Army Quote by Lin Yutang
“Everything that we think God has in his mind necessarily proceeds from our own mind; it is what we imagine to be in God's mind, and it is really difficult for human intelligence to guess at a divine intelligence. What we usually end up with by this sort of reasoning is to make God the color-sergeant of our army and to make Him as chauvinistic as ourselves.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Meaning of Life, Lin Yutang, 1935
Human attempts to define divine thought are limited by our own mental frameworks, leading to anthropomorphic projections onto God.
In simple terms: We project our own minds onto God, which is inaccurate.
Key Takeaway
Acknowledge the limits of human perspective on the divine.
Themes
theology
philosophy
humility
Mood
reflective
humble
Type
philosophical
contemplative
When to use this quote
- interfaith dialogue
- religious education
- personal meditation
- ethical decision‑making
Key Concepts
anthropomorphism
epistemic humility
Questions to Reflect On
- What assumptions do we make about the divine?
- How can we respect mystery in belief?
A Different Perspective
Over‑emphasis on human traits can distort spiritual understanding.
![“I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect [Donald Trump], or then-president [Barack Obama]. But it's - I'm very clear. I voted for the change that put the Army Field Manual in place as a member of Congress. I understand that law very, very quickly and am also deeply aware…” quote by James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/761/james-mattis-9515_army_i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-th_3990.jpg)
