--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had retained little of what is…" description: "\"“I had retained little of what is generally called religion, except for a visceral conviction that our lives are controlled by some universal mechanism..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/michael-cox-42655_faith_i-had-retained-little-of-what-is-general_363577.jpg" --- # I had retained little of what is generally called… ![“I had retained little of what is generally called religion, except for a visceral conviction that our lives are controlled by some universal mechanism that is greater than ourselves. Perhaps that was what others called God. Perhaps not.” quote by Michael Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/michael-cox-42655_faith_i-had-retained-little-of-what-is-general_363577.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/michael-cox-42655_faith_i-had-retained-little-of-what-is-general_363577.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/michael-cox-42655_faith_i-had-retained-little-of-what-is-general_363577.jpg) > ““I had retained little of what is generally called religion, except for a visceral conviction that our lives are controlled by some universal mechanism that is greater than ourselves. Perhaps that was what others called God. Perhaps not.”” [Michael Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cox/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker acknowledges limited religious knowledge but feels a universal force governs life, possibly what others call God. **In simple terms:** Little religion, belief in greater universal force. Key Takeaway Stay open to diverse spiritual interpretations. Themes spirituality existence universality skepticism Mood contemplative open-minded Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - mindfulness practice - interfaith dialogue - scientific inquiry Key Concepts metaphysics philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - What experiences suggest a higher order? - How do you reconcile science and spirituality? A Different Perspective Interpretations of a universal mechanism vary widely. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Called God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-god/) [Called Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-religion-553131/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Greater Called](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greater-called-3333287/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religion Visceral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-visceral-3333286/) ## Related quotes > [You can have Jesus in your spirit and have an outrageous mess in your soul, and if you don't know what that's called, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/you-can-have-jesus-in-your-spirit-and-have-an-outrageous-mess-in-your/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [If one group of people can exterminate another in the name of so-called religion, the world has no hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-fortenberry/if-one-group-of-people-can-exterminate-another-in-the-name-of-so/) [Jeff Fortenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-fortenberry/) > [“Weakened anger-pride-deceit-greed (kashays – the ones that gives pain to soul) is called religion and absence of anger-pride-deceit-greed (kashays) is called (True) Knowledge (Gnan).…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/weakened-anger-pride-deceit-greed-kashays-the-ones-that-gives-pain-to/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Let us awake to a sense of the perilous state of many professing Christians. 'Without holiness no man shall see the Lord'; without sanctification…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle/let-us-awake-to-a-sense-of-the-perilous-state-of-many-professing/) [J. C. Ryle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-ryle/) > [“Believing without evidence is politely called religion, but more accurately called delusion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-b-lockhart/believing-without-evidence-is-politely-called-religion-but-more/) [Peter B. 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When the kashays are gone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/if-the-kashays-anger-pride-deceit-greed-decrease-it-is-called-a/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [“In one word, it is called Politics. But if you see closely, it is called Religion and Faith”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudra-kapalin/in-one-word-it-is-called-politics-but-if-you-see-closely-it-is-called/) [Rudra Kapalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudra-kapalin/) > [“Where a mind gets solution, it is called religion; and when the mind does not get solution it is irreligion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-a-mind-gets-solution-it-is-called-religion-and-when-the-mind/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [“This’ is not called a religion, ‘This’ is called vignan (science). Religion keeps changing, science does not change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/this-is-not-called-a-religion-this-is-called-vignan-science-religion/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) ## More by Michael Cox > [“It is trite to speak of a broken heart. Hearts are not broken; they continue to beat, the blood still courses, even in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cox/it-is-trite-to-speak-of-a-broken-heart-hearts-are-not-broken-they/) [Michael Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cox/) > [“The summer passed quietly. I busied myself as best I could, reading a good deal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cox/the-summer-passed-quietly-i-busied-myself-as-best-i-could-reading-a/) [Michael Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cox/) > [“Trust, but be careful in whom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cox/trust-but-be-careful-in-whom/) [Michael Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cox/) > [“I long for sleep, and for soft English rain. 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For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [Keep the faith, and keep going strong!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/keep-the-faith-and-keep-going-strong/) [Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/) > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) [Riffat Hassan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riffat-hassan/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. 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