--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are not called on to believe this or…" description: "\"We are not called on to believe this or that doctrine which may be proposed to us till we can do so from honest conviction. But we are called on to tru..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/675/john-campbell-shairp-34694_believe_we-are-not-called-on-to-believe-this-or_560154.jpg" --- # We are not called on to believe this or that doctrine… ![“We are not called on to believe this or that doctrine which may be proposed to us till we can do so from honest conviction. But we are called on to trust--to trust ourselves to God, being sure that He will lead us right--to keep close to Him--and to trust the promises which He whispers through our…” quote by John Campbell Shairp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/675/john-campbell-shairp-34694_believe_we-are-not-called-on-to-believe-this-or_560154.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/675/john-campbell-shairp-34694_believe_we-are-not-called-on-to-believe-this-or_560154.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/675/john-campbell-shairp-34694_believe_we-are-not-called-on-to-believe-this-or_560154.jpg) > “We are not called on to believe this or that doctrine which may be proposed to us till we can do so from honest conviction. But we are called on to trust--to trust ourselves to God, being sure that He will lead us right--to keep close to Him--and to trust the promises which He whispers through our conscience; this we can do, and we ought to do.” [John Campbell Shairp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-campbell-shairp/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. One should trust personal conviction and divine guidance rather than accepting doctrines without sincere belief. **In simple terms:** Trust your heart and God over imposed doctrines. Key Takeaway Seek inner conviction before accepting teachings. Themes faith trust conviction spirituality autonomy Mood contemplative hopeful Type spiritual philosophical When to use this quote - personal decision making - spiritual counseling - ethical debates - religious education - self‑reflection Key Concepts personal belief divine guidance doctrine moral reasoning Questions to Reflect On - Do you question doctrines before believing? - How can you discern divine guidance? A Different Perspective Blind faith can ignore critical thinking; external pressures may challenge trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Conviction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conviction/) [Doctrine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctrine/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Promise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promise/) ## Related quotes > [We're called to do more than believe in God, we're called to live in God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-re-called-to-do-more-than-believe-in-god-we-re-called-to-live-in/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [“The doctrine that future happiness depends upon belief is monstrous. It is the infamy of infamies. The notion that faith in Christ is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-g-ingersoll/the-doctrine-that-future-happiness-depends-upon-belief-is-monstrous/) [Robert G. Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-g-ingersoll/) > [I believe in the doctrine of non-violence as a weapon of the weak. I believe in the doctrine of non-violence as a weapon of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-believe-in-the-doctrine-of-non-violence-as-a-weapon-of-the-weak-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [I do not believe in the doctrine of the greatest good of the greatest number. The only real, dignified, human doctrine is the greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-believe-in-the-doctrine-of-the-greatest-good-of-the-greatest/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [I hate the words called 'TRUST'' in people..!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alongjamir/i-hate-the-words-called-trust-in-people/) Alongjamir > [“In the unfixables of our lives we are invited to keep company with Jesus and take a risk that God's intentions toward us are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adele-ahlberg-calhoun/in-the-unfixables-of-our-lives-we-are-invited-to-keep-company-with/) Adele Ahlberg Calhoun > [There's a thing called TRUST and when that T runs away to be TOUCHED all you're left with is RUST.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-time-steele/there-s-a-thing-called-trust-and-when-that-t-runs-away-to-be-touched/) [Chris Time Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-time-steele/) > [“What is trust? It is when there is no objection in the 'parliament' (comprised of mind, intellect, chit and ego) that is within; when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/what-is-trust-it-is-when-there-is-no-objection-in-the-parliament/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Quickest way to build trust: Keep promises you make, don't over-promise. Over-deliver, don't under-deliver. If you say you'll do something, make sure you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-harding/quickest-way-to-build-trust-keep-promises-you-make-don-t-over-promise/) [Phil Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-harding/) > [When Christ is my hope, he becomes the one thing in which I have confidence. I act on his wisdom and bank on his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-david-tripp/when-christ-is-my-hope-he-becomes-the-one-thing-in-which-i-have/) [Paul David Tripp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-david-tripp/) > [TRUST and PROMISES means EVERYTHING.. but once it'S BROKEN, a thousand SORRY means NOTHING...