--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not religious in the sense that I do…" description: "\"I'm not religious in the sense that I do not subscribe to any particular set of religious dogma. I don't go to church. I don't read the Bible. But I be..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/843/frederick-buechner-883_believe_i-m-not-religious-in-the-sense-that-i-do_1589725.png" --- # I'm not religious in the sense that I do not subscribe to… ![“I'm not religious in the sense that I do not subscribe to any particular set of religious dogma. I don't go to church. I don't read the Bible. But I believe that the word "Spirit" with a capital S points to an ultimate reality which I give my heart to.” quote by Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/843/frederick-buechner-883_believe_i-m-not-religious-in-the-sense-that-i-do_1589725.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/843/frederick-buechner-883_believe_i-m-not-religious-in-the-sense-that-i-do_1589725.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/843/frederick-buechner-883_believe_i-m-not-religious-in-the-sense-that-i-do_1589725.png) > “I'm not religious in the sense that I do not subscribe to any particular set of religious dogma. I don't go to church. I don't read the Bible. But I believe that the word "Spirit" with a capital S points to an ultimate reality which I give my heart to.” [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author distinguishes institutional religion from a personal sense of the divine, seeing “Spirit” as a transcendent reality. **In simple terms:** Spirit is a personal ultimate reality beyond dogma. Key Takeaway Seek personal connection over formal doctrine. Themes spirituality personal belief transcendence Mood contemplative hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - prayer - meditation - ethical decisions - community involvement Key Concepts theology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - How do you nurture this personal spirit? - What role does community play in your faith? A Different Perspective Such belief may lack communal support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Dogma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dogma/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [I believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-believe/) [My heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-heart/) [Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Religious dogma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-dogma/) [Religious Sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-sense-288423/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) [Ultimate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ultimate/) [Ultimate reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ultimate-reality/) [Word Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/word-spirit-2622801/) ## Related quotes > [The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcend a personal God and avoid dogmas and theology. Covering both the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-religion-of-the-future-will-be-a-cosmic-religion-it-should/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“Religious dogma not only results in the form of gross, zealous behavior such as the killing of ethnic minorities as part of a cultural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-dansky/religious-dogma-not-only-results-in-the-form-of-gross-zealous/) [Martin Dansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-dansky/) > [Old religious dogma attempts to convince you that you are on a journey to God, then makes you pay tolls along that roadway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/old-religious-dogma-attempts-to-convince-you-that-you-are-on-a/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [“Truths turn into dogmas the instant that they are disputed. 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Religious dogma…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/there-are-still-truths-in-the-bible-and-many-other-ancient-texts/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [“The truth, however, is that the conflict between religion and science is unavoidable. The success of science often comes at the expense of religious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-truth-however-is-that-the-conflict-between-religion-and-science/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [Deep down, all of us are probably aware that some kind of mystical evolution is our true task. Yet we suppress the notion with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/deep-down-all-of-us-are-probably-aware-that-some-kind-of-mystical/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [I tend to believe that religious dogma is a consequence of evolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/i-tend-to-believe-that-religious-dogma-is-a-consequence-of-evolution/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [The Bible is not my book and Christianity is not my religion. I could never give assent to the long complicated statements of Christian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/the-bible-is-not-my-book-and-christianity-is-not-my-religion-i-could/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“Had these people been living in, for example, the agricultural paradise of the Nile Delta, they might have been able to get away with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/had-these-people-been-living-in-for-example-the-agricultural-paradise/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“It is because of religious dogma, (black health care professional Thelma) Delgado says, that young African Americans believe "God will make a way for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sikivu-hutchinson-in-moral-combat-black-atheists-gender-politics-and-the-values-wars/it-is-because-of-religious-dogma-black-health-care-professional/) [Sikivu Hutchinson in Moral Combat Black Atheists Gender Politics and the Values Wars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sikivu-hutchinson-in-moral-combat-black-atheists-gender-politics-and-the-values-wars/) > [The conflict between religion and science is inherent and (very nearly) zero-sum. The success of science often comes at the expense of religious dogma;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-conflict-between-religion-and-science-is-inherent-and-very-nearly/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [We seem to be the victims of religious dogma, both from the Christian Right here and, of course, in the East with the rise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-andrews/we-seem-to-be-the-victims-of-religious-dogma-both-from-the-christian/) [Naveen Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-andrews/) ## More by Frederick Buechner > [In the entire history of the universe, let alone in your own history, there has never been another day just like today, and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/in-the-entire-history-of-the-universe-let-alone-in-your-own-history/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [People are disturbed not by things but by the view they take of them. 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Who can say what dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/snobs-are-people-who-look-down-on-other-people-but-that-does-not/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [I could, of course, have done no more if no less than affiliated myself in one way or another with a particular church, could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/i-could-of-course-have-done-no-more-if-no-less-than-affiliated-myself/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [Even the saddest things can become, once we have made peace with them, a source of wisdom and strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/even-the-saddest-things-can-become-once-we-have-made-peace-with-them/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [A Christian isn't necessarily any nicer than anybody else, just better informed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/a-christian-isn-t-necessarily-any-nicer-than-anybody-else-just-better/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [“The things that the world fills time with are enough to turn the heart to stone, but the goodness of time itself is as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/the-things-that-the-world-fills-time-with-are-enough-to-turn-the/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [The pride that keeps us from forgiving is the same pride which keeps us from accepting forgiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/the-pride-that-keeps-us-from-forgiving-is-the-same-pride-which-keeps/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [“You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but a the same time you carry them with you in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/you-can-kiss-your-family-and-friends-good-bye-and-put-miles-between/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [If the truth is worth telling, it is worth making a fool of yourself to tell it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/if-the-truth-is-worth-telling-it-is-worth-making-a-fool-of-yourself/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [I suspect that Jesus spoke many of his parables as a kind of sad and holy joke and that that may be part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/i-suspect-that-jesus-spoke-many-of-his-parables-as-a-kind-of-sad-and/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [“How Adewen stuffed her braid in her mouth at that! 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You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. 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Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm not religious in the sense that I do not subscribe to any particular set of religious dogma. I don't go to church. I don't read the Bible. 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