Belief Quote by Gustave Flaubert
““I have a religion, my own religion, and I even have more religion than all of them, with their mummery and hocus-pocus. I adore God! I believe in the Supreme Being, in a Creator, whatever He is, it doesn't matter to me, who has placed us here below to fulfill our duties as citizens and as fathers; but I don't need to go to church to kiss silver plates and empty my pocket to fatten a lot of humbugs who are better fed than we are! For one can honor Him just as well in the woods, in a field, or even by contemplating the vault of the heavens, as the ancients did. My personal God is the God of Socrates, of Franklin, Voltaire, and Béranger. I'm for the Profession of Faith of the Savoyard Vicar and the immoral principles of '89! So I don't admit any old codger of a God who walks in his garden with a cane in his hand, lodges his friends in the bellies of whales, dies with a groan and comes to life at the end of three days: absurdities in themselves and, furthermore, completely opposed to all physical laws; which proves, by the way, that the priests have always beens sunk in a mire of ignorance in which they force the populace to wallow with them.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Sentimental Education by Gustave Flaubert, 1869
The speaker rejects organized religion, favoring a personal, rational belief in a higher power, criticizing institutional hypocrisy and dogma.
In simple terms: Personal belief over church rituals.
Seek truth individually, not through institutions.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- personal meditation
- nature walks
- studying philosophy
- public discourse
- political activism
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What does personal spirituality mean to you?
- How can society balance individual belief with communal values?
May overlook communal support and shared moral frameworks offered by organized faith.