--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don’t have a definition of God, because…" description: "\"I don’t have a definition of God, because I’ve never really understood that word. People have different understandings of it and it’s caused a great de..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/832/gary-zukav-714_compassion_i-don-t-have-a-definition-of-god-because_2290953.png" --- # I don’t have a definition of God, because I’ve never… ![“I don’t have a definition of God, because I’ve never really understood that word. People have different understandings of it and it’s caused a great deal of conflict. If I had to say what would my definition of God be, if I were going to use that word, I would say that this universe has layers…” quote by Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/832/gary-zukav-714_compassion_i-don-t-have-a-definition-of-god-because_2290953.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/832/gary-zukav-714_compassion_i-don-t-have-a-definition-of-god-because_2290953.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/832/gary-zukav-714_compassion_i-don-t-have-a-definition-of-god-because_2290953.png) > “I don’t have a definition of God, because I’ve never really understood that word. People have different understandings of it and it’s caused a great deal of conflict. If I had to say what would my definition of God be, if I were going to use that word, I would say that this universe has layers upon layers upon layers of compassion and wisdom beyond ours.” [Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker lacks a clear definition of God, sees it as a source of conflict, and instead describes the universe as layered with compassion and wisdom. **In simple terms:** God is undefined; universe is compassionate. Key Takeaway Seek compassion and wisdom in the cosmos. Themes spirituality conflict philosophy Mood contemplative hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - interfaith dialogue - personal growth - education Key Concepts pluralism cosmic humility Questions to Reflect On - How does this view affect moral decisions? - Can compassion replace traditional deity concepts? A Different Perspective May be too abstract for some. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) [Deals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deals/) [Definition God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definition-god-341765/) [Definitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definitions/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Different Understandings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-understandings-2831308/) [God Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-going/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Infinite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infinite/) [Layers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/layers/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) [Understandings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understandings-1044958/) [Understood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understood/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [ “The incompatibility here \[between some anthropologies\] rests with basic attitudes toward cultural others, which in turn rests on fundamentally different understandings of history. The… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-roseberry/the-incompatibility-here-between-some-anthropologies-rests-with-basic/) [William Roseberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-roseberry/) > [There is only one good definition of God: the freedom that allows other freedoms to exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/there-is-only-one-good-definition-of-god-the-freedom-that-allows/) [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) > [My definition of God: God is not only the alpha, the omega, he is friend, he's a confidant, he is a buddy. He is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-franklin/my-definition-of-god-god-is-not-only-the-alpha-the-omega-he-is-friend/) [DeVon Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-franklin/) > [I will say that the God concept is at the heart of 2001 but not any traditional, anthromorphic image of God. I don't believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-kubrick/i-will-say-that-the-god-concept-is-at-the-heart-of-2001-but-not-any/) [Stanley Kubrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-kubrick/) > [“What are accepted as beliefs or understandings comes to dictate the fabric for how future is defined.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-redhead/what-are-accepted-as-beliefs-or-understandings-comes-to-dictate-the/) [Steven Redhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-redhead/) > [A successful relation doesn't depend on, how good understandings we have... But, it depends upon this how better we avoid miss understandings...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-successful-relation-doesn-t-depend-on-how-good-understandings-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ “I have taken on many Understandings in my life \[...\]. I have listened to another Messenger's incomprehensible signals in the night. The thing you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tchaikovsky/i-have-taken-on-many-understandings-in-my-life-i-have-listened-to/) [Adrian Tchaikovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tchaikovsky/) > [“Acceptance is the mother of all understandings”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihail-militaru/acceptance-is-the-mother-of-all-understandings/) [Mihail Militaru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihail-militaru/) > [I've come to believe that all my past failure and frustration were actually laying the foundation for the understandings that have created the new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/i-ve-come-to-believe-that-all-my-past-failure-and-frustration-were/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Men, as well as women, are much oftener led by their hearts than by their understandings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/men-as-well-as-women-are-much-oftener-led-by-their-hearts-than-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Where the subject lies so far beyond our reach, the difference between the highest and the lowest of human understandings may indeed be calculated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/where-the-subject-lies-so-far-beyond-our-reach-the-difference-between/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [You don't need anybody to tell you what is right or wrong. What you need, perhaps, is someone to show you how to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-don-t-need-anybody-to-tell-you-what-is-right-or-wrong-what-you/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Mutual understandings are just like having boyfriends and girlfriends, the difference is both of you have no commitments and you can easily escape if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/mutual-understandings-are-just-like-having-boyfriends-and-girlfriends/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To mean understandings, it is sufficient honour to be numbered amongst the lowest labourers of learning; but different abilities must find different tasks. 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Reverence is a perception of the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-zukav/reverence-is-an-attitude-of-honoring-life-reverence-automatically/) [Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/) > [Being harmless means being so strong, so empowered, that the idea of showing power through harm is not even a part of your consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-zukav/being-harmless-means-being-so-strong-so-empowered-that-the-idea-of/) [Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/) > [I see the potential for a new world being born in front of me and all around me, and I feel the only way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-zukav/i-see-the-potential-for-a-new-world-being-born-in-front-of-me-and-all/) [Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/) > [The challenge to each human is creation. 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Our evolution now requires us to develop spiritually-to become emotionally aware and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-zukav/the-requirements-for-our-evolution-have-changed-survival-is-no-longer/) [Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/) > [Please... tell me who you are and what you want. And if you think those are simple questions, keep in mind that most people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-zukav/please-tell-me-who-you-are-and-what-you-want-and-if-you-think-those/) [Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/) > [The number of teachers and guides that a soul has depends upon what it seeks to accomplish and its level of awareness. 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