bayard-taylor/above-coblentz-almost-every-mountain-has-a-ruin-and-a-legend-one/) [Bayard Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bayard-taylor/) [Browse all 58,737 Religion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Religionists have a perceived need, planted there as a part of the brainwashing they’ve received. They need no religion, but they think they do, because religion has convinced them of it.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Silverman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-silverman/religionists-have-a-perceived-need-planted-there-as-a-part-of-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Religion" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-silverman/religionists-have-a-perceived-need-planted-there-as-a-part-of-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7b/david-silverman-24528_religion_religionists-have-a-perceived-need-plant_716505.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7b/david-silverman-24528_religion_religionists-have-a-perceived-need-plant_716505.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7b/david-silverman-24528_religion_religionists-have-a-perceived-need-plant_716505.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Religionists have a perceived need, planted there as a part of the brainwashing they’ve received. They need…” — David Silverman", "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": "David Silverman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-silverman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Religionists have a perceived need, planted...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-silverman/religionists-have-a-perceived-need-planted-there-as-a-part-of-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-silverman/religionists-have-a-perceived-need-planted-there-as-a-part-of-the/#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 } } ] } ```