--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Religion doesn't start with a set of laws…" description: "\"Religion doesn't start with a set of laws or rules and it doesn't start with a set of ideas. It starts with an encounter, with the living God and in ou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/814/francis-george-23460_cases_religion-doesn-t-start-with-a-set-of-law_2492637.jpg" --- # Religion doesn't start with a set of laws or rules and it… ![“Religion doesn't start with a set of laws or rules and it doesn't start with a set of ideas. It starts with an encounter, with the living God and in our case, Christ risen from the dead. In that encounter you meet someone you can trust. That's faith: trust in truth.” quote by Francis George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/814/francis-george-23460_cases_religion-doesn-t-start-with-a-set-of-law_2492637.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/814/francis-george-23460_cases_religion-doesn-t-start-with-a-set-of-law_2492637.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/814/francis-george-23460_cases_religion-doesn-t-start-with-a-set-of-law_2492637.jpg) > “Religion doesn't start with a set of laws or rules and it doesn't start with a set of ideas. It starts with an encounter, with the living God and in our case, Christ risen from the dead. In that encounter you meet someone you can trust. That's faith: trust in truth.” [Francis George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-george/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Faith begins with personal encounter with the living God, not merely rules or ideas. **In simple terms:** Faith starts with meeting God. Key Takeaway Seek personal spiritual experience. Themes faith encounter trust Mood reflective reverent Type religious inspirational When to use this quote - prayer - community worship - personal reflection - ethical decisions Key Concepts theology spirituality trust Questions to Reflect On - How does personal encounter shape your beliefs? - What practices deepen trust in truth? A Different Perspective Relying solely on doctrine may neglect personal relationship. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cases/) [Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ/) [Christ Risen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ-risen/) [Encounters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encounters/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Faith trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith-trust/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religion Doesn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-doesn-431081/) [Risen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risen/) [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/) [Trust Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust-faith/) ## Related quotes > [Had Christ not risen we could not believe Him to be what He declared Himself when He "made Himself equal with God." 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It says, "Remember Jesus Christ is risen from the dead."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-runcie/the-new-testament-never-simply-says-remember-jesus-christ-that-is-a/) [Robert Runcie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-runcie/) > [I am neither an optimist nor a pessimist. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesslie-newbigin/i-am-neither-an-optimist-nor-a-pessimist-jesus-christ-is-risen-from/) [Lesslie Newbigin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesslie-newbigin/) > [Let every man and woman count himself immortal. Let him catch the revelation of Jesus in his resurrection. Let him say not merely, "Christ…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/let-every-man-and-woman-count-himself-immortal-let-him-catch-the/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [Christ is risen! There is life, therefore, after death! His resurrection is the symbol and pledge of universal resurrection!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/christ-is-risen-there-is-life-therefore-after-death-his-resurrection/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [Hear the bells ringing they're singing "Christ is risen from the dead!" The angel up on the tombstone said, He is risen just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-green/hear-the-bells-ringing-they-re-singing-christ-is-risen-from-the-dead/) [Keith Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-green/) > [The best proof that Christ has risen is that he is still alive. And for the immense majority of our contemporaries, the only way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-evely/the-best-proof-that-christ-has-risen-is-that-he-is-still-alive-and/) [Louis Evely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-evely/) > [If Christ is risen, nothing else matters. And if Christ is not risen-nothing else matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaroslav-pelikan/if-christ-is-risen-nothing-else-matters-and-if-christ-is-not-risen/) [Jaroslav Pelikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaroslav-pelikan/) > [When exhaling this air, we announced Jesus Christ risen by the same Spirit. No one can live without breathing. It is the same for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/when-exhaling-this-air-we-announced-jesus-christ-risen-by-the-same/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Rejoice and sing praises to God. For Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, just how he had promised. Here's wishing a very happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rejoice-and-sing-praises-to-god-for-jesus-christ-has-risen-from-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Francis George > [God's is the causality at the level of our being, and therefore the roots of our freedom. Ours in causality is determinative of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-george/god-s-is-the-causality-at-the-level-of-our-being-and-therefore-the/) [Francis George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-george/) > [The fact that God knows everything does not mean that He is directly causing everything. He respects our freedom at our level. He makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-george/the-fact-that-god-knows-everything-does-not-mean-that-he-is-directly/) [Francis George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-george/) > [If you're going to say you're Catholic, you inform your conscience so that you're activities will conform to what God is telling us through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-george/if-you-re-going-to-say-you-re-catholic-you-inform-your-conscience-so/) [Francis George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-george/) > [So, in every case if you really love someone there is an element of submission to them because you want what's best for them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-george/so-in-every-case-if-you-really-love-someone-there-is-an-element-of/) [Francis George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-george/) > [That question in marriage is mutual submission, really - the next verse goes on: "husbands love your wife as Christ loves the Church."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-george/that-question-in-marriage-is-mutual-submission-really-the-next-verse/) [Francis George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-george/) > [Equality, therefore, becomes the criterion because we can handle all that in process, but we can't handle that as principle without infringing on freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-george/equality-therefore-becomes-the-criterion-because-we-can-handle-all/) [Francis George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-george/) > [Law is a process. If there is equality of process for everybody, then that's our definition of justice. Whether or not what is done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-george/law-is-a-process-if-there-is-equality-of-process-for-everybody-then/) [Francis George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-george/) > [ He \[God\] made us free, and He respects that. It is two different spheres of causality. Interdependent, though. It is not two boxes looking… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-george/he-god-made-us-free-and-he-respects-that-it-is-two-different-spheres/) [Francis George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-george/) > [Christ didn't leave us a book of instructions; He left us a body, a family - a Church. If it were perfectly clear, there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-george/christ-didn-t-leave-us-a-book-of-instructions-he-left-us-a-body-a/) [Francis George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-george/) > [From a Christian perspective, the answer to all of that is not power, as it is in the modern perspective. It's love. It's self-sacrifice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-george/from-a-christian-perspective-the-answer-to-all-of-that-is-not-power/) [Francis George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-george/) > [The presumption that the law can tell us what natural institution is supposed to be is a formula for totalitarianism. There's not equality in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-george/the-presumption-that-the-law-can-tell-us-what-natural-institution-is/) [Francis George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-george/) > [The trust is a matter of love and faith is a matter of truth. The two together give you the guidance that you look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-george/the-trust-is-a-matter-of-love-and-faith-is-a-matter-of-truth-the-two/) [Francis George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-george/) > [Faith is not a contract. Faith is surrender. If no other relationship in our experience is one of self-surrender, if it's all contractual, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-george/faith-is-not-a-contract-faith-is-surrender-if-no-other-relationship/) [Francis George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-george/) > [If you, however, separate reason and faith so that it's purely a rationalistic scheme, it will end in violence. If a pure faith scheme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-george/if-you-however-separate-reason-and-faith-so-that-it-s-purely-a/) [Francis George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-george/) > [There is the enormous corpus of Islamic law that is very rich. However, law is one rational exercise of reason. Philosophy is very different.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-george/there-is-the-enormous-corpus-of-islamic-law-that-is-very-rich-however/) [Francis George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-george/) [Explore all 26 Francis George quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-george/) ## More Cases quotes > [The time that one gains cannot be accumulated in a storehouse; it is contradictory to want to save up existence, which, the fact is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/the-time-that-one-gains-cannot-be-accumulated-in-a-storehouse-it-is/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [I'd always have grease in at least two places, in case the umpires would ask me to wipe one off. 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