--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My experience as a pastor is lots of…" description: "\"My experience as a pastor is lots of people have really toxic, dangerous, psychologically devastating images of God in their head, images of a God who'..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03b/rob-bell-1025_dangerous_my-experience-as-a-pastor-is-lots-of-peo_485968.png" --- # My experience as a pastor is lots of people have really… ![“My experience as a pastor is lots of people have really toxic, dangerous, psychologically devastating images of God in their head, images of a God who's not good.” quote by Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03b/rob-bell-1025_dangerous_my-experience-as-a-pastor-is-lots-of-peo_485968.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03b/rob-bell-1025_dangerous_my-experience-as-a-pastor-is-lots-of-peo_485968.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03b/rob-bell-1025_dangerous_my-experience-as-a-pastor-is-lots-of-peo_485968.png) > “My experience as a pastor is lots of people have really toxic, dangerous, psychologically devastating images of God in their head, images of a God who's not good.” [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker describes how many people hold harmful, distorted images of God, seeing a deity as unkind. **In simple terms:** People often picture God as cruel or unsafe. Key Takeaway Challenge and reframe negative spiritual images. Themes faith psychology spirituality Mood introspective empathetic Type spiritual therapeutic When to use this quote - religious counseling - personal reflection - community dialogue Key Concepts theology mental health Questions to Reflect On - How do you identify harmful beliefs about God? - What practices help cultivate a healthier image? A Different Perspective Changing deep-seated beliefs can be painful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Pastor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pastor/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [But if out of smugness, or even cowardice, this battle is not fought to its end, then take a look at the peoples five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/but-if-out-of-smugness-or-even-cowardice-this-battle-is-not-fought-to/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [God is resplendently reflected in the souls of His chosen ones, and these pure souls, these images of God, like the transparent glass, shine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-of-kronstadt/god-is-resplendently-reflected-in-the-souls-of-his-chosen-ones-and/) [John of Kronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-of-kronstadt/) > [“Different states of consciousness project different images of God–loving or vengeful or jealous, energetic or terrifying, and different images of God affect the nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-ravindra/different-states-of-consciousness-project-different-images-of-god/) [Ravi Ravindra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-ravindra/) > [If all are created in the divine image, then our images of God must be fluid and multifarious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-plaskow/if-all-are-created-in-the-divine-image-then-our-images-of-god-must-be/) [Judith Plaskow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-plaskow/) > [I find Hollywood really toxic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-weisz/i-find-hollywood-really-toxic/) [Rachel Weisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-weisz/) > [I've learned to really enjoy video games. It's really toxic to have in your house, because it's really distracting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-ve-learned-to-really-enjoy-video-games-it-s-really-toxic-to-have-in/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) > [The God of the Hebrews is a God that human language, we're not even supposed to speak the holy name. We were told in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-god-of-the-hebrews-is-a-god-that-human-language-we-re-not-even/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [“The symbolic evidence of women’s invisibility in the human race is most clear perhaps in her suppression, her camouflage, her negation even in language.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/the-symbolic-evidence-of-women-s-invisibility-in-the-human-race-is/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [“You are being fashioned into one of two images, either God's or the worlds. Make a choice!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-george/you-are-being-fashioned-into-one-of-two-images-either-god-s-or-the/) [Jim George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-george/) > [It is proper to take photographs or other kinds of pictures of persons to put them before us for sight or remembrance. But it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dayananda-saraswati/it-is-proper-to-take-photographs-or-other-kinds-of-pictures-of/) [Dayananda Saraswati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dayananda-saraswati/) > [“If God’s people are bored with God, they are really bad images. God is not unhappy about himself. He is infinitely excited about his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-reinke/if-god-s-people-are-bored-with-god-they-are-really-bad-images-god-is/) [Tony Reinke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-reinke/) > [“He anoints the bathroom mirror with oil and prays that when people look into it, they would see themselves as beloved images of God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tish-harrison-warren/he-anoints-the-bathroom-mirror-with-oil-and-prays-that-when-people/) [Tish Harrison Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tish-harrison-warren/) > [“What, then, was God to do? What else could He possibly do, being God, but renew His Image in mankind, so that through it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/athanasius-of-alexandria/what-then-was-god-to-do-what-else-could-he-possibly-do-being-god-but/) [Athanasius of Alexandria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/athanasius-of-alexandria/) > [“Scripture’s violent portraits of God will continue to pollute our mental images of God until we find a way to reconcile them with Jesus’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gergory-a-boyd/scripture-s-violent-portraits-of-god-will-continue-to-pollute-our/) [Gergory A. Boyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gergory-a-boyd/) > [“Our images of God matter. Just as how we conceptualize God affects what we think the Christian life is about, so do our images…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-j-borg/our-images-of-god-matter-just-as-how-we-conceptualize-god-affects/) [Marcus J. Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-j-borg/) ## More by Rob Bell > [If the gospel isn't good news for everybody, then it isn't good news for anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/if-the-gospel-isn-t-good-news-for-everybody-then-it-isn-t-good-news/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [Why blame the dark for being dark? It is far more helpful to ask why the light isn’t as bright as it could be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/why-blame-the-dark-for-being-dark-it-is-far-more-helpful-to-ask-why/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [“This story... blasts to pieces our biases and labels with a declaration that God is on everyone's side, extending grace and compassion to everyone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/this-story-blasts-to-pieces-our-biases-and-labels-with-a-declaration/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [One truth is that suffering raises profound questions with the universe. The other truth is that grace, gift and generosity also raise profound questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/one-truth-is-that-suffering-raises-profound-questions-with-the/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [For Jesus, heaven and hell were present realities. Ways of living we can enter into here and now. He talked very little of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/for-jesus-heaven-and-hell-were-present-realities-ways-of-living-we/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [Love is what God is, love is why Jesus came, and love is why he continues to come, year after year to person after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/love-is-what-god-is-love-is-why-jesus-came-and-love-is-why-he/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [I believe that God is love. I believe that Jesus came to show us this love, to give us this love, to teach us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/i-believe-that-god-is-love-i-believe-that-jesus-came-to-show-us-this/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [If the gospel isn't good news for everybody, then it isn't good news for anybody. And this is because the most powerful things happen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/if-the-gospel-isn-t-good-news-for-everybody-then-it-isn-t-good-news-2/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [“I don’t read the Bible like a flat line. I don’t see all of the passages in the Bible sitting equally side by side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/i-don-t-read-the-bible-like-a-flat-line-i-don-t-see-all-of-the/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [To elevate abstract doctrines and dogmas over living, breathing, embodied experiences of God's love and grace, then, is going the wrong direction. It's taking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/to-elevate-abstract-doctrines-and-dogmas-over-living-breathing/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [The modern world has created airports and hospitals and put 10,000 songs in our pocket. It has built gleaming buildings and computers and advances…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/the-modern-world-has-created-airports-and-hospitals-and-put-10-000/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [God is bigger than the Christian faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/god-is-bigger-than-the-christian-faith/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [What you believe about the future shapes, informs, and determines how you live now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/what-you-believe-about-the-future-shapes-informs-and-determines-how/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [The life you want begins by embracing the life you have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/the-life-you-want-begins-by-embracing-the-life-you-have/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [It takes quite a spine to turn the other cheek. It takes phenomenal fortitude to love your enemy. It takes firm resolve to pray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/it-takes-quite-a-spine-to-turn-the-other-cheek-it-takes-phenomenal/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) [Explore all 305 Rob Bell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) ## More Dangerous quotes > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Every one knows that the exercise of military power is forever dangerous to civil rights; and we have had recent instances of violences that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/every-one-knows-that-the-exercise-of-military-power-is-forever/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. 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And it's a very, very dangerous thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/when-you-start-talking-about-elections-being-rigged-you-re-pushing/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [The Patriot Act is certainly a concern; all of those things are dangerous. I think more important than me preaching is that we as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-patriot-act-is-certainly-a-concern-all-of-those-things-are/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [Die gefährlichste Weltanschauung ist die Weltanschauung derer, die die Welt nie angeschaut haben. (The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-von-humboldt/die-gef-hrlichste-weltanschauung-ist-die-weltanschauung-derer-die-die/) [Alexander von Humboldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-von-humboldt/) > [The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. So maybe I'm just scared of my own shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-most-dangerous-creature-here-would-have-to-be-me-so-maybe-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [The more people that learn about you, even if you're an underdog, then you can come under fire a lot and the more attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-way/the-more-people-that-learn-about-you-even-if-you-re-an-underdog-then/) [Gerard Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-way/) > [Anyone who maintains absolute standards of good and evil is dangerous. As dangerous as a maniac with a loaded revolver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/anyone-who-maintains-absolute-standards-of-good-and-evil-is-dangerous/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [The proliferation of right-to-carry laws throughout the states has drawn plaintive complaints from the criminal element. They feel that it makes their profession too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/the-proliferation-of-right-to-carry-laws-throughout-the-states-has/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) Browse all 6,450 Dangerous quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My experience as a pastor is lots of people have really toxic, dangerous, psychologically devastating images of God in their head, images of a God who's not good.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rob Bell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/my-experience-as-a-pastor-is-lots-of-people-have-really-toxic/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dangerous" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/my-experience-as-a-pastor-is-lots-of-people-have-really-toxic/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03b/rob-bell-1025_dangerous_my-experience-as-a-pastor-is-lots-of-peo_485968.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03b/rob-bell-1025_dangerous_my-experience-as-a-pastor-is-lots-of-peo_485968.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03b/rob-bell-1025_dangerous_my-experience-as-a-pastor-is-lots-of-peo_485968.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My experience as a pastor is lots of people have really toxic, dangerous, psychologically devastating images…” — Rob Bell", "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": "Rob Bell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My experience as a pastor is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/my-experience-as-a-pastor-is-lots-of-people-have-really-toxic/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/my-experience-as-a-pastor-is-lots-of-people-have-really-toxic/#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 } } ] } ```