--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: …religion may be best be described as an…" description: "\"…religion may be best be described as an emotion resting on a conviction of a harmony between ourselves and the universe at large.\" — J. M. E. McTaggart" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b3/j-m-e-mctaggart-88481_conviction_religion-may-be-best-be-described-as-an_1638850.jpg" --- # …religion may be best be described as an emotion resting… ![“…religion may be best be described as an emotion resting on a conviction of a harmony between ourselves and the universe at large.” quote by J. M. E. McTaggart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b3/j-m-e-mctaggart-88481_conviction_religion-may-be-best-be-described-as-an_1638850.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b3/j-m-e-mctaggart-88481_conviction_religion-may-be-best-be-described-as-an_1638850.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b3/j-m-e-mctaggart-88481_conviction_religion-may-be-best-be-described-as-an_1638850.jpg) > “…religion may be best be described as an emotion resting on a conviction of a harmony between ourselves and the universe at large.” [J. M. E. McTaggart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-e-mctaggart/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Religion is portrayed as an emotional response rooted in a belief that we are harmoniously connected to the cosmos. **In simple terms:** Religion as emotion about cosmic harmony. Key Takeaway Recognize the emotional basis of belief. Themes spirituality belief emotion Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical theoretical When to use this quote - personal reflection - interfaith dialogue - mental health counseling Key Concepts cosmic connection subjectivity psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does this view affect religious tolerance? - Can emotion alone sustain faith? A Different Perspective May overlook rational critiques and cultural diversity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conviction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conviction/) [Conviction Harmony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conviction-harmony-548972/) [Described Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/described-emotion-548970/) [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Emotion Resting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion-resting-548971/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Harmony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harmony/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religion Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-best-548969/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) ## Related quotes > [“Religion is still the very best way to get someone to accept something unabashedly ridiculous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-doucette/religion-is-still-the-very-best-way-to-get-someone-to-accept/) [Gene Doucette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-doucette/) > [In church I was told that if I so much as smoked a cigarette or tasted alcohol, I’d be damned in hell for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/in-church-i-was-told-that-if-i-so-much-as-smoked-a-cigarette-or/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [What good deed can government do for religion? The best deed of all: leave it free and unencumbered, burdened by neither enmity nor amity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-gaustad/what-good-deed-can-government-do-for-religion-the-best-deed-of-all/) [Edwin Gaustad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-gaustad/) > [Religion - religion, at best - at BEST - is like a lift in your shoe. If you need it for a while, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/religion-religion-at-best-at-best-is-like-a-lift-in-your-shoe-if-you/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [I think religion is best when it's reduced to a one hour television program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-campbell/i-think-religion-is-best-when-it-s-reduced-to-a-one-hour-television/) [Rob Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-campbell/) > [You should always take a religion at its best and not at its worst, from its highest teachings and not from the lowest practices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-besant/you-should-always-take-a-religion-at-its-best-and-not-at-its-worst/) [Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-besant/) > [“Religion is best when it points beyond itself, like Isaiah or John the Baptist. It is worst when it gives you just enough of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/religion-is-best-when-it-points-beyond-itself-like-isaiah-or-john-the/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [“There are many ways to scare people. Religion seems to be the best of these.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-hochberg/there-are-many-ways-to-scare-people-religion-seems-to-be-the-best-of/) [Art Hochberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-hochberg/) > [“The best system of religion is that which best trains us to surrender unto the Supreme Lord. This is the basic principle underlying Bhagavad-gītā.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-best-system-of-religion-is-that-which-best-trains-us-to-surrender/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sir, no nation has ever yet existed or been governed without religion. Nor can be. The Christian religion is the best religion that has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/sir-no-nation-has-ever-yet-existed-or-been-governed-without-religion/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Religion is the best antidote to the individualism of the consumer age. The idea that society can do without it flies in the face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-sacks/religion-is-the-best-antidote-to-the-individualism-of-the-consumer/) [Jonathan Sacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sacks/) > [The Christian religion is the best religion that has ever been given to man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-christian-religion-is-the-best-religion-that-has-ever-been-given/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The garb of religion is the best cloak for power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-garb-of-religion-is-the-best-cloak-for-power/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The