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akohhhhhhh/trust-and-promises-means-everything-but-once-it-s-broken-a-thousand/) Akohhhhhhh > [“Throughout history, God has demonstrated that He is supremely trustworthy. That’s why, in one sense, nothing could be more foolish than not to trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/throughout-history-god-has-demonstrated-that-he-is-supremely/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) > [Never trust the judgment of an enthusiastic man; never trust the promises of a lazy one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/never-trust-the-judgment-of-an-enthusiastic-man-never-trust-the/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [For love to flourish there has to be trust. Promises don’t matter as much as personal choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-aguirre/for-love-to-flourish-there-has-to-be-trust-promises-don-t-matter-as/) [Ann Aguirre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-aguirre/) > [“Fools put trust in promises; The wise in action.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-spencer/fools-put-trust-in-promises-the-wise-in-action/) [A. Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-spencer/) ## More by John Campbell Shairp > [The ground of all religion, that which makes it possible, is the relation in which the human soul stands to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-campbell-shairp/the-ground-of-all-religion-that-which-makes-it-possible-is-the/) [John Campbell Shairp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-campbell-shairp/) > [They who seek religion for culture's sake are aesthetic, not religious, and will never gain that grace which religion adds to culture, because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-campbell-shairp/they-who-seek-religion-for-culture-s-sake-are-aesthetic-not-religious/) [John Campbell Shairp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-campbell-shairp/) > [That image or rather that Person, so human, yet so entirely Divine, has a power to fill the imagination, to arrest the affections, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-campbell-shairp/that-image-or-rather-that-person-so-human-yet-so-entirely-divine-has/) [John Campbell Shairp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-campbell-shairp/) > [The main condition is that the spiritual ear should be open to overhear and patiently take in, and the will ready to obey that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-campbell-shairp/the-main-condition-is-that-the-spiritual-ear-should-be-open-to/) [John Campbell Shairp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-campbell-shairp/) > [There is perhaps no truer sign that a man is really advancing than that he is learning to forget himself, that he is losing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-campbell-shairp/there-is-perhaps-no-truer-sign-that-a-man-is-really-advancing-than/) [John Campbell Shairp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-campbell-shairp/) > [Criticism is not religion, and by no process can it be substituted for it. It is not the critic's eye, but the child's heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-campbell-shairp/criticism-is-not-religion-and-by-no-process-can-it-be-substituted-for/) [John Campbell Shairp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-campbell-shairp/) > [For with all our pretension to enlightenment, are we not now a talking, desultory, rather than a meditative generation?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-campbell-shairp/for-with-all-our-pretension-to-enlightenment-are-we-not-now-a-talking/) [John Campbell Shairp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-campbell-shairp/) > [The sense that a man is serving a Higher than himself, with a service which will become ever more and more perfect freedom, evokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-campbell-shairp/the-sense-that-a-man-is-serving-a-higher-than-himself-with-a-service/) [John Campbell Shairp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-campbell-shairp/) > [It is quite certain that, if from childhood men were to begin to follow the first intimations of conscience, honestly to obey them and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-campbell-shairp/it-is-quite-certain-that-if-from-childhood-men-were-to-begin-to/) [John Campbell Shairp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-campbell-shairp/) > [Great men, great events, great epochs, it has been said, grow as we recede from them; and the rate at which they grow in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-campbell-shairp/great-men-great-events-great-epochs-it-has-been-said-grow-as-we/) [John Campbell Shairp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-campbell-shairp/) > [The belief in a Divine education, open to each man and to all men, takes up into itself all that is true in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-campbell-shairp/the-belief-in-a-divine-education-open-to-each-man-and-to-all-men/) [John Campbell Shairp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-campbell-shairp/) > [Not as men of science , not as critics , not as philosophers , but as little children , shall we enter into the kingdom of heaven .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-campbell-shairp/not-as-men-of-science-not-as-critics-not-as-philosophers-but-as/) [John Campbell Shairp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-campbell-shairp/) > [Beauty comes, we scarce know how, as an emanation from sources deeper than itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-campbell-shairp/beauty-comes-we-scarce-know-how-as-an-emanation-from-sources-deeper/) [John Campbell Shairp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-campbell-shairp/) [Explore all 14 John Campbell Shairp quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-campbell-shairp/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. 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. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. 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 ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are not called on to believe this or that doctrine which may be proposed to us till we can do so from honest conviction. 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