--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Could I believe in the doctrine without…" description: "\"“Could I believe in the doctrine without believing in the deity?”\" — L.E. Modesitt Jr" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edb/l-e-modesitt-jr-12954_believing_could-i-believe-in-the-doctrine-without_2813492.png" --- # Could I believe in the doctrine without believing in the… ![“Could I believe in the doctrine without believing in the deity?” quote by L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edb/l-e-modesitt-jr-12954_believing_could-i-believe-in-the-doctrine-without_2813492.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edb/l-e-modesitt-jr-12954_believing_could-i-believe-in-the-doctrine-without_2813492.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edb/l-e-modesitt-jr-12954_believing_could-i-believe-in-the-doctrine-without_2813492.png) > ““Could I believe in the doctrine without believing in the deity?”” [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Questioning faith in a doctrine while rejecting its divine basis reveals tension between belief systems and metaphysics. **In simple terms:** Can you accept ideas without believing the god behind them? Key Takeaway Examine ideas on their own merits. Themes faith philosophy skepticism Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - religious debate - personal reflection - academic discussion Key Concepts doctrine deity belief Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of the doctrine appeal to you? - How would you define belief without a deity? A Different Perspective Belief often intertwines with cultural identity, making separation hard. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe Doctrine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-doctrine-1309926/) [Believing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believing/) [Believing Deity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believing-deity-3537489/) [Doctrine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctrine/) [Doctrine Believing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctrine-believing-3537488/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) ## Related quotes > [“The doctrine that future happiness depends upon belief is monstrous. It is the infamy of infamies. The notion that faith in Christ is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-g-ingersoll/the-doctrine-that-future-happiness-depends-upon-belief-is-monstrous/) [Robert G. Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-g-ingersoll/) > [I believe in the doctrine of non-violence as a weapon of the weak. I believe in the doctrine of non-violence as a weapon of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-believe-in-the-doctrine-of-non-violence-as-a-weapon-of-the-weak-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [We are not called on to believe this or that doctrine which may be proposed to us till we can do so from honest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-campbell-shairp/we-are-not-called-on-to-believe-this-or-that-doctrine-which-may-be/) [John Campbell Shairp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-campbell-shairp/) > [I do not believe in the doctrine of the greatest good of the greatest number. The only real, dignified, human doctrine is the greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-believe-in-the-doctrine-of-the-greatest-good-of-the-greatest/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“John Bunyan in 'Christian Behavior', said, 'The whole Bible was given for this very end, that you should both believe this doctrine and live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-wilson/john-bunyan-in-christian-behavior-said-the-whole-bible-was-given-for/) [Nancy Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-wilson/) > [“When the great ship containing the hopes and aspirations of the world, when the great ship freighted with mankind goes down in the night…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-g-ingersoll/when-the-great-ship-containing-the-hopes-and-aspirations-of-the-world/) [Robert G. Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-g-ingersoll/) > [I believe there is no doctrine more dangerous to the Church today than to convey the impression that a revival is something peculiar in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/i-believe-there-is-no-doctrine-more-dangerous-to-the-church-today/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) > [“My concern with this is not about who owns the trademark. If a label is used chiefly to lionize “us” and demonize “them,” we’d…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-horton/my-concern-with-this-is-not-about-who-owns-the-trademark-if-a-label/) [Michael S. Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-horton/) > [Why do people get upset when Christians say there is only one way to Heaven? Shouldn't those who follow a particular religion believe its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-johnson/why-do-people-get-upset-when-christians-say-there-is-only-one-way-to/) [Monica Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-johnson/) > [Do not believe anything merely because you are told it is so, because others believe it, because it comes from Tradition, or because you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-believe-anything-merely-because-you-are-told-it-is-so-because/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ “To believe the doctrine of it \[imputation\], or not to believe it, as thus or thus explained, is one thing; and to enjoy the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-r-schreiner/to-believe-the-doctrine-of-it-imputation-or-not-to-believe-it-as-thus/) [Thomas R. Schreiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-r-schreiner/) > [I believe the doctrine of election, because I am quite sure that if God had not chosen me I should never have chosen him;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/i-believe-the-doctrine-of-election-because-i-am-quite-sure-that-if/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [“Believing is not the same as knowing. Believing is second-hand knowledge, whereas knowing is first-hand experience. When your action comes from a level of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yogi-kanna/believing-is-not-the-same-as-knowing-believing-is-second-hand/) [Yogi Kanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yogi-kanna/) > [I've never let anyone talk me into not believing in myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-ve-never-let-anyone-talk-me-into-not-believing-in-myself/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [And if the mind thinks with a believing attitude one can do amazing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/and-if-the-mind-thinks-with-a-believing-attitude-one-can-do-amazing/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) ## More by L.E. Modesitt Jr > [Love of another is merely empty flattery and self-deception for one who cannot accept himself without pretense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/love-of-another-is-merely-empty-flattery-and-self-deception-for-one/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [“Don’t ever settle for just survival, son. Survival isn’t life…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/don-t-ever-settle-for-just-survival-son-survival-isn-t-life/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [Without power, knowledge is useless. without knowledge, faith is tyranny. Without understanding, humanity is blind, and without all four, it is doomed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/without-power-knowledge-is-useless-without-knowledge-faith-is-tyranny/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [“love no one until you can love yourself, for love of another is merely empty flattery and self-deception for one who cannot accept himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/love-no-one-until-you-can-love-yourself-for-love-of-another-is-merely/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [“It’s often hard to consider the future when you are struggling with the present,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/it-s-often-hard-to-consider-the-future-when-you-are-struggling-with/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [“technology enabled mercy,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/technology-enabled-mercy/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [“Too often, no matter what simpering savants say, there is no real choice. Not if life is to have meaning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/too-often-no-matter-what-simpering-savants-say-there-is-no-real/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [“Up early. Must be important.” Her smile was nice, too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/up-early-must-be-important-her-smile-was-nice-too/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [“some people learned only from what they experienced personally.