--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not alone the first beginnings of…" description: "\"“It is not alone the first beginnings of religion that are full of fear. So long as love is imperfect, there is room for torment. That lore only which ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b4/george-macdonald-295_beginnings_it-is-not-alone-the-first-beginnings-of_1138272.png" --- # It is not alone the first beginnings of religion that are… ![“It is not alone the first beginnings of religion that are full of fear. So long as love is imperfect, there is room for torment. That lore only which fills the heart—and nothing but love can fill any heart—is able to cast out fear, leaving no room for its presence. What we find in the beginnings…” quote by George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b4/george-macdonald-295_beginnings_it-is-not-alone-the-first-beginnings-of_1138272.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b4/george-macdonald-295_beginnings_it-is-not-alone-the-first-beginnings-of_1138272.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b4/george-macdonald-295_beginnings_it-is-not-alone-the-first-beginnings-of_1138272.png) > ““It is not alone the first beginnings of religion that are full of fear. So long as love is imperfect, there is room for torment. That lore only which fills the heart—and nothing but love can fill any heart—is able to cast out fear, leaving no room for its presence. What we find in the beginnings of religion, will hold in varying degree, until the religion, that is the love, be perfected.”” [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Love’s imperfection creates space for fear; perfect love eliminates fear, mirroring early religious experiences. **In simple terms:** Love can remove fear when perfected. Key Takeaway Cultivate deeper love to reduce fear. Themes love faith fear spirituality growth Mood hopeful inspirational Type spiritual philosophical When to use this quote - relationships - spiritual practice - personal development - community building Key Concepts theology psychology philosophy Questions to Reflect On - Can love truly erase fear? - What practices help deepen love? A Different Perspective Perfect love may be idealistic and hard to achieve. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beginnings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginnings/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [“I think this is a very important thing to understand about Christianity. It was from its very beginnings, it seems, a religion of great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/i-think-this-is-a-very-important-thing-to-understand-about/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [“The Fear of the Lord, that is the beginning of wisdom, and therefore belongs to the beginnings, and is felt in the first cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/the-fear-of-the-lord-that-is-the-beginning-of-wisdom-and-therefore/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [Religion is the fear of God, and its demonstration good works; and faith is the root of both: For without faith we cannot please…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/religion-is-the-fear-of-god-and-its-demonstration-good-works-and/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [“One of my greatest difficulties in consenting to think of religion was that I thought I should have to give up my beautiful thoughts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/one-of-my-greatest-difficulties-in-consenting-to-think-of-religion/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“Hardship is a man-made device because man cannot exist without passion. Religion is somewhere between fear and sex.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/hardship-is-a-man-made-device-because-man-cannot-exist-without/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [Superstitions, and especially the early cultivation of religion, with its "fear of the Lord" and of unknown mysterious agencies, are especially potent in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-sidis/superstitions-and-especially-the-early-cultivation-of-religion-with/) [Boris Sidis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-sidis/) > [Religion has nothing more to fear than not being sufficiently understood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanis-aw-i-leszczy-ski/religion-has-nothing-more-to-fear-than-not-being-sufficiently/) [Stanisław I Leszczyński](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanis-aw-i-leszczy-ski/) > [“If you neither believe in religion nor fear the hereafter , then atleast be free from Tyranny and Arrogance".”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imam-hussain/if-you-neither-believe-in-religion-nor-fear-the-hereafter-then/) Imam hussain > [What indicates a person’s weak religion and fear of God, is that he seeks for an opinion that suits his desire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-hazm/what-indicates-a-person-s-weak-religion-and-fear-of-god-is-that-he/) [Ibn Hazm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-hazm/) > [“Undoubtedly the most important source of religion is fear; this can be seen in the present day, since anything that causes alarm is apt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/undoubtedly-the-most-important-source-of-religion-is-fear-this-can-be/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Religion comforts us for the defeat of our will to power. It adds new worlds to ours, and thus brings us hope of new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-cioran/religion-comforts-us-for-the-defeat-of-our-will-to-power-it-adds-new/) [Emil Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-cioran/) > [I'm an atheist. I suppose you can call me a sort of