--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A religion such as Judaism or Catholicism…" description: "\"A religion such as Judaism or Catholicism might survive even if it comes to reject a literal account of God creating man and animals. But it cannot sur..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e0/paul-bloom-3720_accounts_a-religion-such-as-judaism-or-catholicis_1282611.jpg" --- # A religion such as Judaism or Catholicism might survive… ![“A religion such as Judaism or Catholicism might survive even if it comes to reject a literal account of God creating man and animals. But it cannot survive the rejection of an immaterial soul.” quote by Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e0/paul-bloom-3720_accounts_a-religion-such-as-judaism-or-catholicis_1282611.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e0/paul-bloom-3720_accounts_a-religion-such-as-judaism-or-catholicis_1282611.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e0/paul-bloom-3720_accounts_a-religion-such-as-judaism-or-catholicis_1282611.jpg) > “A religion such as Judaism or Catholicism might survive even if it comes to reject a literal account of God creating man and animals. But it cannot survive the rejection of an immaterial soul.” [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Religion can adapt to metaphorical views of creation but struggles when core concepts like the soul are denied. **In simple terms:** Faith can change its stories but not its belief in a soul. Key Takeaway Consider how essential beliefs shape religious identity. Themes faith belief identity philosophy Mood thoughtful analytical Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - theological debate - education - interfaith dialogue - personal belief systems Key Concepts metaphysics psychology of religion Questions to Reflect On - What core belief defines your spiritual identity? - Can religion survive without belief in an immaterial soul? A Different Perspective Some may argue the soul concept is culturally constructed, not essential. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Catholicism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholicism/) [Creating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creating/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Judaism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judaism/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Rejection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rejection/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) ## Related quotes > [Part of the advantage, and part of the result of trying to be a producer and director, are the practical things, you find. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/campbell-scott/part-of-the-advantage-and-part-of-the-result-of-trying-to-be-a/) [Campbell Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/campbell-scott/) > [Fast food may appear to be cheap food and, in the literal sense it often is, but that is because huge social and environmental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-charles/fast-food-may-appear-to-be-cheap-food-and-in-the-literal-sense-it/) [Prince Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-charles/) > [The arts make vivid the fact that words do not, in their literal form or number, exhaust what we can know. The limits of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-w-eisner/the-arts-make-vivid-the-fact-that-words-do-not-in-their-literal-form/) [Elliot W. Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-w-eisner/) > [I allude to Back to the Future in the 1985 story to let folks know it was an inspiration and because it literally was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiese-laymon/i-allude-to-back-to-the-future-in-the-1985-story-to-let-folks-know-it/) [Kiese Laymon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiese-laymon/) > [The Hebrew scriptures say it's okay to enslave anybody except your fellow Jews. It says you should enslave only your neighbors. I say to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-hebrew-scriptures-say-it-s-okay-to-enslave-anybody-except-your/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [I sort of took the literal term of 'The Cleaner,' and I started bringing janitorial items to the ring with me, so I took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-omega/i-sort-of-took-the-literal-term-of-the-cleaner-and-i-started-bringing/) [Kenny Omega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-omega/) > [ What's cool is that in the story of the movie \[The Hangover\] our characters are also really kind of getting to know each other… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-helms/what-s-cool-is-that-in-the-story-of-the-movie-the-hangover-our/) [Ed Helms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-helms/) > [“We're literal people, you and me. Whatever the most obvious interpretation is, that's our truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenna-yovanoff/we-re-literal-people-you-and-me-whatever-the-most-obvious/) [Brenna Yovanoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenna-yovanoff/) > [It is evident, indeed, that such a doctrine, taken by itself in a literal manner, had no future. The world, in continuing to exist,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/it-is-evident-indeed-that-such-a-doctrine-taken-by-itself-in-a/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [Let every one of us cultivate, in every word that issues from our mouth, absolute truth. I say cultivate, because to very few people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinah-maria-murlock-craik/let-every-one-of-us-cultivate-in-every-word-that-issues-from-our/) [Dinah Maria Murlock Craik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinah-maria-murlock-craik/) > [The highest art of professional management requires the literal ability to 'smell' a 'real fact' from all others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-geneen/the-highest-art-of-professional-management-requires-the-literal/) [Harold Geneen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-geneen/) > [Fanciful spiritualizing, so far from yielding God's meaning, actually obscured it. The literal sense is itself the spiritual sense, coming from God and leading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/fanciful-spiritualizing-so-far-from-yielding-god-s-meaning-actually/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [People are incredibly literal sometimes in how they view you. You have dark hair and pale skin? You must be brooding. The second you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-paquin/people-are-incredibly-literal-sometimes-in-how-they-view-you-you-have/) [Anna Paquin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-paquin/) > [And Christ was born into the world as the literal Son of this Holy Being; he was born in the same personal, real, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-r-mcconkie/and-christ-was-born-into-the-world-as-the-literal-son-of-this-holy/) [Bruce R. McConkie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-r-mcconkie/) > [Poets... are literal-minded men who will squeeze a word till it hurts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-macleish/poets-are-literal-minded-men-who-will-squeeze-a-word-till-it-hurts/) [Archibald MacLeish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-macleish/) ## More by Paul Bloom > [I have two teenage sons, and they're both surviving, thriving, and having a great time, and they're always on social media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/i-have-two-teenage-sons-and-they-re-both-surviving-thriving-and/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [Families survive the terrible twos because toddlers aren't strong enough to kill with their hands and aren't capable of using lethal weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/families-survive-the-terrible-twos-because-toddlers-aren-t-strong/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [If Inigo Montoya were around now, he wouldn't need to storm the castle to bring his father's murderer to justice; the police would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/if-inigo-montoya-were-around-now-he-wouldn-t-need-to-storm-the-castle/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [Most of us know nothing about constitutional law, so it's hardly surprising that we take sides in the Obamacare debate the way we root…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/most-of-us-know-nothing-about-constitutional-law-so-it-s-hardly/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [“Being a good person likely is more related to distanced feelings of compassion and kindness, along with intelligence, self-control, and a sense of justice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/being-a-good-person-likely-is-more-related-to-distanced-feelings-of/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [Imagination is Reality Lite - a useful substitute when the real pleasure is inaccessible, too risky, or too much work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/imagination-is-reality-lite-a-useful-substitute-when-the-real/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [One way to make a baby cry is to expose it to cries of other babies. There's sort of contagiousness to the crying. