--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People are leaving the church and going…" description: "\"“People are leaving the church and going back to God.”\" — Lenny Bruce" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a8/lenny-bruce-4320_leaving_people-are-leaving-the-church-and-going_244041.jpg" --- # People are leaving the church and going back to God. ![“People are leaving the church and going back to God.” quote by Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a8/lenny-bruce-4320_leaving_people-are-leaving-the-church-and-going_244041.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a8/lenny-bruce-4320_leaving_people-are-leaving-the-church-and-going_244041.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a8/lenny-bruce-4320_leaving_people-are-leaving-the-church-and-going_244041.jpg) > ““People are leaving the church and going back to God.”” [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Many people are abandoning organized religion, yet they seek spirituality directly with God. **In simple terms:** People leave churches but still seek God. Key Takeaway Explore personal spirituality outside institutions. Themes faith institution spirituality culture identity Mood contemplative critical Type observational philosophical When to use this quote - church attendance - personal prayer - community gatherings - online faith groups Key Concepts personal belief religious decline secularism Questions to Reflect On - Why do people leave formal religion yet retain belief? - How does personal faith differ from institutional faith? A Different Perspective Not all individuals who leave churches reject belief; some remain devout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Church Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church-going-250310/) [Going God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-god-452538/) [Leaving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaving/) [Leaving Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaving-church-1998818/) [People leaving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-leaving/) ## Related quotes > [“Most people leaving church still see the need for some kind of community. We shouldn't think most of them as interested in lone-ranger Christianity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/most-people-leaving-church-still-see-the-need-for-some-kind-of/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [It's all so verbal in the Protestant church. You've heard these words a million times before. Maybe people are leaving the church because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/it-s-all-so-verbal-in-the-protestant-church-you-ve-heard-these-words/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [Every day people are straying away from the church and going back to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/every-day-people-are-straying-away-from-the-church-and-going-back-to/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [“The standard practice of preachers linking God’s work so closely to church programs and priorities had a devastating effect on Christians who gave up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-spencer/the-standard-practice-of-preachers-linking-god-s-work-so-closely-to/) [Michael Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-spencer/) > [I was always holding onto people, and they were always leaving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-always-holding-onto-people-and-they-were-always-leaving/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't want to have to miss all the people I'm leaving behind when I go to college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-want-to-have-to-miss-all-the-people-i-m-leaving-behind-when-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im used to people leaving me after they found someone new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-used-to-people-leaving-me-after-they-found-someone-new/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I grew up in a church-going family, a very sort of ordinary, middle-of-the-road Anglican family where nobody really talked about personal Christian experience. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/i-grew-up-in-a-church-going-family-a-very-sort-of-ordinary-middle-of/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) > [But its almost like church - were going to show up and preach the gospel of rock and roll. And its a great place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-campbell/but-its-almost-like-church-were-going-to-show-up-and-preach-the/) [Mike Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-campbell/) > [The less Holy Spirit we have, the more cake and coffee we need to keep the church going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhard-bonnke/the-less-holy-spirit-we-have-the-more-cake-and-coffee-we-need-to-keep/) [Reinhard Bonnke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhard-bonnke/) > [It's important to preach like there's a broken heart on every pew. That's always been a phrase that stuck with me. Not everybody is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/it-s-important-to-preach-like-there-s-a-broken-heart-on-every-pew/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [I have the privilege of ministering in many different streams of the church. When you do that you're never going to subscribe to everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-redman/i-have-the-privilege-of-ministering-in-many-different-streams-of-the/) [Matt Redman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-redman/) > [I grew up in the Baptist Church, and going to church with my father; I remember being 8 years old, trying to determine whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-grew-up-in-the-baptist-church-and-going-to-church-with-my-father-i/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [The church is like any large corporation in one respect. In its early days, either the early church or the early years of Microsoft,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lowney/the-church-is-like-any-large-corporation-in-one-respect-in-its-early/) [Chris Lowney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lowney/) > [In all systems of theology the devil figures as a male person. Yes, it is women who keep the church going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-marquis/in-all-systems-of-theology-the-devil-figures-as-a-male-person-yes-it/) [Don Marquis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-marquis/) ## More by Lenny Bruce > [Satire is tragedy plus time. You give it enough time, the public, the reviewers will allow you to satirize it. Which is rather ridiculous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/satire-is-tragedy-plus-time-you-give-it-enough-time-the-public-the/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [I am influenced by every second of my waking hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/i-am-influenced-by-every-second-of-my-waking-hour/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [Never trust a preacher with more than two suits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/never-trust-a-preacher-with-more-than-two-suits/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [I would be with a bunch of Kennedy fans watching the debate, and their comment would be, 'He's really slaughtering Nixon.' Then we would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/i-would-be-with-a-bunch-of-kennedy-fans-watching-the-debate-and-their/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [If you're from New York and you're Catholic, you're still Jewish. If you're from Butte Montana and you're Jewish, you're still goyisch. The Air…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/if-you-re-from-new-york-and-you-re-catholic-you-re-still-jewish-if/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [I think it's about time we gave up religion and got back to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/i-think-it-s-about-time-we-gave-up-religion-and-got-back-to-god/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [Alright, let's admit it, we Jews killed Christ - but it was only for three days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/alright-let-s-admit-it-we-jews-killed-christ-but-it-was-only-for/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [Dig: I'm Jewish. Count Basie's Jewish. Ray Charles is Jewish. Eddie Cantor's goyish. B'nai B'rith is goyish; Hadassah, Jewish. If you live in New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/dig-i-m-jewish-count-basie-s-jewish-ray-charles-is-jewish-eddie/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [I won't say ours was a tough school, but we had our own coroner. We used to write essays like: What I'm going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/i-won-t-say-ours-was-a-tough-school-but-we-had-our-own-coroner-we/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [“If you can't say "Fuck" you can't say, "Fuck the government.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/if-you-can-t-say-fuck-you-can-t-say-fuck-the-government/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [“Take away the right to say ‘fuck’ and you take away the right to say ‘fuck the government.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/take-away-the-right-to-say-fuck-and-you-take-away-the-right-to-say/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [The role of a comedian is to make the audience laugh, at a minimum of once every fifteen seconds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/the-role-of-a-comedian-is-to-make-the-audience-laugh-at-a-minimum-of/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [If I get busted in New York, the freest city in the world, that will be the end of my career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/if-i-get-busted-in-new-york-the-freest-city-in-the-world-that-will-be/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [“Liberals can understand everything but people who don't understand them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/liberals-can-understand-everything-but-people-who-don-t-understand/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [Trying to figure things out was my gig. Without the human condition, there's no struggle, no pain and that means no laughter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/trying-to-figure-things-out-was-my-gig-without-the-human-condition/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) [Explore all 112 Lenny Bruce quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) ## More Leaving quotes > [The writings of latter-day prophets clearly teach that the sorrows and sufferings endured by Adam and Eve upon their leaving the Garden of Eden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-k-judd/the-writings-of-latter-day-prophets-clearly-teach-that-the-sorrows/) [Daniel K Judd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-k-judd/) > [Leaving North Korea is not like leaving any other country. It is more like leaving another universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/leaving-north-korea-is-not-like-leaving-any-other-country-it-is-more/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/conservatism-is-not-about-leaving-people-behind-conservatism-is-about/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Our world is drowning in a sea of self-centeredness. You can make yourself quite unique right away by leaving this ocean of selfishness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/our-world-is-drowning-in-a-sea-of-self-centeredness-you-can-make/) [John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/) > [After a few mouthfuls of moon-flavored air, even the stubbornly drowsy can find themselves wide-eyed.. All the normal noises of life were gone, leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/after-a-few-mouthfuls-of-moon-flavored-air-even-the-stubbornly-drowsy/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [In my former life I was in insider, as much as anybody else. And I knew what it's like, and I still know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/in-my-former-life-i-was-in-insider-as-much-as-anybody-else-and-i-knew/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I'd always wanted to do a film than TV show because film is always where my heart has been. I like diving into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shailene-woodley/i-d-always-wanted-to-do-a-film-than-tv-show-because-film-is-always/) [Shailene Woodley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shailene-woodley/) > [“I have such great love for you, little one. Such great love.” “I love you just as much, Hunter. I thought I’d die when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/i-have-such-great-love-for-you-little-one-such-great-love-i-love-you/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [“I may be the one leaving, but you’re the one giving up everything and walking away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loni-flowers/i-may-be-the-one-leaving-but-you-re-the-one-giving-up-everything-and/) [Loni Flowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loni-flowers/) > [It's interesting, I don't really think too much about being a role model or leaving a legacy or whatever. It's just not how I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-alcott/it-s-interesting-i-don-t-really-think-too-much-about-being-a-role/) [Dylan Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-alcott/) > [It's true that an offer from Manchester United was on the table - I was really close to leaving Inter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-perisic/it-s-true-that-an-offer-from-manchester-united-was-on-the-table-i-was/) [Ivan Perisic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-perisic/) > [I would have had a clause in my contract; I would've definitely put some fine print in my contract that said, "If the president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-budden/i-would-have-had-a-clause-in-my-contract-i-would-ve-definitely-put/) [Joe Budden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-budden/) [Browse all 3,420 Leaving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaving/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“People are leaving the church and going back to God.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lenny Bruce" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/people-are-leaving-the-church-and-going-back-to-god/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Leaving" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/people-are-leaving-the-church-and-going-back-to-god/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a8/lenny-bruce-4320_leaving_people-are-leaving-the-church-and-going_244041.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a8/lenny-bruce-4320_leaving_people-are-leaving-the-church-and-going_244041.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a8/lenny-bruce-4320_leaving_people-are-leaving-the-church-and-going_244041.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People are leaving the church and going back to God.” — Lenny Bruce", "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": "Lenny Bruce", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“People are leaving the church and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/people-are-leaving-the-church-and-going-back-to-god/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/people-are-leaving-the-church-and-going-back-to-god/#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 } } ] } ```