--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Grateful Dead are our religion. This…" description: "\"The Grateful Dead are our religion. This is a religion that doesn't pay homage to the God that all the other religions pay homage to.\" — Ken Kesey" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b7/ken-kesey-1034_grateful_the-grateful-dead-are-our-religion-this_758333.png" --- # The Grateful Dead are our religion. This is a religion… ![“The Grateful Dead are our religion. This is a religion that doesn't pay homage to the God that all the other religions pay homage to.” quote by Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b7/ken-kesey-1034_grateful_the-grateful-dead-are-our-religion-this_758333.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b7/ken-kesey-1034_grateful_the-grateful-dead-are-our-religion-this_758333.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b7/ken-kesey-1034_grateful_the-grateful-dead-are-our-religion-this_758333.png) > “The Grateful Dead are our religion. This is a religion that doesn't pay homage to the God that all the other religions pay homage to.” [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The Grateful Dead function as a spiritual community, offering a non‑theistic reverence distinct from traditional religions. **In simple terms:** The band is a secular spiritual gathering. Key Takeaway Find community beyond doctrine. Themes music spirituality community alternative religion culture Mood nostalgic reflective Type cultural musical When to use this quote - concert attendance - fan gatherings - online forums Key Concepts collective experience ritual counterculture Questions to Reflect On - What draws people to secular spiritual groups? - How does music foster shared meaning? A Different Perspective Not all participants share the same values, leading to fragmentation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Grateful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grateful/) [Homage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homage/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [Jesus was and is the enemy of dead religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-metaxas/jesus-was-and-is-the-enemy-of-dead-religion/) [Eric Metaxas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-metaxas/) > [There are no heresies in a dead religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-suares/there-are-no-heresies-in-a-dead-religion/) [Andre Suares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-suares/) > [All religions, at one point or another in their evolution tried to proclaim their single, inerrant consistency. All religions even the most liberal, were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-miles/all-religions-at-one-point-or-another-in-their-evolution-tried-to/) [Sarah Miles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-miles/) > [Religion in the West has a very wrong connotation. It has almost reached to a point where the very word 'religion' creates a repulsion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/religion-in-the-west-has-a-very-wrong-connotation-it-has-almost/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [In a dead religion there are no more heresies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-suares/in-a-dead-religion-there-are-no-more-heresies/) [Andre Suares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-suares/) > [All God's religions ... have not been able to put mankind back together again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/all-god-s-religions-have-not-been-able-to-put-mankind-back-together/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) > [All religions are not the same. All religions do not point to God. All religions do not say that all religions are the same.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/all-religions-are-not-the-same-all-religions-do-not-point-to-god-all-2/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [We can't say what God is, and until the modern period, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim theologians in the three God religions all knew that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/we-can-t-say-what-god-is-and-until-the-modern-period-jewish-christian/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [“All religions are not the same. All religions do not point to God. All religions do not say that all religions are the same.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/all-religions-are-not-the-same-all-religions-do-not-point-to-god-all/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [The great unmentionable evil at the center of our culture is monotheism. From a barbaric Bronze Age text known as the Old Testament, three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-great-unmentionable-evil-at-the-center-of-our-culture-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Various religious systems have been given to humanity at different times, each suited to meet the spiritual needs of the people among whom it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-heindel/various-religious-systems-have-been-given-to-humanity-at-different/) [Max Heindel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-heindel/) > [The Grateful Dead are faster than light drive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/the-grateful-dead-are-faster-than-light-drive/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [If your religion doesn't respect the rights of other religions, it is lacking something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/if-your-religion-doesn-t-respect-the-rights-of-other-religions-it-is/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Religion doesn't make people bigots. People are bigots and they use religion to justify their ideology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reza-aslan/religion-doesn-t-make-people-bigots-people-are-bigots-and-they-use/) [Reza Aslan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reza-aslan/) > [I love the idea of the teachings of Jesus Christ and the beautiful stories about it, which I loved in Sunday school and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/i-love-the-idea-of-the-teachings-of-jesus-christ-and-the-beautiful/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) ## More by Ken Kesey > [“Time overlaps itself. A breath breathed from a passing breeze is not the whole wind, neither is it just the last of what has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/time-overlaps-itself-a-breath-breathed-from-a-passing-breeze-is-not/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [The Grateful Dead are faster than light drive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/the-grateful-dead-are-faster-than-light-drive/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [“Okay, stand outa the way. Sometimes when I go to exertin' myself I use up all the air nearby and grown men faint from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/okay-stand-outa-the-way-sometimes-when-i-go-to-exertin-myself-i-use/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [The frontiers we broke into in the '60s are still largely unexplored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/the-frontiers-we-broke-into-in-the-60s-are-still-largely-unexplored/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [There's something about taking a plow and breaking new ground. It gives you energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/there-s-something-about-taking-a-plow-and-breaking-new-ground-it/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [The best of all possible cages.' Ben stepped back to regard the job with a sad smile. 