--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Believing there's no God means I can't…" description: "\"Believing there's no God means I can't really be forgiven except by kindness and faulty memories. That's good; it makes me want to be more thoughtful. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f7/penn-jillette-1046_believing_believing-there-s-no-god-means-i-can-t-r_2788504.png" --- # Believing there's no God means I can't really be forgiven… ![“Believing there's no God means I can't really be forgiven except by kindness and faulty memories. That's good; it makes me want to be more thoughtful. I have to try to treat people right the first time around.” quote by Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f7/penn-jillette-1046_believing_believing-there-s-no-god-means-i-can-t-r_2788504.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f7/penn-jillette-1046_believing_believing-there-s-no-god-means-i-can-t-r_2788504.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f7/penn-jillette-1046_believing_believing-there-s-no-god-means-i-can-t-r_2788504.png) > “Believing there's no God means I can't really be forgiven except by kindness and faulty memories. That's good; it makes me want to be more thoughtful. I have to try to treat people right the first time around.” [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Absence of belief in God can inspire personal accountability and kindness as moral guides. **In simple terms:** No god, but kindness guides. Key Takeaway Practice empathy and thoughtful actions. Themes philosophy ethics personal growth Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily interactions - conflict resolution - personal development Key Concepts secular morality self‑reflection compassion Questions to Reflect On - How do you define forgiveness without a deity? - What role does memory play in moral behavior? A Different Perspective Reliance on kindness may lack external accountability structures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believing/) [Believing God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believing-god/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [First time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-time/) [Forgiven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiven/) [Forgiven Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiven-kindness-3361943/) [Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [God Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-means/) [Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Thoughtful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughtful/) [Treat People Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treat-people-right-213555/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [Believing there is no God means the suffering I've seen in my family and indeed all the suffering in the world isn't caused by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/believing-there-is-no-god-means-the-suffering-i-ve-seen-in-my-family/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [“Most of the time, if you treat people right, you don't have to be afraid of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-kelly/most-of-the-time-if-you-treat-people-right-you-don-t-have-to-be/) [Kathy Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-kelly/) > [I know money is money and it's important, but isn't it important to treat people right? Isn't it important to keep your word?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/i-know-money-is-money-and-it-s-important-but-isn-t-it-important-to/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [“Learn to treat people right, and you will never go wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gift-gugu-mona/learn-to-treat-people-right-and-you-will-never-go-wrong/) [Gift Gugu Mona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gift-gugu-mona/) > [If you treat people right they will treat you right... ninety percent of the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/if-you-treat-people-right-they-will-treat-you-right-ninety-percent-of/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [I'm a good person. I don't wish hateful things on people. I don't hate anybody. I know that I treat people right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curt-schilling/i-m-a-good-person-i-don-t-wish-hateful-things-on-people-i-don-t-hate/) [Curt Schilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curt-schilling/) > [Life is full of trials and tribulations. It's dramatic when you don't treat people right when you're in the tribulations, but I know now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/life-is-full-of-trials-and-tribulations-it-s-dramatic-when-you-don-t/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [Feeling loved by God means feeling glad not only that He crushed His Son so that I can be forgiven, but that He's crushing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/feeling-loved-by-god-means-feeling-glad-not-only-that-he-crushed-his/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Believing there's no God stops me from being solipsistic. I can read ideas from all different people from all different cultures. Without God, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/believing-there-s-no-god-stops-me-from-being-solipsistic-i-can-read/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Believing there is no God gives me more room for belief in family, people, love, truth, beauty, sex, Jell-o, and all the other things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/believing-there-is-no-god-gives-me-more-room-for-belief-in-family/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [God illumines the mind and shines within it. One cannot know God by means of the mind. One can but turn the mind inwards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-maharshi/god-illumines-the-mind-and-shines-within-it-one-cannot-know-god-by/) [Ramana Maharshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramana-maharshi/) > [“For there is the one Son, who accomplished His Father’s will; and one human race also in which the mysteries of God are wrought,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-church-fathers/for-there-is-the-one-son-who-accomplished-his-father-s-will-and-one/) [The Church Fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-church-fathers/) > [“This is also a book abut God, about what it means--and what it doesn't mean--to believe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-p-freeman/this-is-also-a-book-abut-god-about-what-it-means-and-what-it-doesn-t/) [Emily P. Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-p-freeman/) > [Paradoxical as it may seem, God means not only to make us good, but to make us also happy, by sickness, disaster and disappointment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-a-bartol/paradoxical-as-it-may-seem-god-means-not-only-to-make-us-good-but-to/) [C. A. Bartol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-a-bartol/) > [“Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God.” What that means is this: Love is real. It’s an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/nothing-real-can-be-threatened-nothing-unreal-exists-herein-lies-the/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) ## More by Penn Jillette > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I intend to do the Penn & Teller show until they pry my cheesy magic wand from my cold dead fingers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-intend-to-do-the-penn-teller-show-until-they-pry-my-cheesy-magic/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Part of the experience of being entertained is sitting back and plugging into someone else's vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/part-of-the-experience-of-being-entertained-is-sitting-back-and/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [That whole 99% thing, they are all in the 1% of the world. Every one of them pays a cellphone bill that is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/that-whole-99-thing-they-are-all-in-the-1-of-the-world-every-one-of/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I