---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are a thousand ways of being…"
description: "\"“There are a thousand ways of being religious without submitting to Christ’s lordship, and people are practiced in most of them. We live in golden calf..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d75/eugene-h-peterson-1745_hunger-for-god_there-are-a-thousand-ways-of-being-relig_767996.png"
---

#  There are a thousand ways of being religious without…

![“There are a thousand ways of being religious without submitting to Christ’s lordship, and people are practiced in most of them. We live in golden calf country. Religious feeling runs high but in ways far removed from what was said in Sinai and done on Calvary. While everyone has a hunger for God…” quote by Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d75/eugene-h-peterson-1745_hunger-for-god_there-are-a-thousand-ways-of-being-relig_767996.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d75/eugene-h-peterson-1745_hunger-for-god_there-are-a-thousand-ways-of-being-relig_767996.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d75/eugene-h-peterson-1745_hunger-for-god_there-are-a-thousand-ways-of-being-relig_767996.png)

> ““There are a thousand ways of being religious without submitting to Christ’s lordship, and people are practiced in most of them. We live in golden calf country. Religious feeling runs high but in ways far removed from what was said in Sinai and done on Calvary. While everyone has a hunger for God, deep and insatiable, none us has any great desire for him. What we really want is to be our own gods and to have whatever other gods that are around to help in this work.””

[Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Many people claim spirituality but avoid true Christian submission, preferring personal autonomy and other “gods.”

**In simple terms:** People seek God but resist surrendering to Christ.

Key Takeaway

Examine what true submission means.

Themes

religion individualism spirituality

Mood

critical reflective

Type

theological philosophical

When to use this quote

- church attendance
- personal prayer
- seeking truth
- evaluating beliefs

Key Concepts

Christian doctrine idolatry authenticity

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you prioritize personal autonomy over divine authority?
- How does this view affect interfaith dialogue?

A Different Perspective

The quote may overgeneralize all non‑Christian spirituality.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Calvary Hunger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calvary-hunger-5942486/) [Hunger for god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hunger-for-god/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Religious Feeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-feeling/) [Religious Submitting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-submitting-5942485/) [Want Gods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-gods-1792004/)

## Related quotes

> [Worship does not satisfy our hunger for God; it whets our appetite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/worship-does-not-satisfy-our-hunger-for-god-it-whets-our-appetite/)

[Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/)

> [If you want to see the gods, just look at your parents...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anushilan-dawn/if-you-want-to-see-the-gods-just-look-at-your-parents/)

[Anushilan Dawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anushilan-dawn/)

> [Sadly enough, my young friends, it is a characteristic of our age that if people want any gods at all, they want them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/sadly-enough-my-young-friends-it-is-a-characteristic-of-our-age-that/)

[Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/)

> [I want to Gods thoughts, the rest are details.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/i-want-to-gods-thoughts-the-rest-are-details/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [“You have embarked, made the voyage, and come to shore; get out. If indeed to another life, there is no want of gods, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/you-have-embarked-made-the-voyage-and-come-to-shore-get-out-if-indeed/)

[Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/)

> [“I can't think, if people want gods, why not the Greek ones; they were so useful in emergencies, and such enterprising and entertaining companions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-macaulay/i-can-t-think-if-people-want-gods-why-not-the-greek-ones-they-were-so/)

[Rose Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-macaulay/)

> [We're entertainers, while people want us to be gods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-wahlberg/we-re-entertainers-while-people-want-us-to-be-gods/)

[Donnie Wahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-wahlberg/)

> [Religion is like a personal computer. You let people in if you want to... We're all gods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/religion-is-like-a-personal-computer-you-let-people-in-if-you-want-to/)

[Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/)

> [Some men want whores on the eve of battle, and some want gods. Jon wondered who felt better afterward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-men-want-whores-on-the-eve-of-battle-and-some-want-gods-jon/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“In my view, it is the most important function of art and science to awaken this religious feeling and keep it alive in those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/in-my-view-it-is-the-most-important-function-of-art-and-science-to/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [“Hunger for God compels us to seek the Lord. At times our desire for God overcomes our physical desires, and the ache for God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-feinberg/hunger-for-god-compels-us-to-seek-the-lord-at-times-our-desire-for/)

