--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only way to show a true respect for…" description: "\"“The only way to show a true respect for God is to act morally while ignoring God’s existence.” ― A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Ch..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1f/karen-armstrong-1053_christianity_the-only-way-to-show-a-true-respect-for_2041856.jpg" --- # The only way to show a true respect for God is to act… ![“The only way to show a true respect for God is to act morally while ignoring God’s existence.” ― A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam” quote by Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1f/karen-armstrong-1053_christianity_the-only-way-to-show-a-true-respect-for_2041856.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1f/karen-armstrong-1053_christianity_the-only-way-to-show-a-true-respect-for_2041856.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1f/karen-armstrong-1053_christianity_the-only-way-to-show-a-true-respect-for_2041856.jpg) > ““The only way to show a true respect for God is to act morally while ignoring God’s existence.” ― A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam”” [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Respect for the divine can be shown through moral actions, regardless of belief in God’s existence. **In simple terms:** Moral actions show respect. Key Takeaway Live ethically. Themes ethics respect spirituality Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - personal conduct - community service - interfaith dialogue Key Concepts morality atheism faith Questions to Reflect On - Can morality exist without belief? - What defines true respect for God? A Different Perspective Moral actions may be motivated by other factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) ## Related quotes > [The only way to show a true respect for God is to act morally while ignoring God’s existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/the-only-way-to-show-a-true-respect-for-god-is-to-act-morally-while-2/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [In times of prosperity we are apt to forget God; we imagine it does not matter whether we recognise Him or not. As long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/in-times-of-prosperity-we-are-apt-to-forget-god-we-imagine-it-does/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“No, not Bach’s ‘Gloria.’ Yours! Your ‘Gloria’ lives within you. The greatest sin is not finding it, ignoring what God made possible in you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/no-not-bach-s-gloria-yours-your-gloria-lives-within-you-the-greatest/) [Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/) > [You are an instrument of God. Don't leave the instrument sitting in its case, my son. Play! Leave no part of your instrument unexplored.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/you-are-an-instrument-of-god-don-t-leave-the-instrument-sitting-in/) [Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/) > [Not only in order to act morally, but even to formulate theoretical questions, devise experiments, choose which ones to perform and what conclusions to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/not-only-in-order-to-act-morally-but-even-to-formulate-theoretical/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [I'm not saying that atheists can't act morally or have moral knowledge. But when I ascribe virtue to an atheist, it's as a theist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-dembski/i-m-not-saying-that-atheists-can-t-act-morally-or-have-moral/) [William A. Dembski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-dembski/) > [Religion, media and schools tell us to disregard animals, view them as commodities, property and resources, and convince us that animals cannot think clearly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-yourofsky/religion-media-and-schools-tell-us-to-disregard-animals-view-them-as/) [Gary Yourofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-yourofsky/) > [“To act morally is not to act out of fear of punishment; it is not to act as one is commanded to act. Rather,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-m-cahn/to-act-morally-is-not-to-act-out-of-fear-of-punishment-it-is-not-to/) Steven M. Cahn > [“While I don't think sociopaths have any sort of moral urge to do good things, I think they can and do act morally in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas-2/while-i-don-t-think-sociopaths-have-any-sort-of-moral-urge-to-do-good/) [M. E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas-2/) > [“If you cannot or will not imagine the results of your actions, there’s no way you can act morally or responsibly. Little kids can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/if-you-cannot-or-will-not-imagine-the-results-of-your-actions-there-s/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [The first step to be taken by everyone who wishes to act morally is to decide not to act according to the general customs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-maritain/the-first-step-to-be-taken-by-everyone-who-wishes-to-act-morally-is/) [Jacques Maritain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-maritain/) > [“IN THE MOST CRUCIAL EVENTS IN REDEMPTIVE HISTORY, God takes considerable pains to ensure that no one can properly conclude that these events have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/in-the-most-crucial-events-in-redemptive-history-god-takes/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [If you make history with God, He'll make history with you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/if-you-make-history-with-god-he-ll-make-history-with-you/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [“history is God’s love story. There is no event in space or time unrelated to the Jesus story, and there is no metaphor in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-viola/history-is-god-s-love-story-there-is-no-event-in-space-or-time/) [Frank Viola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-viola/) > [The idea of a judgment of history is secularism's vain, meaningless, hopeless, pathetic attempt to devise a substitute for what the great Abrahamic traditions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-p-george/the-idea-of-a-judgment-of-history-is-secularism-s-vain-meaningless/) [Robert P. George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-p-george/) ## More by Karen Armstrong > [If it is written and read with serious attention, a novel, like a myth or any great work of art, can become an initiation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/if-it-is-written-and-read-with-serious-attention-a-novel-like-a-myth/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [A gentleman is not born but crafted. He had to work on himself in the same way as a sculptor shaped a rough stone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/a-gentleman-is-not-born-but-crafted-he-had-to-work-on-himself-in-the/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [I was a lousy nun. I couldn't do it. I couldn't find God. It wasn't suitable for me. It is suitable for very few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/i-was-a-lousy-nun-i-couldn-t-do-it-i-couldn-t-find-god-it-wasn-t/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [I have become convinced, through my studies, that the only way to achieve a safe, just and viable world is to live by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/i-have-become-convinced-through-my-studies-that-the-only-way-to/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [In the past some of the most influential Jewish, Christian and Muslim theologians, such