---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Being religious means asking passionately…"
description: "\"Being religious means asking passionately the question of the meaning of our existence and being willing to receive answers, even if the answers hurt.\"..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/017/paul-tillich-3183_answers_being-religious-means-asking-passionatel_171094.jpg"
---

#  Being religious means asking passionately the question of…

![“Being religious means asking passionately the question of the meaning of our existence and being willing to receive answers, even if the answers hurt.” quote by Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/017/paul-tillich-3183_answers_being-religious-means-asking-passionatel_171094.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/017/paul-tillich-3183_answers_being-religious-means-asking-passionatel_171094.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/017/paul-tillich-3183_answers_being-religious-means-asking-passionatel_171094.jpg)

> “Being religious means asking passionately the question of the meaning of our existence and being willing to receive answers, even if the answers hurt.”

[Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Religious faith involves passionately seeking life's purpose and staying open to answers, even painful ones.

**In simple terms:** Faith is a passionate quest for meaning, accepting tough answers.

Key Takeaway

Embrace questioning and be ready for uncomfortable truths.

Themes

faith existence questioning acceptance growth

Mood

contemplative serious

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- personal crisis
- academic study
- interfaith dialogue
- life transitions

Key Concepts

theology philosophy spiritual inquiry

Questions to Reflect On

- What meaning do you seek most right now?
- How do you handle answers that challenge you?

A Different Perspective

Answers may cause distress or conflict with prior beliefs.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/)

## Related quotes

> [Being human means asking the questions of one's own being and living under the impact of the answers given to this question. And, conversely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/being-human-means-asking-the-questions-of-one-s-own-being-and-living/)

[Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/)

> [“Religion is the state of being grasped by an ultimate concern, a concern which qualifies all other concerns as preliminary and which itself contains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/religion-is-the-state-of-being-grasped-by-an-ultimate-concern-a-2/)

[Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/)

> [Religion is the state of being grasped by an ultimate concern, a concern which qualifies all other concerns as preliminary and which itself contains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/religion-is-the-state-of-being-grasped-by-an-ultimate-concern-a/)

[Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/)

> [When people say, 'Religion is all right for some, but I am not religious, and it means nothing to me,' is it because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-h-vandenberg/when-people-say-religion-is-all-right-for-some-but-i-am-not-religious/)

[John H. Vandenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-vandenberg/)

> [Don't think being 'religious' means becoming harsh or hard. When Allah enters a heart, He softens it--He doesn't harden it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/don-t-think-being-religious-means-becoming-harsh-or-hard-when-allah/)

[Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/)

> [I study religion because I find it fascinating and problematic. But I struggle with the idea of what religion is, what being religious means.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-pagels/i-study-religion-because-i-find-it-fascinating-and-problematic-but-i/)

[Elaine Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-pagels/)

> [Being holy . . . does not mean being perfect but being whole; it does not mean being exceptionally religious or being religious at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stringfellow/being-holy-does-not-mean-being-perfect-but-being-whole-it-does-not/)

[William Stringfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stringfellow/)

> [Love means never asking when](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lovelady-p/love-means-never-asking-when/)

Lovelady P

> [Prayer means rushing to the Father as His child. It means asking and receiving, loving and thanking Him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/basilea-schlink/prayer-means-rushing-to-the-father-as-his-child-it-means-asking-and/)

[Basilea Schlink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/basilea-schlink/)

> [“What gets us into trouble is how quickly we commit, without fully understanding what we’re getting ourselves into or even why we’re being asked.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bungay-stanier/what-gets-us-into-trouble-is-how-quickly-we-commit-without-fully/)

[Michael Bungay Stanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bungay-stanier/)

> [Being an actor means asking people to look at you. I guess I accept that. But it's a profession in which the job is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-fiennes/being-an-actor-means-asking-people-to-look-at-you-i-guess-i-accept/)

[Ralph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-fiennes/)

> [“You know as well as we do that right is a question that only has meaning in relations between equals in power. In the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-allison/you-know-as-well-as-we-do-that-right-is-a-question-that-only-has/)

[Graham Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-allison/)

> [Those who are driven by poverty, those who're free from material worries hunger exhausting labor a joyless existence ask the same question, the question…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-acker/those-who-are-driven-by-poverty-those-who-re-free-from-material/)

[Kathy Acker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-acker/)

> [“Decide yourself who was right: you or the one who questioned you then? Recall the first question; its meaning, though not literally, was this:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/decide-yourself-who-was-right-you-or-the-one-who-questioned-you-then/)

[Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/)