libertarian anarchist. I regard religion with fear and suspicion. It's not enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-thompson/i-m-an-atheist-i-suppose-you-can-call-me-a-sort-of-libertarian/) [Emma Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-thompson/) > [Syncretism can be disturbing to people. They have often been taught, "You have to have solid faith and must be sure of your religion,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninian-smart/syncretism-can-be-disturbing-to-people-they-have-often-been-taught/) [Ninian Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninian-smart/) > [Many people are afraid to embrace religion, for fear they shall not succeed in maintaining it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/many-people-are-afraid-to-embrace-religion-for-fear-they-shall-not/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [“The development from a religion of fear to moral religion is a great step in peoples' lives.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-development-from-a-religion-of-fear-to-moral-religion-is-a-great/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) ## More by George MacDonald > [“No revelation can be other than partial. If for true revelation a man must be told all the truth, then farewell to revelation; yea,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/no-revelation-can-be-other-than-partial-if-for-true-revelation-a-man/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [In low theologies, hell is invariably the deepest truth, and the love of God is not so deep as hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/in-low-theologies-hell-is-invariably-the-deepest-truth-and-the-love/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Life and religion are one, or neither is any thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/life-and-religion-are-one-or-neither-is-any-thing/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [The region belonging to the pure intellect is straitened: the imagination labours to extend its territories, to give it room. She sweeps across the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/the-region-belonging-to-the-pure-intellect-is-straitened-the/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Come, then, affliction, if my Father wills, and be my frowning friend. 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No, I don't That would be to take it from somebody else. But it's mine for all… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/i-wish-i-had-made-that-song-no-i-don-t-that-would-be-to-take-it-from/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Past tears are present strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/past-tears-are-present-strength/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Age is not all decay; it is the ripening, the swelling, of the fresh life within, that withers and bursts the husk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/age-is-not-all-decay-it-is-the-ripening-the-swelling-of-the-fresh/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [I want to help you grow as beautiful as God meant you to be when he thought of you first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/i-want-to-help-you-grow-as-beautiful-as-god-meant-you-to-be-when-he/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“Immeasurably imperfect it was, but false the impression could not be, for she saw with the eyes made for seeing, and saw indeed what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/immeasurably-imperfect-it-was-but-false-the-impression-could-not-be/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Those that hope little cannot grow much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/those-that-hope-little-cannot-grow-much/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) [Explore all 720 George MacDonald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) ## More Beginnings quotes > [“As long as we’re breathing, we have a chance to start over and build a stable future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-ha-campbell/as-long-as-we-re-breathing-we-have-a-chance-to-start-over-and-build-a/) [Kim Ha Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-ha-campbell/) > [It was often this way, life consisted of a series of false beginnings, bluff declarations of arrival to destinations not even glimpsed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lethem/it-was-often-this-way-life-consisted-of-a-series-of-false-beginnings/) [Jonathan Lethem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lethem/) > [“God is going to send you someone that will rescue you. 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My beginnings here made me pay attention to where the sun is, where the winds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-predock/my-beginnings-in-the-southwest-are-clear-and-palpable-my-beginnings/) [Antoine Predock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-predock/) > [“... the scarlet thread,the red clay from which we were made, runs in tiny streams through all our veins, reminding us of where we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-geddes/the-scarlet-thread-the-red-clay-from-which-we-were-made-runs-in-tiny/) [John Geddes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-geddes/) > [“January 20th,2021 Blow the trumpets loud, Salute the National Guard in the crowd, New beginnings, A new day has dawned, No need to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charmaine-j-forde/january-20th-2021-blow-the-trumpets-loud-salute-the-national-guard-in/) [Charmaine J Forde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charmaine-j-forde/) > [There are not many beginnings but there is a single Beginning, prior to multitude. 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