will forever stick up for Catholics and Christians in general. With a small number of very horrible exceptions, they do play by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-will-forever-stick-up-for-catholics-and-christians-in-general-with/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I believe very much that the most damning thing you can say about Muslims is that you're afraid to say anything because they'll hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-believe-very-much-that-the-most-damning-thing-you-can-say-about/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I'm not bothered by the idea of getting old, or I guess you could say by having arrived at old. I was 10 when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-m-not-bothered-by-the-idea-of-getting-old-or-i-guess-you-could-say/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I'm always surprised when the corporate world does stupid things, because they're often not very stupid in hindsight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-m-always-surprised-when-the-corporate-world-does-stupid-things/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [It's only the losers named 'Dave' that think having an unusual name is bad, and who cares what they think? They're named 'Dave.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/it-s-only-the-losers-named-dave-that-think-having-an-unusual-name-is/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [The only secret of magic is that I'm willing to work harder on it than you think it's worth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/the-only-secret-of-magic-is-that-i-m-willing-to-work-harder-on-it/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Well, it's not really the right word, but freedom is kind of a hobby with me, and I have disposable income that I'll spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/well-it-s-not-really-the-right-word-but-freedom-is-kind-of-a-hobby/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [It is really funny to see people that you know acting unpleasantly just because there are TV cameras on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/it-is-really-funny-to-see-people-that-you-know-acting-unpleasantly/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [My whole take on libertarianism is simply that I don't know what's best for other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/my-whole-take-on-libertarianism-is-simply-that-i-don-t-know-what-s/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Freedom means the right to be stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/freedom-means-the-right-to-be-stupid/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [“Once you've condoned faith in general, you've condoned any crazy shit done because of faith.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/once-you-ve-condoned-faith-in-general-you-ve-condoned-any-crazy-shit/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) [Explore all 302 Penn Jillette quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) ## More Believing quotes > [And if the mind thinks with a believing attitude one can do amazing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/and-if-the-mind-thinks-with-a-believing-attitude-one-can-do-amazing/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I've never let anyone talk me into not believing in myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-ve-never-let-anyone-talk-me-into-not-believing-in-myself/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [“Believing is not the same as knowing. Believing is second-hand knowledge, whereas knowing is first-hand experience. When your action comes from a level of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yogi-kanna/believing-is-not-the-same-as-knowing-believing-is-second-hand/) [Yogi Kanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yogi-kanna/) > [Things aren't always as they appear. I've been believing things to be a certain way because I want them to be that way. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-dennen/things-aren-t-always-as-they-appear-i-ve-been-believing-things-to-be/) [Brett Dennen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-dennen/) > [You cannot will yourself to be happy while believing that you have no right to happiness, or that you are unworthy of it. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-roberts/you-cannot-will-yourself-to-be-happy-while-believing-that-you-have-no/) [Jane Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-roberts/) > [It's never late to go after your dreams. All it takes is believing and hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vitor-belfort/it-s-never-late-to-go-after-your-dreams-all-it-takes-is-believing-and/) [Vitor Belfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vitor-belfort/) > [“There are five important things for living a successful and fulfilling life: never stop dreaming, never stop believing, never give up, never stop trying,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-bennett/there-are-five-important-things-for-living-a-successful-and/) [Roy Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-bennett/) > [Start believing that things are going to change for the better. Not because you deserve it, but simply because God loves you that much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-believing-that-things-are-going-to-change-for-the-better-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I never stopped believing in my ability or what I was doing. I want to pass that sense of faith and perseverance on to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vantile-whitfield/i-never-stopped-believing-in-my-ability-or-what-i-was-doing-i-want-to/) [Vantile Whitfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vantile-whitfield/) > [“It’s not easy to believe in anything when your whole world turns upside down. The main thing is to keep believing in yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-jayne-ashford/it-s-not-easy-to-believe-in-anything-when-your-whole-world-turns/) [Lindsay Jayne Ashford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsay-jayne-ashford/) > [Stop expecting, Start believing¦ If you truly love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/stop-expecting-start-believing-if-you-truly-love/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [This idea that once you get into politics... you are now signed up for lifelong duty being in elective office, makes a fundamental error…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-gonzalez/this-idea-that-once-you-get-into-politics-you-are-now-signed-up-for/) [Matt Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-gonzalez/) > [Chairman Mao not only introduced Pinyin in China, but also simplified half the Chinese characters, believing that fewer strokes would enable more people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-tang/chairman-mao-not-only-introduced-pinyin-in-china-but-also-simplified/) [David Tang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-tang/) > [It's one thing believing in yourself, it's another thing having other people believe in you, and that is the greatest gift, honestly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-magnussen/it-s-one-thing-believing-in-yourself-it-s-another-thing-having-other/) [Billy Magnussen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-magnussen/) > [We have been deceived into believing prayer is all about persuading God to release His power. We no longer need to beg or plead;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-wommack/we-have-been-deceived-into-believing-prayer-is-all-about-persuading/) [Andrew Wommack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-wommack/) [Browse all 1,471 Believing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Believing there's no God means I can't really be forgiven except by kindness and faulty memories. That's good; it makes me want to be more thoughtful. 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