[Margaret Feinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-feinberg/)

> [“STEP OUT and declare that JESUS is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and you will see Him in reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-suulola/step-out-and-declare-that-jesus-is-the-same-yesterday-today-and/)

[Benjamin Suulola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-suulola/)

> [The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-greatest-enemy-of-hunger-for-god-is-not-poison-but-apple-pie-it/)

[John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/)

> [“Mother Teresa once said: When Jesus came into the world, He loved it so much that He gave His life for it. He wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-baker/mother-teresa-once-said-when-jesus-came-into-the-world-he-loved-it-so/)

[Heidi Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-baker/)

> [“Perhaps a past of bingeing, restricting, or purging comes back to haunt you from time to time. Maybe you have to fight hard battles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-wicker/perhaps-a-past-of-bingeing-restricting-or-purging-comes-back-to-haunt/)

[Kate Wicker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-wicker/)

## More by Eugene H. Peterson

> [“Forget about deciding what’s right for each other. Here’s what you need to be concerned about: that you don’t get in the way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/forget-about-deciding-what-s-right-for-each-other-here-s-what-you/)

[Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/)

> [Like a child exploring the attic of an old house on a rainy day, discovering a trunk full of treasure and then calling all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/like-a-child-exploring-the-attic-of-an-old-house-on-a-rainy-day/)

[Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/)

> [“Liturgy gathers the holy community as it reads the Holy Scriptures into the sweeping tidal rhythms of the church year in which the story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/liturgy-gathers-the-holy-community-as-it-reads-the-holy-scriptures/)

[Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/)

> [“The core message of the gospel is that God invades us with new life, but the setting for this is most often in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/the-core-message-of-the-gospel-is-that-god-invades-us-with-new-life/)

[Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/)

> [“Liturgy puts us to work along with all the others who have been and are being put to work in the world by and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/liturgy-puts-us-to-work-along-with-all-the-others-who-have-been-and/)

[Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/)

> [“At day’s end I’m ready for sound sleep, For you, GOD, have put my life back together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/at-day-s-end-i-m-ready-for-sound-sleep-for-you-god-have-put-my-life/)

[Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/)

> [I think pastors are the worst listeners. We're so used to speaking, teaching, giving answers. We must learn to be quiet, quit being so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/i-think-pastors-are-the-worst-listeners-we-re-so-used-to-speaking/)

[Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/)

> [“When I look for help in developing my pastoral craft and nurturing my pastoral vocation, the one century that has the least to commend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/when-i-look-for-help-in-developing-my-pastoral-craft-and-nurturing-my/)

[Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/)

> [Religion is a very scary thing, because a pastor is in a position of power. And if you use that power badly, you ruin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/religion-is-a-very-scary-thing-because-a-pastor-is-in-a-position-of/)

[Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/)

> [The vocation of pastor(s) has been replaced by the strategies of religious entrepreneurs with business plans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/the-vocation-of-pastor-s-has-been-replaced-by-the-strategies-of/)

[Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/)

> [Repentance is a realization that what God wants from you and what you want from God are not going to be achieved by doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/repentance-is-a-realization-that-what-god-wants-from-you-and-what-you/)

[Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/)

> [It's essential for us to develop an imagination that is participatory. Art is the primary way in which this happens. It's the primary way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/it-s-essential-for-us-to-develop-an-imagination-that-is-participatory/)

[Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/)

> [“My uncle Ernie didn't believe in God. At least that's what he said. But he always Went to church on Christmas. Which I thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/my-uncle-ernie-didn-t-believe-in-god-at-least-that-s-what-he-said-but/)

[Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/)

> [You don't make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/you-don-t-make-your-words-true-by-embellishing-them-with-religious/)

[Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/)

> [“And the remainder of the Message details God’s intricate and loving plan to redeem, restore, and reconcile creation back to himself after what happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/and-the-remainder-of-the-message-details-god-s-intricate-and-loving/)

[Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/)

[Explore all 210 Eugene H. Peterson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/)

## More Hunger for god quotes

> [“Mother Teresa once said: When Jesus came into the world, He loved it so much that He gave His life for it. He wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-baker/mother-teresa-once-said-when-jesus-came-into-the-world-he-loved-it-so/)