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/some-people-learned-only-from-what-they-experienced-personally/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [Hatred is a form of faith, distilled by passion to remove all rationality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/hatred-is-a-form-of-faith-distilled-by-passion-to-remove-all/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [“one of the ways to be successful in war is to make your enemies make all the gallant but useless sacrifices…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/one-of-the-ways-to-be-successful-in-war-is-to-make-your-enemies-make/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [“...there being a god, that god must be worshiped. Worship means raising the god above the individual, and liturgies often make the point that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/there-being-a-god-that-god-must-be-worshiped-worship-means-raising/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [“Was there really something to the obsolete idea of a national character? Some countries just changed tyrants, without changing anything else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/was-there-really-something-to-the-obsolete-idea-of-a-national/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [“power corrupts, even when you try not to be corrupted?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/power-corrupts-even-when-you-try-not-to-be-corrupted/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [“We all feel better when we can defend ourselves. When we can tell ourselves and everyone else that we did what was necessary and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/we-all-feel-better-when-we-can-defend-ourselves-when-we-can-tell/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) [Explore all 51 L.E. Modesitt Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) ## More Believing quotes > [And if the mind thinks with a believing attitude one can do amazing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/and-if-the-mind-thinks-with-a-believing-attitude-one-can-do-amazing/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I've never let anyone talk me into not believing in myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-ve-never-let-anyone-talk-me-into-not-believing-in-myself/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [“Believing is not the same as knowing. Believing is second-hand knowledge, whereas knowing is first-hand experience. When your action comes from a level of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yogi-kanna/believing-is-not-the-same-as-knowing-believing-is-second-hand/) [Yogi Kanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yogi-kanna/) > [Things aren't always as they appear. I've been believing things to be a certain way because I want them to be that way. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-dennen/things-aren-t-always-as-they-appear-i-ve-been-believing-things-to-be/) [Brett Dennen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-dennen/) > [You cannot will yourself to be happy while believing that you have no right to happiness, or that you are unworthy of it. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-roberts/you-cannot-will-yourself-to-be-happy-while-believing-that-you-have-no/) [Jane Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-roberts/) > [It's never late to go after your dreams. All it takes is believing and hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vitor-belfort/it-s-never-late-to-go-after-your-dreams-all-it-takes-is-believing-and/) [Vitor Belfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vitor-belfort/) > [“There are five important things for living a successful and fulfilling life: never stop dreaming, never stop believing, never give up, never stop trying,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-bennett/there-are-five-important-things-for-living-a-successful-and/) [Roy Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-bennett/) > [Start believing that things are going to change for the better. Not because you deserve it, but simply because God loves you that much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-believing-that-things-are-going-to-change-for-the-better-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I never stopped believing in my ability or what I was doing. I want to pass that sense of faith and perseverance on to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vantile-whitfield/i-never-stopped-believing-in-my-ability-or-what-i-was-doing-i-want-to/) [Vantile Whitfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vantile-whitfield/) > [“It’s not easy to believe in anything when your whole world turns upside down. The main thing is to keep believing in yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-jayne-ashford/it-s-not-easy-to-believe-in-anything-when-your-whole-world-turns/) [Lindsay Jayne Ashford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsay-jayne-ashford/) > [Stop expecting, Start believing¦ If you truly love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/stop-expecting-start-believing-if-you-truly-love/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [This idea that once you get into politics... you are now signed up for lifelong duty being in elective office, makes a fundamental error…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-gonzalez/this-idea-that-once-you-get-into-politics-you-are-now-signed-up-for/) [Matt Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-gonzalez/) > [Chairman Mao not only introduced Pinyin in China, but also simplified half the Chinese characters, believing that fewer strokes would enable more people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-tang/chairman-mao-not-only-introduced-pinyin-in-china-but-also-simplified/) [David Tang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-tang/) > [It's one thing believing in yourself, it's another thing having other people believe in you, and that is the greatest gift, honestly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-magnussen/it-s-one-thing-believing-in-yourself-it-s-another-thing-having-other/) [Billy Magnussen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-magnussen/) > [We have been deceived into believing prayer is all about persuading God to release His power. We no longer need to beg or plead;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-wommack/we-have-been-deceived-into-believing-prayer-is-all-about-persuading/) [Andrew Wommack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-wommack/) [Browse all 1,471 Believing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Could I believe in the doctrine without believing in the deity?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "L.E. 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