--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Cleanliness becomes more important when…" description: "\"Cleanliness becomes more important when godliness is unlikely.\" — P. J. O'Rourke" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/p-j-o-rourke-184_cleanliness_cleanliness-becomes-more-important-when_2218458.png" --- # Cleanliness becomes more important when godliness is… ![“Cleanliness becomes more important when godliness is unlikely.” quote by P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/p-j-o-rourke-184_cleanliness_cleanliness-becomes-more-important-when_2218458.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/p-j-o-rourke-184_cleanliness_cleanliness-becomes-more-important-when_2218458.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/p-j-o-rourke-184_cleanliness_cleanliness-becomes-more-important-when_2218458.png) > “Cleanliness becomes more important when godliness is unlikely.” [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When divine virtue is doubtful, cleanliness becomes a more attainable virtue. **In simple terms:** If godliness is doubtful, stay clean. Key Takeaway Maintain personal hygiene regardless of belief. Themes humor morality practicality skepticism Mood witty skeptical Type satirical observational When to use this quote - personal care - public health - workplace etiquette - environmental cleanliness Key Concepts ethics daily habits secularism Questions to Reflect On - Why do we equate cleanliness with virtue? - Can secular values replace religious ones? A Different Perspective Humor may downplay deeper spiritual concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cleanliness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cleanliness/) [Cleanliness Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cleanliness-important-4116022/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Godliness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/godliness/) [Godliness Unlikely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/godliness-unlikely-4941299/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Important Godliness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-godliness-4941300/) [Unlikely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unlikely/) ## Related quotes > [Cleanliness is important, and more than that is the physical fitness to attain healthy body and mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandeep-singh/cleanliness-is-important-and-more-than-that-is-the-physical-fitness/) [Sandeep Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandeep-singh/) > [Cleanliness is very important. If you let kids make a total mess in the kitchen and then leave, you're not really teaching them anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emeril-lagasse/cleanliness-is-very-important-if-you-let-kids-make-a-total-mess-in/) [Emeril Lagasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emeril-lagasse/) > [Cleanliness is not next to godliness nowadays, for cleanliness is made an essential and godliness is regarded as an offence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/cleanliness-is-not-next-to-godliness-nowadays-for-cleanliness-is-made/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [If truth were told, most of us spend longer each day on personal cleanliness than on practical godliness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alistair-begg/if-truth-were-told-most-of-us-spend-longer-each-day-on-personal/) [Alistair Begg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alistair-begg/) > [Mrs Joe was a very clean housekeeper, but had an exquisite art of making her clenliness more umcomfortable and unacceptable than dirt itself. Cleanliness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/mrs-joe-was-a-very-clean-housekeeper-but-had-an-exquisite-art-of-3/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Skepticism, not cleanliness, is next to godliness. Skepticism is the father of freedom. It is like the pry that holds open the door for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-spence/skepticism-not-cleanliness-is-next-to-godliness-skepticism-is-the/) [Gerry Spence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-spence/) > [A good digestion is as truly obligatory as a good conscience; pure blood is as truly a part of mankind as a pure faith;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/a-good-digestion-is-as-truly-obligatory-as-a-good-conscience-pure/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [If by the quarter of the twentieth century godliness wasn’t next to something more interesting than cleanliness, it might be time to reevaluate our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/if-by-the-quarter-of-the-twentieth-century-godliness-wasn-t-next-to/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Cleanliness', chuckled Sir Benjamin, noting his great niece's delighted smile as her eyes rested upon him, 'comes next to godliness, eh, Maria?