--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My hope is that a religious consciousness…" description: "\"My hope is that a religious consciousness will begin to rise, one based on enhancing humanity, grasping life in all of its complex wonder, having the c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/john-shelby-spong-1488_complexes_my-hope-is-that-a-religious-consciousnes_3137207.png" --- # My hope is that a religious consciousness will begin to… ![“My hope is that a religious consciousness will begin to rise, one based on enhancing humanity, grasping life in all of its complex wonder, having the courage to live fully, to love wastefully and to be all that each of us can be and that it will express itself in our national life in more earth…” quote by John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/john-shelby-spong-1488_complexes_my-hope-is-that-a-religious-consciousnes_3137207.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/john-shelby-spong-1488_complexes_my-hope-is-that-a-religious-consciousnes_3137207.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/john-shelby-spong-1488_complexes_my-hope-is-that-a-religious-consciousnes_3137207.png) > “My hope is that a religious consciousness will begin to rise, one based on enhancing humanity, grasping life in all of its complex wonder, having the courage to live fully, to love wastefully and to be all that each of us can be and that it will express itself in our national life in more earth centered, justice enhancing and humane ways.” [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A vision for a religious awareness that elevates humanity, embraces life's complexity, and promotes justice and humanity globally. **In simple terms:** Religion should foster humanity and justice. Key Takeaway Cultivate a compassionate, earth‑centered spiritual outlook. Themes spirituality humanism justice Mood inspirational hopeful Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - community building - policy making - personal growth Key Concepts theology ecology ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can societies integrate spiritual values with secular policies? - What practices nurture both personal and collective humanity? A Different Perspective Balancing diverse beliefs can be challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Complexes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexes/) [Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousness/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Courage to live](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage-to-live/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Enhancing Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enhancing-humanity-5574098/) [Grasping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grasping/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Hope Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope-religious-2351735/) [Humane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humane/) [Humane way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humane-way/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Religious Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-consciousness-975871/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) ## Related quotes > [I hope I will be religious again but as for regaining my character I despare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-fleming/i-hope-i-will-be-religious-again-but-as-for-regaining-my-character-i/) [Marjorie Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-fleming/) > [“But nothing awakens religious consciousness like suffering.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-t-suzuki/but-nothing-awakens-religious-consciousness-like-suffering/) [D.T. 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What we're going to do is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/i-think-that-donald-trump-has-been-very-clear-on-this-we-re-not-going/) [Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/) > [Animal experiments are no joke. Thank goodness scientists are finding better, more humane ways to develop treatments for cancer and other killer diseases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-leifer/animal-experiments-are-no-joke-thank-goodness-scientists-are-finding/) [Carol Leifer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-leifer/) > [Leadership is liberating people to do what is required of them in the most effective and humane way possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/leadership-is-liberating-people-to-do-what-is-required-of-them-in-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The American Medical Association says the humane way is to let people starve and thirst to death. If you did that to an animal,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kevorkian/the-american-medical-association-says-the-humane-way-is-to-let-people/) [Jack Kevorkian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kevorkian/) > [McDonald's announced that it's considering a more humane way of slaughtering its animals. You know they fatten them up and then kill them. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/mcdonald-s-announced-that-it-s-considering-a-more-humane-way-of/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [“Beyond the economics of production efficiency, animal welfare laws that require "humane" treatment are really not about animals; they're about humans and making humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-francione/beyond-the-economics-of-production-efficiency-animal-welfare-laws/) [Gary Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-francione/) > [ We're a humane country. We got to make sure that we find the intelligence. We have do it \[protecting our boundaries\] in a humane… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/we-re-a-humane-country-we-got-to-make-sure-that-we-find-the/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) ## More by John Shelby Spong > [The way that I see Christianity is that its role is to enhance the life of every person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-way-that-i-see-christianity-is-that-its-role-is-to-enhance-the/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [The Sins of Scripture is an interesting title; most people don't put sins and scripture together in the same title. It jars people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-sins-of-scripture-is-an-interesting-title-most-people-don-t-put/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [“When a human life is open to all that humanity can be, humanity and divinity flow together as one. It was and is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/when-a-human-life-is-open-to-all-that-humanity-can-be-humanity-and/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [I don't see Jesus as rescuing the fallen; I see Jesus as expanding the potential of life. The primary reason the old idea of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-don-t-see-jesus-as-rescuing-the-fallen-i-see-jesus-as-expanding-the/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [The Bible interprets life from its particular perspective; it does not record in a factual way the human journey through history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-bible-interprets-life-from-its-particular-perspective-it-does-not/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [My basis of morality is this: does this action enhance life, or does it denigrate life? Does it build up or does it tear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/my-basis-of-morality-is-this-does-this-action-enhance-life-or-does-it/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [I want the traditional family upheld, but I don't want it upheld to the detriment of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-want-the-traditional-family-upheld-but-i-don-t-want-it-upheld-to/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [We live in a very pluralistic society today. There are Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, atheists, Roman Catholics, Evangelical Christians, and Christians like me. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/we-live-in-a-very-pluralistic-society-today-there-are-buddhists/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [The Bible was written between 3,000 and 2,000 years ago, and it's filled with the knowledge that people had in that period of time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-bible-was-written-between-3-000-and-2-000-years-ago-and-it-s/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [We are in a survival mentality, and that's hard-wired into our humanity, because we are the winners of an evolutionary struggle of millions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/we-are-in-a-survival-mentality-and-that-s-hard-wired-into-our/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [Some people think prayer stops bullets or rockets or land mines. It doesn't. That's magic, that's not God. Sometimes, you're just in the wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/some-people-think-prayer-stops-bullets-or-rockets-or-land-mines-it/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [The Hebrew scriptures say it's okay to enslave anybody except your fellow Jews. It says you should enslave only your neighbors. I say to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-hebrew-scriptures-say-it-s-okay-to-enslave-anybody-except-your/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [ I know Jerry \[Falwell\] fairly well, and he's probably not bright enough to recognize all of the implications of what he said. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-know-jerry-falwell-fairly-well-and-he-s-probably-not-bright-enough/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [Benedict XVI kept saying that homosexuals are deviant. They're not deviant. They're deviant only if you say that anyone who is different from me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/benedict-xvi-kept-saying-that-homosexuals-are-deviant-they-re-not/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [ I find it fascinating that Paul \[the apostol\], writing to the Galatians, responds to the question, "What does it mean to live in Christ?"… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-find-it-fascinating-that-paul-the-apostol-writing-to-the-galatians/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) [Explore all 236 John Shelby Spong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) ## More Complexes quotes > [Being an artist is a totally godlike thing to do - and I have a god complex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/being-an-artist-is-a-totally-godlike-thing-to-do-and-i-have-a-god/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [UN peacekeeping operations are now increasingly complex and multi-dimensional, going beyond monitoring a ceasefire to actually bringing failed States back to life, often after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/un-peacekeeping-operations-are-now-increasingly-complex-and-multi/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [For many of us, work is the one place where we feel appreciated. 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