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/one-way-to-make-a-baby-cry-is-to-expose-it-to-cries-of-other-babies/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [I want to convince you that humans are, to some extent, natural born essentialists. What I mean by this is we don't just respond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/i-want-to-convince-you-that-humans-are-to-some-extent-natural-born/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [The fact that something can be used for good isn't necessarily a knockdown argument for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/the-fact-that-something-can-be-used-for-good-isn-t-necessarily-a/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [ Our best hope for the future \[...\] lies in an appreciation of the fact that, even if we don’t empathize with distant strangers, their… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/our-best-hope-for-the-future-lies-in-an-appreciation-of-the-fact-that/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [When people want to inspire you to turn against some group of people, they'll often use empathy. When Obama wanted to bomb Syria, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/when-people-want-to-inspire-you-to-turn-against-some-group-of-people/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [I'm very interested in why we do good things, or bad things, and where moral judgments come from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/i-m-very-interested-in-why-we-do-good-things-or-bad-things-and-where/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [I have my own difficulty with movies in which the suffering of the characters is too real, and many find it difficult to watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/i-have-my-own-difficulty-with-movies-in-which-the-suffering-of-the/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [I think what a lot of fiction is, is the imagining of the worst so as to prepare ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/i-think-what-a-lot-of-fiction-is-is-the-imagining-of-the-worst-so-as/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [Morality is often seen as an innovation, like agriculture and writing. From this perspective, babies are pint-sized psychopaths, self-interested beings who need to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/morality-is-often-seen-as-an-innovation-like-agriculture-and-writing/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) [Explore all 123 Paul Bloom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) ## More Accounts quotes > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [Think of these things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/think-of-these-things-whence-you-came-where-you-are-going-and-to-whom/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [The Hindus have a peculiar slovenliness in business matters, not being sufficiently methodical and strict in keeping accounts etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-hindus-have-a-peculiar-slovenliness-in-business-matters-not-being/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [With the Truman book, I wrote the entire account of his experiences in World War I before going over to Europe to follow his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/with-the-truman-book-i-wrote-the-entire-account-of-his-experiences-in/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [A great read; an exciting, frightening account of organized crime today. But like all important works of nonfiction, it goes further… This book is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/le-ly-hayslip/a-great-read-an-exciting-frightening-account-of-organized-crime-today/) [Le Ly Hayslip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/le-ly-hayslip/) > [I had a very blessed journey with the upbringing I had. When you're working on sets as a stuntman, you have a firsthand account…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ric-roman-waugh/i-had-a-very-blessed-journey-with-the-upbringing-i-had-when-you-re/) [Ric Roman Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ric-roman-waugh/) > [The suppression of uncomfortable ideas may be common in religion or in politics, but it is not the path to knowledge; it has no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-suppression-of-uncomfortable-ideas-may-be-common-in-religion-or/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [You've got to exercise. Your health account, your bank account, they're the same thing. The more you put in, the more you can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lalanne/you-ve-got-to-exercise-your-health-account-your-bank-account-they-re/) [Jack LaLanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lalanne/) > [No physiologist who calmly considers the question in connection with the general truths of his science, can long resist the conviction that different parts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/no-physiologist-who-calmly-considers-the-question-in-connection-with/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [God puts you where God needs you. You are where you are supposed to be. The job you are doing may not be any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-kushner/god-puts-you-where-god-needs-you-you-are-where-you-are-supposed-to-be/) [Lawrence Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-kushner/) > [Stop trying to treat music like it's a tennis shoe, something to be branded. If the music industry wants to save money, they should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/stop-trying-to-treat-music-like-it-s-a-tennis-shoe-something-to-be/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) > [Anyone who thinks science is trying to make human life easier or more pleasant is utterly mistaken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/anyone-who-thinks-science-is-trying-to-make-human-life-easier-or-more/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [That surely must be a concern to anyone who decides this drug must be given to stop transmissions, again from mother to child, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabo-mbeki/that-surely-must-be-a-concern-to-anyone-who-decides-this-drug-must-be/) [Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/) Browse all 2,677 Accounts quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A religion such as Judaism or Catholicism might survive even if it comes to reject a literal account of God creating man and animals. But it cannot survive the rejection of an immaterial soul.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Bloom" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/a-religion-such-as-judaism-or-catholicism-might-survive-even-if-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Accounts" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/a-religion-such-as-judaism-or-catholicism-might-survive-even-if-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e0/paul-bloom-3720_accounts_a-religion-such-as-judaism-or-catholicis_1282611.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e0/paul-bloom-3720_accounts_a-religion-such-as-judaism-or-catholicis_1282611.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e0/paul-bloom-3720_accounts_a-religion-such-as-judaism-or-catholicis_1282611.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A religion such as Judaism or Catholicism might survive even if it comes to reject a literal account of God…” — Paul Bloom", "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": "Paul Bloom", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A religion such as Judaism or...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/a-religion-such-as-judaism-or-catholicism-might-survive-even-if-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/a-religion-such-as-judaism-or-catholicism-might-survive-even-if-it/#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 } } ] } ```