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-goudge/cleanliness-chuckled-sir-benjamin-noting-his-great-niece-s-delighted/) [Elizabeth Goudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-goudge/) > [Juliet's version of cleanliness was next to godliness, which was to say it was erratic, past all understanding and was seldom seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/juliet-s-version-of-cleanliness-was-next-to-godliness-which-was-to/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [The doctrines of religion are resolved into carefulness; carefulness into vigorousness; vigorousness into guiltlessness; guiltlessness into abstemiousness; abstemiousness into cleanliness; cleanliness into godliness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-doctrines-of-religion-are-resolved-into-carefulness-carefulness/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Disease an never be conquered, can never be quelled by emotion's willful screaming or faith's symbolic prayer. It can only be conquered by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-o-casey/disease-an-never-be-conquered-can-never-be-quelled-by-emotion-s/) [Sean O'Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-o-casey/) > [Cleanliness in the cat world is usually a virtue put above godliness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-van-vechten/cleanliness-in-the-cat-world-is-usually-a-virtue-put-above-godliness/) [Carl Van Vechten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-van-vechten/) > [Most of us have heard the saying, 'Cleanliness is next to godliness.' That's a sentiment I value, but another virtue has inspired me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-gardner/most-of-us-have-heard-the-saying-cleanliness-is-next-to-godliness/) [Chris Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-gardner/) > [Women are dirt searchers; their greatest worth is irradicating rings on collars and tables. Never mind real-estate boards' corruption and racism, here's your soapsuds.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florynce-kennedy/women-are-dirt-searchers-their-greatest-worth-is-irradicating-rings/) [Florynce Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florynce-kennedy/) ## More by P. J. O'Rourke > [I'm fascinated by political enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/i-m-fascinated-by-political-enthusiasm/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [In comparative terms, there's no poverty in America by a long shot. Heritage Foundation political scientist Robert Rector has worked up figures showing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/in-comparative-terms-there-s-no-poverty-in-america-by-a-long-shot/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [The Democrats said, "We don't know what's wrong with America, but we can fix it." The Republicans said, "There's nothing wrong with America, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/the-democrats-said-we-don-t-know-what-s-wrong-with-america-but-we-can/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [At Epcot Center the Disney corporation has focused its attention on two things greatly in need of Disneyfication: the tedious future and the annoying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/at-epcot-center-the-disney-corporation-has-focused-its-attention-on/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [So-called Western Civilization, as practised in half of Europe, some of Asia and a few parts of North America, is better than anything else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/so-called-western-civilization-as-practised-in-half-of-europe-some-of/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [My whole family can talk. They are all car salesmen. They are all funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/my-whole-family-can-talk-they-are-all-car-salesmen-they-are-all-funny/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [It was Ronald Reagan who used to say that the 10 most frightening words in the English language are, "I'm from the federal government,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/it-was-ronald-reagan-who-used-to-say-that-the-10-most-frightening/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Gun violence has cost us too many political leaders, and hardly ever the worst ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/gun-violence-has-cost-us-too-many-political-leaders-and-hardly-ever/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Pete Seeger is a modest, unassuming, cheerful, and kind-natured man. He's a good folk singer, if you can stand folk singing. And he's such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/pete-seeger-is-a-modest-unassuming-cheerful-and-kind-natured-man-he-s/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Journalists are notoriously easy to kid. All you have to do is speak to a journalist in a very serious tone of voice, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/journalists-are-notoriously-easy-to-kid-all-you-have-to-do-is-speak/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I like to think of my behavior in the sixties as a 'learning experience.' Then again, I like to think of anything stupid I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/i-like-to-think-of-my-behavior-in-the-sixties-as-a-learning/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I'll be 56 this year, I've got two kids, and I think it's probably time to go back to writing one-glove jokes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/i-ll-be-56-this-year-i-ve-got-two-kids-and-i-think-it-s-probably-time/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Something that comes to us, some gym shoe that comes to us as a result of child labor from a brutal dictatorship, where people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/something-that-comes-to-us-some-gym-shoe-that-comes-to-us-as-a-result/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Russians not only vehemently despise blacks, they believe Africa begins at the Ukraine border.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/russians-not-only-vehemently-despise-blacks-they-believe-africa/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Now, do I think the baby boomers tend to be self-absorbed? I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/now-do-i-think-the-baby-boomers-tend-to-be-self-absorbed-i-do/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) [Explore all 983 P. J. O'Rourke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) ## More Cleanliness quotes > [“We have grace of strength to work, to clear our cities of any dirt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-have-grace-of-strength-to-work-to-clear-our-cities-of-any-dirt/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Cleanliness is the scourge of art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-brown/cleanliness-is-the-scourge-of-art/) [Craig Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-brown/) > [Night fell clean and cold in Dublin, and wind moaned beyond my room as if a million pipes played the air.