--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Today we often think that before we start…" description: "\"Today we often think that before we start living a religious life we have first to accept the creedal doctrines and that before one can have any compre..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55d/karen-armstrong-1053_accepting_today-we-often-think-that-before-we-star_1232267.jpg" --- # Today we often think that before we start living a… ![“Today we often think that before we start living a religious life we have first to accept the creedal doctrines and that before one can have any comprehension of the loyalty and trust of faith, one must first force one's mind to accept a host of incomprehensible doctrines. But this is to put the…” quote by Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55d/karen-armstrong-1053_accepting_today-we-often-think-that-before-we-star_1232267.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55d/karen-armstrong-1053_accepting_today-we-often-think-that-before-we-star_1232267.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55d/karen-armstrong-1053_accepting_today-we-often-think-that-before-we-star_1232267.jpg) > “Today we often think that before we start living a religious life we have first to accept the creedal doctrines and that before one can have any comprehension of the loyalty and trust of faith, one must first force one's mind to accept a host of incomprehensible doctrines. But this is to put the cart before the horse.” [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. Religious life should start with lived experience, not rigid doctrine acceptance first. **In simple terms:** Live faith before doctrine. Key Takeaway Experience faith before accepting rules. Themes faith doctrine spirituality Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type theological educational When to use this quote - spiritual formation - education - interfaith dialogue Key Concepts experiential learning religious practice Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance belief and reason? - What practices nurture genuine faith? A Different Perspective Doctrines can guide but not replace experience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doctrine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctrine/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Horse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horse/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Loyalty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loyalty/) [Loyalty And Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loyalty-and-trust/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Religious life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-life/) [Start Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/start-living/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/) [Trust and loyalty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust-and-loyalty/) ## Related quotes > [Companies don't have ideas. Only people do. And what motivates people are the bonds of loyalty and trust they develop around each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/companies-don-t-have-ideas-only-people-do-and-what-motivates-people-2/) [Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) > [This civil action is another case of a tragedy that has become all too familiar in the music industry: a business manager and professional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/this-civil-action-is-another-case-of-a-tragedy-that-has-become-all/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [Base yourself in loyalty and trust. Don't be companion with those who are not your moral equal. When you make a mistake, don't hesitate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/base-yourself-in-loyalty-and-trust-don-t-be-companion-with-those-who/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Trust is a big word for me. Loyalty and trust, for me, are everything. It's the core of what I'm about and what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-mottola/trust-is-a-big-word-for-me-loyalty-and-trust-for-me-are-everything-it/) [Tommy Mottola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-mottola/) > [A brand is nothing but an expression of the consumer’s loyalty and trust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-dusenberry/a-brand-is-nothing-but-an-expression-of-the-consumer-s-loyalty-and/) [Phil Dusenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-dusenberry/) > [LOVE, LOYALTY and TRUST...three things to lead a good relationship in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghav-singh/love-loyalty-and-trust-three-things-to-lead-a-good-relationship-in/) [Raghav Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghav-singh/) > [Loyalty and trust mean everything to me. Once that link is broken, good luck making amends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/loyalty-and-trust-mean-everything-to-me-once-that-link-is-broken-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“But in the midst of the monstrous assembly that is slave to fortune, each solitary small figure who linked her hand to another built…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-elliott/but-in-the-midst-of-the-monstrous-assembly-that-is-slave-to-fortune/) [Kate Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-elliott/) > [There are three points that I always stress; loyalty and trust; everyone needs that. But you also require a certain quality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hansi-flick/there-are-three-points-that-i-always-stress-loyalty-and-trust/) [Hansi Flick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hansi-flick/) > [No matter how far we are to each other, loyalty and trust makes our love grow fonder. I Love You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-galviso/no-matter-how-far-we-are-to-each-other-loyalty-and-trust-makes-our/) Jenny Galviso > [Another picture I took yesterday on my clarity walk. Everyone wants: loyalty and trust, Happiness and success, Wealth and health The truth is, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-young/another-picture-i-took-yesterday-on-my-clarity-walk-everyone-wants/) [Brian Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-young/) > [Everyone deserves second chance but its not acceptable for loyalty and trust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/volkan-aktuna/everyone-deserves-second-chance-but-its-not-acceptable-for-loyalty/) Volkan Aktuna > [Long distance relationship is not gonna work out without ( LLT ) LOVE, LOYALTY and TRUST.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/long-distance-relationship-is-not-gonna-work-out-without-llt-love/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Without Loyalty and Trust you really don't have nothing to bring to the table at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-myers-jr/without-loyalty-and-trust-you-really-don-t-have-nothing-to-bring-to/) [Michael Myers Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-myers-jr/) > [Loyalty and trust is something that is hard to find these days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/loyalty-and-trust-is-something-that-is-hard-to-find-these-days/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) ## 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 Accepting quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [Laughing, laughing, laughing, laughing! It is the jester! A voice from the Void, to cheer poor Cicero! I accept your gift, dearest Night Mother.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/laughing-laughing-laughing-laughing-it-is-the-jester-a-voice-from-the/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [This duo inside of me causes the perfect opportunity to live and learn twice as fast as those who choose to accept simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/this-duo-inside-of-me-causes-the-perfect-opportunity-to-live-and/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [Don't be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [It takes an unusually philosophic mind to accept that all one’s suffering might be to no end, really, in the larger scheme of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-takes-an-unusually-philosophic-mind-to-accept-that-all-one-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No nation being under another nation can accept gifts, and kick at the responsibility attached to those gifts, imposed by the conquering nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/no-nation-being-under-another-nation-can-accept-gifts-and-kick-at-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Even with clothing naked animals, there were people who wanted to send in money. A woman in Santa Barbara, California, sent a $40,000 check.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-abel/even-with-clothing-naked-animals-there-were-people-who-wanted-to-send/) [Alan Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-abel/) > [Society understands the architecture of academia and knows there are relevant qualifications in different fields, and the media accepts the idea of specialisations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-griffiths/society-understands-the-architecture-of-academia-and-knows-there-are/) [Jay Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-griffiths/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [As my films are born at the moment when they are reflected into another person's mind and memories, there are no misconceptions. I totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/as-my-films-are-born-at-the-moment-when-they-are-reflected-into/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) Browse all 6,788 Accepting quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Today we often think that before we start living a religious life we have first to accept the creedal doctrines and that before one can have any comprehension of the loyalty and trust of faith, one must first force one's mind to accept a host of incomprehensible doctrines. 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