--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You don't need a religious background to…" description: "\"You don't need a religious background to strive for something good, for genuine compassion and love for others.\" — Miriam Toews" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42c/miriam-toews-3632_compassion_you-don-t-need-a-religious-background-to_1855856.png" --- # You don't need a religious background to strive for… ![“You don't need a religious background to strive for something good, for genuine compassion and love for others.” quote by Miriam Toews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42c/miriam-toews-3632_compassion_you-don-t-need-a-religious-background-to_1855856.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42c/miriam-toews-3632_compassion_you-don-t-need-a-religious-background-to_1855856.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42c/miriam-toews-3632_compassion_you-don-t-need-a-religious-background-to_1855856.png) > “You don't need a religious background to strive for something good, for genuine compassion and love for others.” [Miriam Toews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-toews/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Compassion and love are not exclusive to religious belief; anyone can pursue goodness. **In simple terms:** Goodness and love don't require religion. Key Takeaway Cultivate compassion regardless of faith. Themes compassion secularism morality humanism Mood inspirational reflective Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - volunteering - community work - conflict resolution Key Concepts ethical behavior universal love Questions to Reflect On - What motivates your compassion? - Can secular ethics be as compelling as religious ones? A Different Perspective May overlook cultural contexts where faith informs morality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Compassion And Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion-and-love/) [Compassion Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion-love/) [Genuine Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genuine-compassion-1779832/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love for others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-for-others/) [Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious Background](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-background-298296/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Strive Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strive-good-592474/) ## Related quotes > [“The kindness sent from one compassionate soul to another during the time of loss of one held so dear allows the sorrow-filled heart to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-friedenfeld/the-kindness-sent-from-one-compassionate-soul-to-another-during-the/) [Molly Friedenfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-friedenfeld/) > [To embrace suffering culminates in greater empathy, the capacity to feel what it is like for the other to suffer, which is the ground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/to-embrace-suffering-culminates-in-greater-empathy-the-capacity-to/) [Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/) > [“It is hard to draw any line between compassion and love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/it-is-hard-to-draw-any-line-between-compassion-and-love/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [Compassion and love, that's all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/compassion-and-love-that-s-all/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [There are many people out there (me being one of them) who can vouch that animals have feelings; they feel compassion and love, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/there-are-many-people-out-there-me-being-one-of-them-who-can-vouch/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [I don't know how we can fix a world where people have been so convinced that they are doing the right thing out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-dillahunty/i-don-t-know-how-we-can-fix-a-world-where-people-have-been-so/) [Matt Dillahunty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-dillahunty/) > [You are joy, wisdom, peace, compassion, and love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/you-are-joy-wisdom-peace-compassion-and-love/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [Our world can be moved Godward only by leaders who have shared to a deep degree the heartbreak as He looks in compassion and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-l-duewel/our-world-can-be-moved-godward-only-by-leaders-who-have-shared-to-a/) [Wesley L Duewel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-l-duewel/) > [“When catastrophe strikes compassion and love unite. A storm can't break the spirit of love. A storm may crack your windows, tear off your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-lee/when-catastrophe-strikes-compassion-and-love-unite-a-storm-can-t/) [Melody Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-lee/) > [I've got to love the souls of people. Because I can't love every incarnation. I have to identify with my own soul. And then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/i-ve-got-to-love-the-souls-of-people-because-i-can-t-love-every/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [Let us develop respect for all living things. Let us try to replace violence and intolerance with understanding and compassion. And love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/let-us-develop-respect-for-all-living-things-let-us-try-to-replace/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [When the energy of compassion and love touches us, healing establishes itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/when-the-energy-of-compassion-and-love-touches-us-healing-establishes/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [Spirituality is allowing compassion and love to flourish. When belongness begins, corruption ends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/spirituality-is-allowing-compassion-and-love-to-flourish-when/) [Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/) > ['Les Miserables', the book, 'Les Miserables', the musical - it's about giving; it's about goodness. It's about compassion and love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colm-wilkinson/les-miserables-the-book-les-miserables-the-musical-it-s-about-giving/) [Colm Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colm-wilkinson/) > [Compassion and love constitute non-violence in action. They are the source of all spiritual qualities: forgiveness, tolerance, all the virtues. They give meaning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/compassion-and-love-constitute-non-violence-in-action-they-are-the/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) ## More by Miriam Toews > [Her faith in a loving and forgiving God is strong, but she worships laughter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-toews/her-faith-in-a-loving-and-forgiving-god-is-strong-but-she-worships/) [Miriam Toews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-toews/) > [“I heard Tash say: Nomi, you’re sad man. Get a grip. Walk away. What have I taught you? And I thought: You taught me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-toews/i-heard-tash-say-nomi-you-re-sad-man-get-a-grip-walk-away-what-have-i/) [Miriam Toews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-toews/) > [“Where are they going to get a camera? I asked. I don't know, said Noehmi. They'll probably get sidetracked along the way. Or they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-toews/where-are-they-going-to-get-a-camera-i-asked-i-don-t-know-said-noehmi/) [Miriam Toews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-toews/) > [“The director said he's got a haunted soul and a natural sweetness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-toews/the-director-said-he-s-got-a-haunted-soul-and-a-natural-sweetness/) [Miriam Toews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-toews/) > [“Nomi, he said, you just need to wake up to the fact that other people need to know where you're going. But there's nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-toews/nomi-he-said-you-just-need-to-wake-up-to-the-fact-that-other-people/) [Miriam Toews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-toews/) > [I would never want to deny my Mennonite background and culture; I'll always feel like and be identified as a Mennonite and