--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The irreducible, ultimate element in…" description: "\"“The irreducible, ultimate element in religious faith is the insistence that we are created things; male and female He created them; without God we are..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/ferdinand-mount-23911_creation_the-irreducible-ultimate-element-in-reli_2900579.jpg" --- # The irreducible, ultimate element in religious faith is… ![“The irreducible, ultimate element in religious faith is the insistence that we are created things; male and female He created them; without God we are nothing. And yet, when men and women have children and become parents, they unmistakably become creators, incompetent, accidental and partial…” quote by Ferdinand Mount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/ferdinand-mount-23911_creation_the-irreducible-ultimate-element-in-reli_2900579.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/ferdinand-mount-23911_creation_the-irreducible-ultimate-element-in-reli_2900579.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/ferdinand-mount-23911_creation_the-irreducible-ultimate-element-in-reli_2900579.jpg) > ““The irreducible, ultimate element in religious faith is the insistence that we are created things; male and female He created them; without God we are nothing. And yet, when men and women have children and become parents, they unmistakably become creators, incompetent, accidental and partial creators, no doubt, but creators none the less. It is their inescapable duty, and, with luck, their occasional delight to care and watch over their creations; even if this creative power is partly illusory because chromosomes and chance decide the whole business, parents cannot act as if it is illusory; they cannot sincerely believe in their ultimate helplessness. They must behave like shepherds, however clumsy, and not like sheep, however well trained. The Sermon on the Mount is a wonderful, intoxicating sermon. But it is a sermon for bachelors.”” [Ferdinand Mount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-mount/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Parents, despite limited control, must responsibly nurture their children, acting as shepherds rather than passive observers. **In simple terms:** Parents must care for children despite imperfections. Key Takeaway Embrace parental responsibility with humility. Themes parenthood responsibility imperfection Mood reflective serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - family life - child‑rearing - ethical debates Key Concepts ethical duty human creativity Questions to Reflect On - How can parents balance humility with authority? - What does “shepherd” imply about guidance? A Different Perspective Biological randomness challenges the notion of true creation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Creation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-faith/) [Sermon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sermon/) [Sermon on the mount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sermon-on-the-mount/) [Without god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/without-god/) ## Related quotes > [“The Sermon on the Mount is law, not grace, for it demands as the condition of blessingMt 5:3-9 that perfect character which grace, through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sermon-on-the-mount-is-law-not-grace-for-it-demands-as-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I do not believe there is a problem in this country or the world today which could not be settled if approached through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman-2/i-do-not-believe-there-is-a-problem-in-this-country-or-the-world/) [Harry S Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman-2/) > [The Sermon on the Mount is not a set of principles to be obeyed apart from identification with Jesus Christ. The Sermon on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-sermon-on-the-mount-is-not-a-set-of-principles-to-be-obeyed-apart/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The Sermon on the Mount cannot be a merely human production. This belief enters into the very depth of my conscience. The whole history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-webster/the-sermon-on-the-mount-cannot-be-a-merely-human-production-this/) [Daniel Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-webster/) > [The Sermon on the Mount...went straight to my heart. I compared it with the Gita. My young mind tried to unify the teaching of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-sermon-on-the-mount-went-straight-to-my-heart-i-compared-it-with/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“I doubt if there is any problem in the world today - social, political or economic - that would not find a happy solution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman-2/i-doubt-if-there-is-any-problem-in-the-world-today-social-political/) [Harry S Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman-2/) > [The basis for the ethics of the Sermon on the Mount is not what works, but rather who God is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/the-basis-for-the-ethics-of-the-sermon-on-the-mount-is-not-what-works/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > [“These sermons of Jesus Christ are meant for your will and your conscience, not for your head. If you dispute these verses from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/these-sermons-of-jesus-christ-are-meant-for-your-will-and-your/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [... some people cannot bear the truth, no matter how tactfully it is told. No doubt the haughty, the tyrannical, the unmerciful, the impure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-church-terrell/some-people-cannot-bear-the-truth-no-matter-how-tactfully-it-is-told/) [Mary Church Terrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-church-terrell/) > [Never look for right in the other man, but never cease to be right yourself. We are always looking for justice; the teaching of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/never-look-for-right-in-the-other-man-but-never-cease-to-be-right/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“the Sermon on the Mount is God’s formula for revival. The Beatitudes are His recipe for His kingdom to come and His will to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-baker/the-sermon-on-the-mount-is-god-s-formula-for-revival-the-beatitudes/) [Heidi Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-baker/) > [“We heard the Sermon on the Mount and I knew it was too complex, It didn't amount to anything more than what the broken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/we-heard-the-sermon-on-the-mount-and-i-knew-it-was-too-complex-it/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Powers Hapgood had just come from court because there was some kind of dust-up on a picket line. The judge was so curious about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/powers-hapgood-had-just-come-from-court-because-there-was-some-kind/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [If God is not with us, we do not want to continue. If the Sermon on the Mount is simply impractical, our mission work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-baker/if-god-is-not-with-us-we-do-not-want-to-continue-if-the-sermon-on-the/) [Heidi Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-baker/) > [The Sermon on the Mount commands me to lay up for myself treasures, not upon earth, but in Heaven. My hopes of a future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/the-sermon-on-the-mount-commands-me-to-lay-up-for-myself-treasures/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) ## More by Ferdinand Mount > [For all its terrible faults, in one sense America is still the last, best hope of mankind, because it spells out so vividly the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-mount/for-all-its-terrible-faults-in-one-sense-america-is-still-the-last/) [Ferdinand Mount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-mount/) > [We want a system that will improve consistency and steadiness in the quality of government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-mount/we-want-a-system-that-will-improve-consistency-and-steadiness-in-the/) [Ferdinand Mount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-mount/) > [It's true that I'm taking a break from writing a regular column to do other things but it's got nothing to do with what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-mount/it-s-true-that-i-m-taking-a-break-from-writing-a-regular-column-to-do/) [Ferdinand Mount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-mount/) > [America slept because most Americans preferred it that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-mount/america-slept-because-most-americans-preferred-it-that-way/) [Ferdinand Mount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-mount/) > [All the research shows that being married, with all its ups and downs, is by far the most effective way of making young men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-mount/all-the-research-shows-that-being-married-with-all-its-ups-and-downs/) [Ferdinand Mount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-mount/) > [The president is being denounced for not taking the kind of pre-emptive action in Afghanistan that he has been so passionately denounced for taking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-mount/the-president-is-being-denounced-for-not-taking-the-kind-of-pre/) [Ferdinand Mount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-mount/) > [Something is happening to Britain and the British. Or has happened. We are said to be passing through a transition, or a turning point,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-mount/something-is-happening-to-britain-and-the-british-or-has-happened-we/) [Ferdinand Mount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-mount/) > [A majority in all parties do, I think, want to see local government recover its old vigour and independence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-mount/a-majority-in-all-parties-do-i-think-want-to-see-local-government/) [Ferdinand Mount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-mount/) > [Sexual relations, of course, have existed, exist, and will exist. However, this is in no way connected with the indispensability of the existence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-mount/sexual-relations-of-course-have-existed-exist-and-will-exist-however/) [Ferdinand Mount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-mount/) > [We are also further than ever from equality of opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-mount/we-are-also-further-than-ever-from-equality-of-opportunity/) [Ferdinand Mount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-mount/) > [In real terms, there is a greater disparity of earnings between the very rich and the very poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-mount/in-real-terms-there-is-a-greater-disparity-of-earnings-between-the/) [Ferdinand Mount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-mount/) > [According to Richard Clarke, the former White House counterterrorism chief, Bush was so obsessed with Iraq that he failed to take action against Osama…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-mount/according-to-richard-clarke-the-former-white-house-counterterrorism/) [Ferdinand Mount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-mount/) > [If life was what you made of it, then it could not be made for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-mount/if-life-was-what-you-made-of-it-then-it-could-not-be-made-for-you/) [Ferdinand