[Heidi Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-baker/)

> [The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-greatest-enemy-of-hunger-for-god-is-not-poison-but-apple-pie-it/)

[John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/)

> [“STEP OUT and declare that JESUS is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and you will see Him in reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-suulola/step-out-and-declare-that-jesus-is-the-same-yesterday-today-and/)

[Benjamin Suulola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-suulola/)

> [“Hunger for God compels us to seek the Lord. At times our desire for God overcomes our physical desires, and the ache for God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-feinberg/hunger-for-god-compels-us-to-seek-the-lord-at-times-our-desire-for/)

[Margaret Feinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-feinberg/)

> [“Perhaps a past of bingeing, restricting, or purging comes back to haunt you from time to time. Maybe you have to fight hard battles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-wicker/perhaps-a-past-of-bingeing-restricting-or-purging-comes-back-to-haunt/)

[Kate Wicker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-wicker/)

> [People are hungry for something more beautiful, for something greater than people round about can give. There is a great hunger for God in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/people-are-hungry-for-something-more-beautiful-for-something-greater/)

[Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/)

> [“Wishful thinking gives false gods to people who hunger for gods, but those who yearn for a world with no gods are no less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/wishful-thinking-gives-false-gods-to-people-who-hunger-for-gods-but/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [The greatest disease in the West today is not TB or leprosy; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. We can cure physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/the-greatest-disease-in-the-west-today-is-not-tb-or-leprosy-it-is/)

[Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/)

> [The poverty in the West is a different kind of poverty—it is not only a poverty of loneliness but also of spirituality. There’s a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/the-poverty-in-the-west-is-a-different-kind-of-poverty-it-is-not-only/)

[Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/)

> [Therefore bread was created for the glory of Christ. Hunger and thirst were created for the glory of Christ. And fasting was created for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/therefore-bread-was-created-for-the-glory-of-christ-hunger-and-thirst/)

[John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/)

> [The only Christian you want to listen to is the one who gives you more of a hunger for God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/the-only-christian-you-want-to-listen-to-is-the-one-who-gives-you/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [Tolerate nothing in your life that might diminish your hunger for Gods word. Apply it w vigor & spiritual energy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-storms/tolerate-nothing-in-your-life-that-might-diminish-your-hunger-for/)

[Sam Storms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-storms/)

> [The key to Christian living is a thirst and hunger for God. And one of the main reasons people do not understand or experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-key-to-christian-living-is-a-thirst-and-hunger-for-god-and-one-of/)

[John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/)

> [“If there is no desire for prayer, maybe there is no hunger for God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alin-sav/if-there-is-no-desire-for-prayer-maybe-there-is-no-hunger-for-god/)

[Alin Sav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alin-sav/)

> [“Fasting means love for God—hunger for God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/fasting-means-love-for-god-hunger-for-god/)

[John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/)

[Browse all 26 Hunger for god quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hunger-for-god/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“There are a thousand ways of being religious without submitting to Christ’s lordship, and people are practiced in most of them. We live in golden calf country. Religious feeling runs high but in ways far removed from what was said in Sinai and done on Calvary. While everyone has a hunger for God, deep and insatiable, none us has any great desire for him. What we really want is to be our own gods and to have whatever other gods that are around to help in this work.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Eugene H. Peterson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/there-are-a-thousand-ways-of-being-religious-without-submitting-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Hunger for god"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/there-are-a-thousand-ways-of-being-religious-without-submitting-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d75/eugene-h-peterson-1745_hunger-for-god_there-are-a-thousand-ways-of-being-relig_767996.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d75/eugene-h-peterson-1745_hunger-for-god_there-are-a-thousand-ways-of-being-relig_767996.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d75/eugene-h-peterson-1745_hunger-for-god_there-are-a-thousand-ways-of-being-relig_767996.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There are a thousand ways of being religious without submitting to Christ’s lordship, and people are…” — Eugene H. Peterson",
                "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": "Eugene H. Peterson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“There are a thousand ways of...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/there-are-a-thousand-ways-of-being-religious-without-submitting-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/there-are-a-thousand-ways-of-being-religious-without-submitting-to/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```