'What more can one ask?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/the-best-of-all-possible-cages-ben-stepped-back-to-regard-the-job/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [Your trouble is, you keep trying to unscrew the unscrutable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/your-trouble-is-you-keep-trying-to-unscrew-the-unscrutable/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [That ain't me, that ain't my face. It wasn't even me when I was trying to be that face. I wasn't even really me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/that-ain-t-me-that-ain-t-my-face-it-wasn-t-even-me-when-i-was-trying/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [But if the strength ain't real, I recall thinking the very last thing that day, before I finally passed out, then the weakness sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/but-if-the-strength-ain-t-real-i-recall-thinking-the-very-last-thing/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [“They think they know the book by its cover, but the book knows what it is. Now he knew better; if the book never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/they-think-they-know-the-book-by-its-cover-but-the-book-knows-what-it/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [More was revealed in a human face than a human being can bear face to face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/more-was-revealed-in-a-human-face-than-a-human-being-can-bear-face-to/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [If this glorious birth to death hassle is the only hassle we are ever to have ..if our grand exhilarating fight of life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/if-this-glorious-birth-to-death-hassle-is-the-only-hassle-we-are-ever/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [“It's gonna burn me just that way, finally telling about all this, about the hospital, and her, and the guys- and about McMurphy. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/it-s-gonna-burn-me-just-that-way-finally-telling-about-all-this-about/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [When Shakespeare was writing, he wasn't writing for stuff to lie on the page; it was supposed to get up and move around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/when-shakespeare-was-writing-he-wasn-t-writing-for-stuff-to-lie-on/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [“And then some guy wandering as lost as you would all of a sudden be right before your eyes, his face bigger and clearer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/and-then-some-guy-wandering-as-lost-as-you-would-all-of-a-sudden-be/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) [Explore all 295 Ken Kesey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) ## More Grateful quotes > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) Adam Ant > [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/) > [Man has an almost infinite capacity for taking things and people for granted and thereby missing out on the pleasure of being grateful that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/man-has-an-almost-infinite-capacity-for-taking-things-and-people-for/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [Obviously I'm very grateful 'Bad Guy' is doing so well - it's shocking and surprising and gratifying - but I do think it's important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finneas/obviously-i-m-very-grateful-bad-guy-is-doing-so-well-it-s-shocking/) [Finneas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finneas/) > [Dear God, I trust that no matter what happens in my life, it is for my highest good. And no matter what happens in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/dear-god-i-trust-that-no-matter-what-happens-in-my-life-it-is-for-my/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [Kenny G, I have to be grateful to him for proving that the instrument can be played all different kinds of ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-lacy/kenny-g-i-have-to-be-grateful-to-him-for-proving-that-the-instrument/) [Steve Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-lacy/) > [Our nation's promise to have veterans' backs must extend to their families, who for their own service and sacrifices, deserve the full support of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-kim/our-nation-s-promise-to-have-veterans-backs-must-extend-to-their/) [Andy Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-kim/) > [“I'm grateful you entrusted me with them. But the day will come when someone will knock the sails out of you. She'll shatter every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senayda-pierre/i-m-grateful-you-entrusted-me-with-them-but-the-day-will-come-when/) [Senayda Pierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senayda-pierre/) > [Cooking brings me so much joy. I love everything, down to the execution of the plate to picking out fresh ingredients at the market.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-budig/cooking-brings-me-so-much-joy-i-love-everything-down-to-the-execution/) [Kathryn Budig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-budig/) > [I'm just grateful to people who are willing to admit how bad things feel for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/i-m-just-grateful-to-people-who-are-willing-to-admit-how-bad-things/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [Together, we must prioritize the wellbeing of those who have selflessly served our nation. This is the least that a grateful nation can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-n-green/together-we-must-prioritize-the-wellbeing-of-those-who-have/) [Al N. Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-n-green/) > [I am persuaded that there is no affection of the human heart more exquisitely pure, than that which is felt by a grateful son…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-more/i-am-persuaded-that-there-is-no-affection-of-the-human-heart-more/) [Hannah More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-more/) > [Often I'm told I'm an inspiration to people which I will forever be grateful for. But the reality is that I'm only able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizzie-velasquez/often-i-m-told-i-m-an-inspiration-to-people-which-i-will-forever-be/) [Lizzie Velasquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizzie-velasquez/) > [Love your family. Love your country. Never stop learning... And always look back and be grateful to where you came from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gokongwei/love-your-family-love-your-country-never-stop-learning-and-always/) [John Gokongwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gokongwei/) > [I'm grateful to Kroger for investing in our community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-james/i-m-grateful-to-kroger-for-investing-in-our-community/) [John E. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-james/) [Browse all 4,100 Grateful quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grateful/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Grateful Dead are our religion. 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