--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Religion can be a good thing, but…" description: "\"Religion can be a good thing, but basically the way I look at it is that it provides a moral code, common sense. But then people distort it and use it ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21f/donald-ray-pollock-7796_bully_religion-can-be-a-good-thing-but-basical_673208.png" --- # Religion can be a good thing, but basically the way I look… ![“Religion can be a good thing, but basically the way I look at it is that it provides a moral code, common sense. But then people distort it and use it as an excuse to be a bully. It's sad, but that's the way it's worked for a several thousand years now.” quote by Donald Ray Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21f/donald-ray-pollock-7796_bully_religion-can-be-a-good-thing-but-basical_673208.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21f/donald-ray-pollock-7796_bully_religion-can-be-a-good-thing-but-basical_673208.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21f/donald-ray-pollock-7796_bully_religion-can-be-a-good-thing-but-basical_673208.png) > “Religion can be a good thing, but basically the way I look at it is that it provides a moral code, common sense. But then people distort it and use it as an excuse to be a bully. It's sad, but that's the way it's worked for a several thousand years now.” [Donald Ray Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-ray-pollock/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Religion offers moral guidance but can be misused to justify harmful behavior, reflecting its complex historical role. **In simple terms:** Religion can guide morals but also be twisted for harm. Key Takeaway Critically evaluate moral claims tied to religion. Themes morality religion history misuse Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - community leadership - policy making - education - conflict resolution Key Concepts ethical frameworks social influence Questions to Reflect On - How do you distinguish genuine moral guidance from manipulation? - What safeguards can prevent moral distortion? A Different Perspective Religious teachings vary widely; not all misuse is religiously motivated. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bully/) [Code](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/code/) [Common sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-sense/) [Good things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-things/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral code](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-code/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Thousand years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand-years/) ## Related quotes > [“Rather than offering a strict moral code to live by, popular culture today provides more of a moral posture.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-d-fitzgerald/rather-than-offering-a-strict-moral-code-to-live-by-popular-culture/) Jonathan D. Fitzgerald > [“Science lacks something very important that religion provides: a moral code. Survival of the fittest is a scientific fact, but it is a cruel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-g-riddle/science-lacks-something-very-important-that-religion-provides-a-moral/) [A.G. Riddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-g-riddle/) > [Organized religion may be anathema on the political Left, but the need for the things religion provides - moral fervor, meaning, a sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bari-weiss/organized-religion-may-be-anathema-on-the-political-left-but-the-need/) [Bari Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bari-weiss/) > [We have advanced far enough to say that democracy is a way of life. 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The accusation would leave him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ortega-y-gasset/it-would-be-a-piece-of-ingenuousness-to-accuse-the-man-of-today-of/) [Jose Ortega y Gasset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ortega-y-gasset/) ## More by Donald Ray Pollock > [“Strangers complained about the stench, but the locals liked to brag that it was the sweet smell of money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-ray-pollock/strangers-complained-about-the-stench-but-the-locals-liked-to-brag/) [Donald Ray Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-ray-pollock/) > [I don't really think the outburst is recent; there have always been writers in Appalachia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-ray-pollock/i-don-t-really-think-the-outburst-is-recent-there-have-always-been/) [Donald Ray Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-ray-pollock/) > [Unless he had whiskey running through his veins, Willard came to the clearing every morning and evening to talk to God. Arvin didn't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-ray-pollock/unless-he-had-whiskey-running-through-his-veins-willard-came-to-the/) [Donald Ray Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-ray-pollock/) > [For example, if it's a sad scene, I need to feel that way, at least to a slight degree and for a short while,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-ray-pollock/for-example-if-it-s-a-sad-scene-i-need-to-feel-that-way-at-least-to-a/) [Donald Ray Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-ray-pollock/) > [As for how I feel about any success I've had, I just feel extremely lucky. 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I've always felt a little uncomfortable around people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-ray-pollock/when-i-was-growing-up-i-always-wanted-to-be-somebody-else-and-live/) [Donald Ray Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-ray-pollock/) > [There are a lot of writers from the South who would probably have once figured they needed to go to New York to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-ray-pollock/there-are-a-lot-of-writers-from-the-south-who-would-probably-have/) [Donald Ray Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-ray-pollock/) [Explore all 87 Donald Ray Pollock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-ray-pollock/) ## More Bully quotes > [I never caught on to being a bully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-nolte/i-never-caught-on-to-being-a-bully/) [Nick Nolte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-nolte/) > [There was no mistake in us making abortion legal and available on demand. That was what we call progress. 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And it seems to be working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tomasky/john-mccain-is-a-liar-and-flip-flopper-and-panderer-and-bully-and/) Michael Tomasky > [Democracy becomes a government of bullies tempered by editors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/democracy-becomes-a-government-of-bullies-tempered-by-editors/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I daydreamed that when you grow up there are more bullies and how wonderful that would be if it were true, but, it's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-daydreamed-that-when-you-grow-up-there-are-more-bullies-and-how/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [The real problem with Donald Trump is, if you engage him, it will only make things worse. 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