---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I conceive the essential task of religion…"
description: "\"I conceive the essential task of religion to be \"to develop the consciences, the ideals, and the aspirations of mankind\".\" — Robert Andrews Millikan"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de5/robert-andrews-millikan-21380_aspiration_i-conceive-the-essential-task-of-religio_1506018.png"
---

#  I conceive the essential task of religion to be "to…

![“I conceive the essential task of religion to be "to develop the consciences, the ideals, and the aspirations of mankind".” quote by Robert Andrews Millikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de5/robert-andrews-millikan-21380_aspiration_i-conceive-the-essential-task-of-religio_1506018.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de5/robert-andrews-millikan-21380_aspiration_i-conceive-the-essential-task-of-religio_1506018.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de5/robert-andrews-millikan-21380_aspiration_i-conceive-the-essential-task-of-religio_1506018.png)

> “I conceive the essential task of religion to be "to develop the consciences, the ideals, and the aspirations of mankind".”

[Robert Andrews Millikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-andrews-millikan/)

## About This Quote

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

Religion should nurture human conscience, ideals, and aspirations.

**In simple terms:** Religion should grow conscience and ideals.

Key Takeaway

Focus on moral development.

Themes

morality spirituality human potential

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

philosophical ethical

When to use this quote

- Education reform
- community building
- policy making
- personal growth

Key Concepts

Ethics Idealism Collective aspiration

Questions to Reflect On

- How can religion balance spiritual growth with material concerns?
- What role should religion play in modern ethics?

A Different Perspective

May overlook practical societal needs.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Aspiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aspiration/) [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Ideals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideals/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/)

## Related quotes

> [The superior person tries to promote music as a means to the perfection of human culture. When such music prevails, and people's minds are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/the-superior-person-tries-to-promote-music-as-a-means-to-the/)

[Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/)

> [Surely it must be plain that an ingenious man could speculate without end on both sides, and find analogies for all his dreams. Nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/surely-it-must-be-plain-that-an-ingenious-man-could-speculate-without/)

[Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/)

> [Religion itself cannot but be dynamic which is why "return" is an incorrect term. A return to the forms of religion which perhaps existed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/religion-itself-cannot-but-be-dynamic-which-is-why-return-is-an/)

[Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/)

> [False principles, which correspond with the bad as well as with the just aspirations of mankind, are a normal and necessary element in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/false-principles-which-correspond-with-the-bad-as-well-as-with-the/)

[Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/)

> [ One of the great crimes of the Bloomberg/Klein administration \[in New York City\] is that they've removed themselves from communities, as if communities have… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/one-of-the-great-crimes-of-the-bloomberg-klein-administration-in-new/)

[Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/)

> [“Eschew evil and it's machinations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaachynma-n-e-agu/eschew-evil-and-it-s-machinations/)

[Jaachynma N.E. Agu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaachynma-n-e-agu/)

> [“Don't die without fulfilling your purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaachynma-n-e-agu/don-t-die-without-fulfilling-your-purpose/)

[Jaachynma N.E. Agu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaachynma-n-e-agu/)

> [I know well, Monsieur, how much you have to endure in your present duty, and I ask Our Lord to strengthen you in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-de-paul/i-know-well-monsieur-how-much-you-have-to-endure-in-your-present-duty/)

[Vincent de Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-de-paul/)

> [Our task today is to bring India to the threshold of the twenty-first century, free of burden of poverty, legacy of our colonial past,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajiv-gandhi/our-task-today-is-to-bring-india-to-the-threshold-of-the-twenty-first/)

[Rajiv Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajiv-gandhi/)

> [“A responsible woman doesn’t see opportunities and needs and look the other way pretending not to see them rather she gets to work to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agu-jaachynma-n-e/a-responsible-woman-doesn-t-see-opportunities-and-needs-and-look-the/)

[Agu Jaachynma N.E](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agu-jaachynma-n-e/)

> [Noise has taken the place of punk rock. People who play noise have no real aspirations to being part of the mainstream culture. Punk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thurston-moore/noise-has-taken-the-place-of-punk-rock-people-who-play-noise-have-no/)