best government in the world, the best religion, the best traditions of any people, depend upon the good or evil of the men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/the-best-government-in-the-world-the-best-religion-the-best/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [The ordinary man says in his ignorance, "My religion is the sole religion, my religion is the best." But when his heart is illuminated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramakrishna/the-ordinary-man-says-in-his-ignorance-my-religion-is-the-sole/) [Ramakrishna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramakrishna/) ## More by J. M. E. McTaggart > [There are so many things that are incompatible with a single life. No one can learn fully in one life the lessons of unbroken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-e-mctaggart/there-are-so-many-things-that-are-incompatible-with-a-single-life-no/) [J. M. E. McTaggart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-e-mctaggart/) > [Surely death acquires a new and deeper significance when we regard it no longer as a single and unexplained break in an unending life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-e-mctaggart/surely-death-acquires-a-new-and-deeper-significance-when-we-regard-it/) [J. M. E. McTaggart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-e-mctaggart/) [Explore all 3 J. M. E. McTaggart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-e-mctaggart/) ## More Conviction quotes > [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. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [Once you pull the trigger, you've got to throw balls aggressively and with conviction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-smith/once-you-pull-the-trigger-you-ve-got-to-throw-balls-aggressively-and/) [Alex Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-smith/) > [I've been around in public life for a long time. I think people know what I stand for. They know that I have strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-turnbull/i-ve-been-around-in-public-life-for-a-long-time-i-think-people-know/) [Malcolm Turnbull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-turnbull/) > [“Desert are you, deluge are you, in a crowd of fakes, only truth is you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/desert-are-you-deluge-are-you-in-a-crowd-of-fakes-only-truth-is-you/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [For a successful revolution it is not enough that there is discontent. What is required is a profound and thorough conviction of the justice,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-r-ambedkar/for-a-successful-revolution-it-is-not-enough-that-there-is-discontent/) [B. R. Ambedkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-r-ambedkar/) > ['Peace on earth, good will toward men' - democracy must cling to that message. For it is my deep conviction that democracy cannot live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/peace-on-earth-good-will-toward-men-democracy-must-cling-to-that/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [No physiologist who calmly considers the question in connection with the general truths of his science, can long resist the conviction that different parts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/no-physiologist-who-calmly-considers-the-question-in-connection-with/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [ Beneath everything else, North and West, there ran a profound, unvoiced, almost subconscious conviction that the \[American\] nation was going to go on growing-in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-catton/beneath-everything-else-north-and-west-there-ran-a-profound-unvoiced/) [Bruce Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-catton/) > [Nor would anybody suspect. If was one thing all people took for granted, was conviction that if you feed honest figures into a computer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/nor-would-anybody-suspect-if-was-one-thing-all-people-took-for/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [When you fight to give your family bread, that's not passion anymore: that's conviction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoel-romero/when-you-fight-to-give-your-family-bread-that-s-not-passion-anymore/) [Yoel Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoel-romero/) > [If you know the differences between an oak and a poplar, a spruce and a pine, down to the needles... you are able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-allen-lawson/if-you-know-the-differences-between-an-oak-and-a-poplar-a-spruce-and/) [T. Allen Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-allen-lawson/) > [We need the conviction to be able to think for ourselves and to take action outof our own sense of responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senora-roy/we-need-the-conviction-to-be-able-to-think-for-ourselves-and-to-take/) [Senora Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senora-roy/) > [The law of England has established trial by judge and jury in the conviction that it is the mode best calculated to ascertain the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-bentham/the-law-of-england-has-established-trial-by-judge-and-jury-in-the/) [Jeremy Bentham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-bentham/) > [If you are going to flip something, you must have the courage of your convictions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-child/if-you-are-going-to-flip-something-you-must-have-the-courage-of-your/) [Julia Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-child/) > [We embark unhesitatingly on the path, in a direction that is absolutely right and urgent, supported by everyone, in the knowledge that this path…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yehudi-menuhin/we-embark-unhesitatingly-on-the-path-in-a-direction-that-is/) [Yehudi Menuhin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yehudi-menuhin/) [Browse all 2,157 Conviction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conviction/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "…religion may be best be described as an emotion resting on a conviction of a harmony between ourselves and the universe at large.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "J. 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