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-cornwell/night-fell-clean-and-cold-in-dublin-and-wind-moaned-beyond-my-room-as/) [Patricia Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-cornwell/) > [I think toilets are more important than temples. No matter how many temples we go to, we are not going to get salvation. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jairam-ramesh/i-think-toilets-are-more-important-than-temples-no-matter-how-many/) [Jairam Ramesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jairam-ramesh/) > [There is a road to freedom. Its milestones are obedience, endeavour, honesty, order, cleanliness, sobriety, truthfulness, sacrifice, and love of the fatherland.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/there-is-a-road-to-freedom-its-milestones-are-obedience-endeavour/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [Women are dirt searchers; their greatest worth is irradicating rings on collars and tables. Never mind real-estate boards' corruption and racism, here's your soapsuds.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florynce-kennedy/women-are-dirt-searchers-their-greatest-worth-is-irradicating-rings/) [Florynce Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florynce-kennedy/) > [Juliet's version of cleanliness was next to godliness, which was to say it was erratic, past all understanding and was seldom seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/juliet-s-version-of-cleanliness-was-next-to-godliness-which-was-to/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I like using LEGO bricks as a medium because I enjoy seeing people’s reaction to artwork created from something with which they are familiar.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-sawaya/i-like-using-lego-bricks-as-a-medium-because-i-enjoy-seeing-people-s/) [Nathan Sawaya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-sawaya/) > [All will come out in the washing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/all-will-come-out-in-the-washing/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [The mother must set the example in holding out the shrine as the heart of the house hold! She must enforce discipline over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sathya-sai-baba/the-mother-must-set-the-example-in-holding-out-the-shrine-as-the/) [Sathya Sai Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sathya-sai-baba/) > [He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/he-that-toucheth-pitch-shall-be-defiled-therewith/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Every attainment, every step forward in knowledge, follows from courage, from hardness against oneself, from cleanliness in relation to oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-attainment-every-step-forward-in-knowledge-follows-from-courage/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The first step toward the management of disease was replacement of demon theories and humours theories by the germ theory. That very step, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-brooks/the-first-step-toward-the-management-of-disease-was-replacement-of/) [Fred Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-brooks/) > [I neither drink nor smoke, because my schoolmaster impressed upon me three cardinal virtues; cleanliness in person, cleanliness in mind; temperance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burns/i-neither-drink-nor-smoke-because-my-schoolmaster-impressed-upon-me/) [John Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burns/) > [To keep the air fresh among words is the secret of verbal cleanliness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/to-keep-the-air-fresh-among-words-is-the-secret-of-verbal-cleanliness/) [Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/) [Browse all 256 Cleanliness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cleanliness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Cleanliness becomes more important when godliness is unlikely.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "P. J. O'Rourke" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/cleanliness-becomes-more-important-when-godliness-is-unlikely/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cleanliness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/cleanliness-becomes-more-important-when-godliness-is-unlikely/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/p-j-o-rourke-184_cleanliness_cleanliness-becomes-more-important-when_2218458.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/p-j-o-rourke-184_cleanliness_cleanliness-becomes-more-important-when_2218458.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/p-j-o-rourke-184_cleanliness_cleanliness-becomes-more-important-when_2218458.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Cleanliness becomes more important when godliness is unlikely.” — P. J. O'Rourke", "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": "P. J. O'Rourke", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Cleanliness becomes more important when godliness...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/cleanliness-becomes-more-important-when-godliness-is-unlikely/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/cleanliness-becomes-more-important-when-godliness-is-unlikely/#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 } } ] } ```