as Maimonides, Aquinas and Ibn Sina, made it clear that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/in-the-past-some-of-the-most-influential-jewish-christian-and-muslim/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [The great task of our time is to build a global society, where people can live together in peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/the-great-task-of-our-time-is-to-build-a-global-society-where-people/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [We want to create, never mind the leaders or the bishops or chief rabbis or imams, or Popes. We want to create a grassroots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/we-want-to-create-never-mind-the-leaders-or-the-bishops-or-chief/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [If we don't manage to implement the Golden Rule globally, so that we treat all peoples, wherever and whoever they may be, as though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/if-we-don-t-manage-to-implement-the-golden-rule-globally-so-that-we/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [After I left the convent, for 15 years I was worn out with religion, I wanted nothing whatever to do with it. I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/after-i-left-the-convent-for-15-years-i-was-worn-out-with-religion-i/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [“As we have seen, so many of the things we once took for granted have proved unreliable that we may have to “forget” old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/as-we-have-seen-so-many-of-the-things-we-once-took-for-granted-have/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [Yet a personal God can become a grave liability. He can be a mere idol carved in our own image, a projection of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/yet-a-personal-god-can-become-a-grave-liability-he-can-be-a-mere-idol/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [“I discovered that I felt at home and alive in the silence, which compelled me to enter my interior world and around there. Without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/i-discovered-that-i-felt-at-home-and-alive-in-the-silence-which/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [Each of the world religions has its own particular genius, its own special insight into the nature and requirements of compassion, and has something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/each-of-the-world-religions-has-its-own-particular-genius-its-own/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [“all rightly guided religion that submitted wholly to God, refused to worship man-made deities and preached that justice and equality came from the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/all-rightly-guided-religion-that-submitted-wholly-to-god-refused-to/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [“advocates of evolutionary theory since Thomas H. Huxley (1825–95) have found altruism problematic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/advocates-of-evolutionary-theory-since-thomas-h-huxley-1825-95-have/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) [Explore all 296 Karen Armstrong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) ## More Christianity quotes > [Christianity was never meant to be defined by its disciplines, but by its passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/christianity-was-never-meant-to-be-defined-by-its-disciplines-but-by/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/) [Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/) > [“some of my good Baptist brethren in Georgia had done a little preaching from the pulpit against the KKK, I would have a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-moss/some-of-my-good-baptist-brethren-in-georgia-had-done-a-little/) [Norman Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-moss/) > [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Why do Christians sing when they are together? The reason is, quite simply, because in singing together it is possible for them to speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/why-do-christians-sing-when-they-are-together-the-reason-is-quite/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“every church can treat each discipleship class and each worship service as an opportunity for continual rehearsal of what the words, stories, symbols, rituals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/every-church-can-treat-each-discipleship-class-and-each-worship/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [“A question for Christians who accept evolution: When did we gain a "soul"? Did Homo habilis have a soul? Homo ergaster? Did God only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-mcafee/a-question-for-christians-who-accept-evolution-when-did-we-gain-a/) [David G. McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-mcafee/) > [The notion of a non-religious Christmas is ridiculous. But so is the insistence on the part of Christians that politicians and retailers carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/the-notion-of-a-non-religious-christmas-is-ridiculous-but-so-is-the/) [Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/) > [A real Christian in an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-real-christian-in-an-odd-number-anyway-he-feels-supreme-love-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Because the truth is that gossip is as good as gospel in this town. You can save face but you won't ever save your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/because-the-truth-is-that-gossip-is-as-good-as-gospel-in-this-town/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/how-else-but-through-a-broken-heart-may-lord-christ-enter-in/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Every saved person this side of heaven owes the gospel to every lost person this side of hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-platt/every-saved-person-this-side-of-heaven-owes-the-gospel-to-every-lost/) [David Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-platt/) > [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) [Browse all 14,385 Christianity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The only way to show a true respect for God is to act morally while ignoring God’s existence.” ― A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Karen Armstrong" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/the-only-way-to-show-a-true-respect-for-god-is-to-act-morally-while/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Christianity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/the-only-way-to-show-a-true-respect-for-god-is-to-act-morally-while/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1f/karen-armstrong-1053_christianity_the-only-way-to-show-a-true-respect-for_2041856.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1f/karen-armstrong-1053_christianity_the-only-way-to-show-a-true-respect-for_2041856.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1f/karen-armstrong-1053_christianity_the-only-way-to-show-a-true-respect-for_2041856.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The only way to show a true respect for God is to act morally while ignoring God’s existence.” ― A History…” — Karen Armstrong", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Karen Armstrong", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The only way to show a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/the-only-way-to-show-a-true-respect-for-god-is-to-act-morally-while/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/the-only-way-to-show-a-true-respect-for-god-is-to-act-morally-while/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```