> [ “\[T\]he question "What is everything?" has no meaning, even though it seems to be profound. \[...\] The point is, perhaps, that I am not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/t-he-question-what-is-everything-has-no-meaning-even-though-it-seems/)

[Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/)

## More by Paul Tillich

> [Decision is a risk rooted in the courage of being free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/decision-is-a-risk-rooted-in-the-courage-of-being-free/)

[Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/)

> [Faith is the state of being ultimately concerned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/faith-is-the-state-of-being-ultimately-concerned/)

[Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/)

> [ \[American\] conformism might approximate collectivism, not so much in economic respects, and not too much in political respects, but very much in the pattern… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/american-conformism-might-approximate-collectivism-not-so-much-in/)

[Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/)

> [There is no condition for forgiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/there-is-no-condition-for-forgiveness/)

[Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/)

> [He who risks and fails can be forgiven. He who never risks and never fails is a failure in his whole being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/he-who-risks-and-fails-can-be-forgiven-he-who-never-risks-and-never/)

[Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/)

> [Symbols have one characteristic in common with signs; they point beyond themselves to something else. The red sign at the street corner points to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/symbols-have-one-characteristic-in-common-with-signs-they-point/)

[Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/)

> [In those who rest on their unshakable faith, pharisaism and fanaticism are the unmistakable symptoms of doubt which has been repressed. Doubt is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/in-those-who-rest-on-their-unshakable-faith-pharisaism-and-fanaticism/)

[Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/)

> [When you love someone and you love them with your heart, it never disappears when you're apart. Anh when you love someone and you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/when-you-love-someone-and-you-love-them-with-your-heart-it-never/)

[Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/)

> [The joy about our work is spoiled when we perform it not because of what we produce but because of the pleasure with which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/the-joy-about-our-work-is-spoiled-when-we-perform-it-not-because-of/)

[Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/)

> [In the courageous standing of uncertainty, faith shows most visibly its dynamic character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/in-the-courageous-standing-of-uncertainty-faith-shows-most-visibly/)

[Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/)

> [For love ... is the blood of life, the power of reunion in the separated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/for-love-is-the-blood-of-life-the-power-of-reunion-in-the-separated/)

[Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/)

> [Man's ultimate concern must be expressed symbolically, because symbolic language alone is able to express the ultimate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/man-s-ultimate-concern-must-be-expressed-symbolically-because/)

[Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/)

> [man is free, in so far as he has the power of contradicting himself and his essential nature. Man is free even from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/man-is-free-in-so-far-as-he-has-the-power-of-contradicting-himself/)

[Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/)

> [The citizens of a city are not guilty of the crimes committed in their city; but they are guilty as participants in the destiny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/the-citizens-of-a-city-are-not-guilty-of-the-crimes-committed-in/)

[Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/)

> [God does not exist. He is being-itself beyond essence and existence. Therefore to argue that God exists is to deny him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/god-does-not-exist-he-is-being-itself-beyond-essence-and-existence/)

[Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/)

[Explore all 136 Paul Tillich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/)

## More Answers quotes

> [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/)

[Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/)

> [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/)

[Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/)

> [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/)

[John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/)

> [“As long as you keep searching,the answers will come.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kynock/as-long-as-you-keep-searching-the-answers-will-come/)

[Mitch Kynock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kynock/)

> [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/)

[Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/)

> [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/)

[Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/)

> [There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/there-is-a-comfort-in-rituals-and-rituals-provide-a-framework-for/)

[Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/)

> [A religious person answers to God, not to the elected or non-elected official.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/a-religious-person-answers-to-god-not-to-the-elected-or-non-elected/)

[Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/)

> [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/)

[Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/)

> [Instead of asking a girl how she feels, try looking through her recently listened to songs. The lyrics are the answer to all your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-asking-a-girl-how-she-feels-try-looking-through-her/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/)

[Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/)

> [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

> [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/)

[Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/)

Browse all 7,843 Answers quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Being religious means asking passionately the question of the meaning of our existence and being willing to receive answers, even if the answers hurt.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Paul Tillich"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/being-religious-means-asking-passionately-the-question-of-the-meaning/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Answers"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/being-religious-means-asking-passionately-the-question-of-the-meaning/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/017/paul-tillich-3183_answers_being-religious-means-asking-passionatel_171094.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/017/paul-tillich-3183_answers_being-religious-means-asking-passionatel_171094.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/017/paul-tillich-3183_answers_being-religious-means-asking-passionatel_171094.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Being religious means asking passionately the question of the meaning of our existence and being willing to…” — Paul Tillich",
                "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 Tillich",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Being religious means asking passionately the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/being-religious-means-asking-passionately-the-question-of-the-meaning/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/being-religious-means-asking-passionately-the-question-of-the-meaning/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