Mount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-mount/) > [Francis Wheen takes a hugely enjoyable sweep through the tangled thickets of superstition and gullibility in which modern man likes to ramble. He takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-mount/francis-wheen-takes-a-hugely-enjoyable-sweep-through-the-tangled/) [Ferdinand Mount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-mount/) > [Defenders of the status quo will argue that this system has served us well over the centuries, that our parliamentary traditions have combined stability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-mount/defenders-of-the-status-quo-will-argue-that-this-system-has-served-us/) [Ferdinand Mount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-mount/) [Explore all 25 Ferdinand Mount quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-mount/) ## More Creation quotes > [“am not suggesting that successes in academics, athletics, or vocation somehow stand outside God’s good plan. Learning and play are joys that God himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-paul-jones/am-not-suggesting-that-successes-in-academics-athletics-or-vocation/) [Timothy Paul Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-paul-jones/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this \[step by step, from humans to apes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us-with-so-extraordinary-a/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Like many other scientists who hold the Catholic faith, I see the Creator's plan and purpose fulfilled in our universe. I see a planet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-r-miller/like-many-other-scientists-who-hold-the-catholic-faith-i-see-the/) [Kenneth R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/) > [And wheresoever, in his rich creation, Sweet music breathes--in wave, or bird, or soul-- 'Tis but the faint and far reverberation Of that great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-sargent-osgood/and-wheresoever-in-his-rich-creation-sweet-music-breathes-in-wave-or/) [Frances Sargent Osgood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-sargent-osgood/) > [I believe if there is a creator it will basically ask me two questions, how well did you enjoy my creation and what did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/i-believe-if-there-is-a-creator-it-will-basically-ask-me-two/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [With no other choices open to us, we'd turned our gaze seaward. The oceans were our America: they reached farther than any prairie, untamed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carsten-jensen/with-no-other-choices-open-to-us-we-d-turned-our-gaze-seaward-the/) [Carsten Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carsten-jensen/) > [In the quiet moments of your day, what do you think and do? When you are with your Self and no one else, how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/in-the-quiet-moments-of-your-day-what-do-you-think-and-do-when-you/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [The creation lives as genesis beneath the visible surface of the work. All intelligent people see this after the fact, but only the creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-klee/the-creation-lives-as-genesis-beneath-the-visible-surface-of-the-work/) [Paul Klee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-klee/) > [When I was in my teens I had a series of intensely religious experiences. They deepened my sense of God as the creator of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-linzey/when-i-was-in-my-teens-i-had-a-series-of-intensely-religious/) [Andrew Linzey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-linzey/) > [If you are trying to live a life in accordance with the Bible, the concept and call to justice are inescapable. We do justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-trying-to-live-a-life-in-accordance-with-the-bible-the/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [I think that storytelling and creation are very close to what the center of what magic is about. I think not just for me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/i-think-that-storytelling-and-creation-are-very-close-to-what-the/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [To be part of the creation, I must act humbly. I'll take that over a goddess any day!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-o-hara/to-be-part-of-the-creation-i-must-act-humbly-i-ll-take-that-over-a/) [Maureen O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-o-hara/) > [The country of Iraq is somewhat of an artificial creation going back to colonial days. And so you have the Kurds and then the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clapper/the-country-of-iraq-is-somewhat-of-an-artificial-creation-going-back/) [James Clapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clapper/) [Browse all 5,225 Creation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The irreducible, ultimate element in religious faith is the insistence that we are created things; male and female He created them; without God we are nothing. And yet, when men and women have children and become parents, they unmistakably become creators, incompetent, accidental and partial creators, no doubt, but creators none the less. It is their inescapable duty, and, with luck, their occasional delight to care and watch over their creations; even if this creative power is partly illusory because chromosomes and chance decide the whole business, parents cannot act as if it is illusory; they cannot sincerely believe in their ultimate helplessness. They must behave like shepherds, however clumsy, and not like sheep, however well trained. The Sermon on the Mount is a wonderful, intoxicating sermon. 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