--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It wasn't God who introduced us to…" description: "\"It wasn't God who introduced us to morality; rather, it was the other way around. God was put into place to help us live the way we felt we ought to.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f99/frans-de-waal-2997_character_it-wasn-t-god-who-introduced-us-to-moral_3149846.png" --- # It wasn't God who introduced us to morality; rather, it… ![“It wasn't God who introduced us to morality; rather, it was the other way around. God was put into place to help us live the way we felt we ought to.” quote by Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f99/frans-de-waal-2997_character_it-wasn-t-god-who-introduced-us-to-moral_3149846.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f99/frans-de-waal-2997_character_it-wasn-t-god-who-introduced-us-to-moral_3149846.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f99/frans-de-waal-2997_character_it-wasn-t-god-who-introduced-us-to-moral_3149846.png) > “It wasn't God who introduced us to morality; rather, it was the other way around. God was put into place to help us live the way we felt we ought to.” [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Morality is a human construct placed into society, not a divine command; we create moral systems to guide behavior. **In simple terms:** Morality is human‑made, not God‑given. Key Takeaway Recognize morality as a social tool. Themes morality human nature religion Mood analytical inquisitive Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - education curricula - interfaith dialogue - legislative design Key Concepts ethics evolutionary psychology cultural norms Questions to Reflect On - How do cultural differences shape moral codes? - What role does religion play in moral development? A Different Perspective Some argue morality is inherent, not constructed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) ## Related quotes > [“When mystical elements are introduced into morality, the whole system ends up being corrupted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/when-mystical-elements-are-introduced-into-morality-the-whole-system/) [Al Stefanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/) > [“He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-gave-his-son-his-one-and-only-son-and-this-is-why-so-that-no-one/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To me, God is the basic Reality of the universe. God is what is. That's how Moses wrote that God introduced Himself, isn't it?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gungor/to-me-god-is-the-basic-reality-of-the-universe-god-is-what-is-that-s/) [Michael Gungor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gungor/) > [Feeling that morality has nothing to do with the way you use the resources of the world is an idea that can't persist much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/feeling-that-morality-has-nothing-to-do-with-the-way-you-use-the/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Christianity is neither a system of ideas nor of morality but a way, a way of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-vanhoozer/christianity-is-neither-a-system-of-ideas-nor-of-morality-but-a-way-a/) [Kevin Vanhoozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-vanhoozer/) > [I think whatever you believe in affects whatever you express, whatever you create. It shapes your morality in some way. But I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thompson/i-think-whatever-you-believe-in-affects-whatever-you-express-whatever/) [Richard Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thompson/) > [God is a place of safety you can run to, but it helps if you are running to Him on a daily basis so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stormie-omartian/god-is-a-place-of-safety-you-can-run-to-but-it-helps-if-you-are/) [Stormie Omartian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stormie-omartian/) > [If its the last thing I do on earth I'm going to find out why God put me here in the first place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-henri-thiry/if-its-the-last-thing-i-do-on-earth-i-m-going-to-find-out-why-god-put/) Paul-Henri Thiry > [God never put anyone in a place too small to grow in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrietta-mears/god-never-put-anyone-in-a-place-too-small-to-grow-in/) [Henrietta Mears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrietta-mears/) > [God is all over the place. 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You never will be happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vance-havner/god-has-a-place-and-purpose-for-you-somewhere-for-you-to-be-and/) [Vance Havner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vance-havner/) > [“…Prayer to God is not only the place for divulging our heart, but also developing our desires.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mathis/prayer-to-god-is-not-only-the-place-for-divulging-our-heart-but-also/) [David Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mathis/) > [God's place is the world but the world is not God's place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/god-s-place-is-the-world-but-the-world-is-not-god-s-place/) [Sinead O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinead-o-connor/) ## More by Frans de Waal > [Dogmatists have one advantage: they are poor listeners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/dogmatists-have-one-advantage-they-are-poor-listeners/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [If both parties have a stake in the other, the chances of them killing each other are going to be reduced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/if-both-parties-have-a-stake-in-the-other-the-chances-of-them-killing/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [I sometimes try to imagine what would have happened if we’d known the bonobo first and the chimpanzee only later—or not at all. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/i-sometimes-try-to-imagine-what-would-have-happened-if-we-d-known-the/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [Unlike the primate hand, the elephant's grasping organ is also its nose. Elephants use their trunks not only to reach food but also to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/unlike-the-primate-hand-the-elephant-s-grasping-organ-is-also-its/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [Science is not inherently good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/science-is-not-inherently-good/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [The possibility that empathy resides in parts of the brain so ancient that we share them with rats should give pause to anyone comparing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/the-possibility-that-empathy-resides-in-parts-of-the-brain-so-ancient/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [“on August 16, 1996, when an eight-year-old female gorilla named Binti Jua helped a three-year-old boy who had fallen eighteen feet into the primate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/on-august-16-1996-when-an-eight-year-old-female-gorilla-named-binti/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [We start out postulating sharp boundaries, such as between humans and apes, or between apes and monkeys, but are in fact dealing with sand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/we-start-out-postulating-sharp-boundaries-such-as-between-humans-and/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [Perhaps it's just me, but I am wary of any persons whose belief system is the only thing standing between them and repulsive behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/perhaps-it-s-just-me-but-i-am-wary-of-any-persons-whose-belief-system/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [Personally, I think it is possible to build a society that is moral on a nonreligious basis, but the jury is still out on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/personally-i-think-it-is-possible-to-build-a-society-that-is-moral-on/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [“humans are a strange lot. We have the power to analyze and explore the world around us, yet panic as soon as the evidence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/humans-are-a-strange-lot-we-have-the-power-to-analyze-and-explore-the/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [Armies are a purely human invention. Most soldiers who go to war nowadays don't even do it because they're inherently aggressive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/armies-are-a-purely-human-invention-most-soldiers-who-go-to-war/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [There's actually a lot of evidence in primates and other animals that they return favors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/there-s-actually-a-lot-of-evidence-in-primates-and-other-animals-that/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [“In a world divided by chimpophiles and bonobophiles, we all had a good laugh when Stephen peeled his banana. (62)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/in-a-world-divided-by-chimpophiles-and-bonobophiles-we-all-had-a-good/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [In Africa, we have the bush meat trade, which means that, on a very large scale, animals are being killed in the forests and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/in-africa-we-have-the-bush-meat-trade-which-means-that-on-a-very/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) [Explore all 143 Frans de Waal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [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. 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But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. 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