therefore possess…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-toews/i-would-never-want-to-deny-my-mennonite-background-and-culture-i-ll/) [Miriam Toews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-toews/) > [“When I opened up the bottle of wine, Thebes said whoa, you yanked that cork out of there like you were saving it from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-toews/when-i-opened-up-the-bottle-of-wine-thebes-said-whoa-you-yanked-that/) [Miriam Toews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-toews/) > [The writing life is one long, never-ending search for narrative. Well, it's not even a conscious searching. It happens even while you're busy buying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-toews/the-writing-life-is-one-long-never-ending-search-for-narrative-well/) [Miriam Toews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-toews/) > [“I think Ray might have wanted a son. One night when I was seven or eight I announced to my family that I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-toews/i-think-ray-might-have-wanted-a-son-one-night-when-i-was-seven-or/) [Miriam Toews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-toews/) > [The theme of sisters - of missing sisters, of needing sisters, the special love that sisters share or the antagonism sisters share - is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-toews/the-theme-of-sisters-of-missing-sisters-of-needing-sisters-the/) [Miriam Toews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-toews/) > [“..I followed her out the door and watched her walk down the road towards home, hers, and the bright yard light, and her own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-toews/i-followed-her-out-the-door-and-watched-her-walk-down-the-road/) [Miriam Toews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-toews/) > [“someday you’ll be gone, you’ll be dust, and then even less than dust. Nothing. There’s no other place to be. This world is good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-toews/someday-you-ll-be-gone-you-ll-be-dust-and-then-even-less-than-dust/) [Miriam Toews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-toews/) > [...and I put on "All My Love" and watched the sun rise yet again and thought thank you Robert Plant for all your love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-toews/and-i-put-on-all-my-love-and-watched-the-sun-rise-yet-again-and/) [Miriam Toews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-toews/) > [If, along the way, something is gained, then something will also be lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-toews/if-along-the-way-something-is-gained-then-something-will-also-be-lost/) [Miriam Toews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-toews/) > [Things shouldn't hinge on so very little. Sneeze and you're highway carnage. Remove one tiny stone and you're an avalanche statistic. But I guess…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-toews/things-shouldn-t-hinge-on-so-very-little-sneeze-and-you-re-highway/) [Miriam Toews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-toews/) [Explore all 125 Miriam Toews quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-toews/) ## More Compassion quotes > [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [“I fight with love and kindness as my weapons and compassion as my defense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/i-fight-with-love-and-kindness-as-my-weapons-and-compassion-as-my/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. That's as powerful as stirring their sorrow, stirring their compassion, because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-really-enjoy-making-people-laugh-i-ve-discovered-that-s-a-great/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [“If you refuse to use physical force, then you will be at the mercy of your oppressor!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/segun-magbagbeola/if-you-refuse-to-use-physical-force-then-you-will-be-at-the-mercy-of/) [Segun Magbagbeola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/segun-magbagbeola/) > [For some reason, we are truly convinced that if we criticize ourselves, the criticism will lead to change. If we are harsh, we believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/for-some-reason-we-are-truly-convinced-that-if-we-criticize-ourselves/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) > [I could not have slept tonight if I had left that helpless little creature to perish on the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-could-not-have-slept-tonight-if-i-had-left-that-helpless-little/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [We are puzzled and bewildered whenever we see suffering in this world because we have become accustomed to the mercy and the long-suffering of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/we-are-puzzled-and-bewildered-whenever-we-see-suffering-in-this-world/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [“Helpers in every corner, helpers in every hood. That's how we'll make the move, to reform from rude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/helpers-in-every-corner-helpers-in-every-hood-that-s-how-we-ll-make/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [There are a number of qualities which are important for mental peace, but from the little experience I have, I believe that one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/there-are-a-number-of-qualities-which-are-important-for-mental-peace/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [May the gods have mercy on whoever pisses them off, because Zarek and Jericho will have none for them. (Madoc) You’d better be glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/may-the-gods-have-mercy-on-whoever-pisses-them-off-because-zarek-and/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [When you need empathy, you cannot give empathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/when-you-need-empathy-you-cannot-give-empathy/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. Fear would be transmuted into weary resignation; failure would no longer generate guilt but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/but-victimhood-was-seductive-a-release-from-responsibility-and-caring/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [“la ilaha ilallah muhammadun rasulullah, alaihi salatullah wa alihi wal ahibba "shine your mercy like the sun, and be gracious as the earth let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-al-habib/la-ilaha-ilallah-muhammadun-rasulullah-alaihi-salatullah-wa-alihi-wal/) [Talib al Habib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talib-al-habib/) > [The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/the-love-for-all-living-creatures-is-the-most-noble-attribute-of-man/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) [Browse all 9,892 Compassion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You don't need a religious background to strive for something good, for genuine compassion and love for others.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Miriam Toews" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-toews/you-don-t-need-a-religious-background-to-strive-for-something-good/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Compassion" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-toews/you-don-t-need-a-religious-background-to-strive-for-something-good/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42c/miriam-toews-3632_compassion_you-don-t-need-a-religious-background-to_1855856.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42c/miriam-toews-3632_compassion_you-don-t-need-a-religious-background-to_1855856.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42c/miriam-toews-3632_compassion_you-don-t-need-a-religious-background-to_1855856.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You don't need a religious background to strive for something good, for genuine compassion and love for…” — Miriam Toews", "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": "Miriam Toews", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-toews/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You don't need a religious background...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-toews/you-don-t-need-a-religious-background-to-strive-for-something-good/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-toews/you-don-t-need-a-religious-background-to-strive-for-something-good/#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 } } ] } ```