--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Man can certainly flee from God... but he…" description: "\"Man can certainly flee from God... but he cannot escape him. He can certainly hate God and be hateful to God, but he cannot change into its opposite th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/karl-barth-3434_change_man-can-certainly-flee-from-god-but-he-c_1052457.jpg" --- # Man can certainly flee from God... but he cannot escape… ![“Man can certainly flee from God... but he cannot escape him. He can certainly hate God and be hateful to God, but he cannot change into its opposite the eternal love of God which triumphs even in his hate.” quote by Karl Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/karl-barth-3434_change_man-can-certainly-flee-from-god-but-he-c_1052457.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/karl-barth-3434_change_man-can-certainly-flee-from-god-but-he-c_1052457.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/karl-barth-3434_change_man-can-certainly-flee-from-god-but-he-c_1052457.jpg) > “Man can certainly flee from God... but he cannot escape him. He can certainly hate God and be hateful to God, but he cannot change into its opposite the eternal love of God which triumphs even in his hate.” [Karl Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-barth/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human beings can reject God but cannot avoid His presence; divine love persists even amid hatred. **In simple terms:** You can hate God, but His love remains. Key Takeaway Acknowledge divine love despite resistance. Themes theology spirituality human nature Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal crisis - moral conflict - spiritual seeking - contemplation Key Concepts Divine omnipresence unconditional love theodicy Questions to Reflect On - Can you experience love beyond your resentment? - How does recognizing divine persistence affect your actions? A Different Perspective Even with hatred, God’s love cannot be transformed into its opposite. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Eternal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternal/) [Eternal love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternal-love/) [Flee God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flee-god-2524506/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [God Escape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-escape-2524507/) [God Hateful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-hateful-2524508/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Hate god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate-god/) [Hateful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hateful/) [Hateful God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hateful-god-2524509/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-of-god/) ## Related quotes > [By disobeying god, we escape from his totalitarian prison where you cannot ask any questions, where you must never question authority. We become our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-druyan/by-disobeying-god-we-escape-from-his-totalitarian-prison-where-you/) [Ann Druyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-druyan/) > [There is no place to which we could flee from God, which is outside of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/there-is-no-place-to-which-we-could-flee-from-god-which-is-outside-of/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [He who tries to flee from God takes refuge in himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philo/he-who-tries-to-flee-from-god-takes-refuge-in-himself/) [Philo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philo/) > [“My dear sister, you can’t escape God, and you can’t escape your skeletons in the closet. They will always be there until you take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corallie-buchanan/my-dear-sister-you-can-t-escape-god-and-you-can-t-escape-your/) [Corallie Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corallie-buchanan/) > [Tell me, enigmatical man, whom do you love best, your father, Your mother, your sister, or your brother? I have neither father, nor mother,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/tell-me-enigmatical-man-whom-do-you-love-best-your-father-your-mother/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) > [The worship of God is, Honouring his gifts in other men each according to his genius, and loving the greatest men best; those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/the-worship-of-god-is-honouring-his-gifts-in-other-men-each-according/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [No man hates God without first hating himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/no-man-hates-god-without-first-hating-himself/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [Atheists don't hate fairies, leprechauns, or unicorns because they don't exist. It is impossible to hate something that doesn't exist. Atheists, like the painting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/atheists-don-t-hate-fairies-leprechauns-or-unicorns-because-they-don/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [“Well, you see, she was saintly but she wasn't a saint. No one could really hate a saint, could they? They can't really hate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/well-you-see-she-was-saintly-but-she-wasn-t-a-saint-no-one-could/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [The reason why wicked men and devils hate God is, because they see Him in relation to themselves. Their hearts rise up in rebellion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-grandison-finney/the-reason-why-wicked-men-and-devils-hate-god-is-because-they-see-him/) [Charles Grandison Finney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-grandison-finney/) > [Satan hates God for His own sake, and everything that is dear to God he hates for the very reason that God loves it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/satan-hates-god-for-his-own-sake-and-everything-that-is-dear-to-god/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [People will hurt you, God will heal you. People will humiliate you, God will magnify you. People will judge you you, God will justify…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-will-hurt-you-god-will-heal-you-people-will-humiliate-you-god/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I don't hate God. I simply fear human interpretation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-b-loan/i-don-t-hate-god-i-simply-fear-human-interpretation/) [E. B. Loan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-b-loan/) > [I want the Brahmins to realize that the Dravidian people today are very much hating those who cunningly cheated them with absurdities. They are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/periyar-e-v-ramasamy/i-want-the-brahmins-to-realize-that-the-dravidian-people-today-are/) [Periyar E. V. Ramasamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/periyar-e-v-ramasamy/) > [With Your great schemes, You ruin our happiness like a harvester ruins a mouse's nest: I hate You, God, I hate You as though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/with-your-great-schemes-you-ruin-our-happiness-like-a-harvester-ruins/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) ## More by Karl Barth > [If I have a system it is limited to a recognition of what Kierkegaard called 'the infinite qualitative distinction' between time and eternity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-barth/if-i-have-a-system-it-is-limited-to-a-recognition-of-what-kierkegaard/) [Karl Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-barth/) > [Humor is the opposite of all self-admiration and self-praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-barth/humor-is-the-opposite-of-all-self-admiration-and-self-praise/) [Karl Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-barth/) > [“Godlessness is not… a possibility, but an ontological impossibility for man. 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Everyone can be saved - in virtue of what God can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-barth/no-one-can-be-saved-in-virtue-of-what-he-can-do-everyone-can-be-saved/) [Karl Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-barth/) > [Society is now really ruled by its own logos; say rather by a whole pantheon of its own hypostases and powers... we are beginning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-barth/society-is-now-really-ruled-by-its-own-logos-say-rather-by-a-whole/) [Karl Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-barth/) > [There will be no song on our lips if there be no anguish in our hearts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-barth/there-will-be-no-song-on-our-lips-if-there-be-no-anguish-in-our-hearts/) [Karl Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-barth/) > [With an ear open to your musical dialectic, one can be young and become old, can work and rest, be content and sad: in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-barth/with-an-ear-open-to-your-musical-dialectic-one-can-be-young-and/) [Karl Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-barth/) [Explore all 131 Karl Barth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-barth/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. 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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/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) [Phil Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-hogan/) > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. 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