[Thurston Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thurston-moore/)

> [We were all children once. And we all share the desire for the well-being of our children, which has always been and will continue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/we-were-all-children-once-and-we-all-share-the-desire-for-the-well/)

[Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/)

> [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/)

[Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/)

> [The emerging church movement has come to believe that the ultimate context of the spiritual aspirations of a follower of Jesus Christ is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-selmanovic/the-emerging-church-movement-has-come-to-believe-that-the-ultimate/)

[Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/)

> [To refer even in passing to unpublished or struggling authors and their problems is to put oneself at some risk, so I will say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-amis/to-refer-even-in-passing-to-unpublished-or-struggling-authors-and/)

[Kingsley Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-amis/)

## More by Robert Andrews Millikan

> [Just how we fit into the plans of the Great Architect and how much he has assigned us to do we do not know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-andrews-millikan/just-how-we-fit-into-the-plans-of-the-great-architect-and-how-much-he/)

[Robert Andrews Millikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-andrews-millikan/)

> [There is no likelihood man can ever tap the power of the atom. The glib supposition of utilizing atomic energy when our coal has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-andrews-millikan/there-is-no-likelihood-man-can-ever-tap-the-power-of-the-atom-the/)

[Robert Andrews Millikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-andrews-millikan/)

> [One of the chief inhibitions to human progress arises because of the extreme slowness with which the advances in knowledge become translated into action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-andrews-millikan/one-of-the-chief-inhibitions-to-human-progress-arises-because-of-the/)

[Robert Andrews Millikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-andrews-millikan/)

> [The fact that Science walks forward on two feet, namely theory and experiment, is nowhere better illustrated than in the two fields for slight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-andrews-millikan/the-fact-that-science-walks-forward-on-two-feet-namely-theory-and/)

[Robert Andrews Millikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-andrews-millikan/)

> [Civilization consists in the multiplication and refinement of human wants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-andrews-millikan/civilization-consists-in-the-multiplication-and-refinement-of-human/)

[Robert Andrews Millikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-andrews-millikan/)

> [The pathetic thing about it is that many scientists are trying to prove the doctrine of evolution, which no science can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-andrews-millikan/the-pathetic-thing-about-it-is-that-many-scientists-are-trying-to/)

[Robert Andrews Millikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-andrews-millikan/)

> [There is no likelihood that man can ever tap the power of the atom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-andrews-millikan/there-is-no-likelihood-that-man-can-ever-tap-the-power-of-the-atom/)

[Robert Andrews Millikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-andrews-millikan/)

> [To me it is unthinkable that a real atheist could be a scientist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-andrews-millikan/to-me-it-is-unthinkable-that-a-real-atheist-could-be-a-scientist/)

[Robert Andrews Millikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-andrews-millikan/)

> [Science walks forward on two feet, namely theory and experiment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-andrews-millikan/science-walks-forward-on-two-feet-namely-theory-and-experiment/)

[Robert Andrews Millikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-andrews-millikan/)

> [We have been forced to admit for the first time in history not only the possibility of the fact of the growth and decay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-andrews-millikan/we-have-been-forced-to-admit-for-the-first-time-in-history-not-only/)

[Robert Andrews Millikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-andrews-millikan/)

> [Cultivate the habit of attention and try to gain opportunities to hear wise men and women talk. Indifference and inattention are the two most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-andrews-millikan/cultivate-the-habit-of-attention-and-try-to-gain-opportunities-to/)

[Robert Andrews Millikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-andrews-millikan/)

> [The purpose of science is to develop, without prejudice or preconception of any kind, a knowledge of the facts, the laws, and the processes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-andrews-millikan/the-purpose-of-science-is-to-develop-without-prejudice-or/)

[Robert Andrews Millikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-andrews-millikan/)

> [Interest and attention will insure to you an education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-andrews-millikan/interest-and-attention-will-insure-to-you-an-education/)

[Robert Andrews Millikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-andrews-millikan/)

> [Fullness of knowledge always and necessarily means some understanding of the depths of our ignorance, and that is always conducive to both humility and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-andrews-millikan/fullness-of-knowledge-always-and-necessarily-means-some-understanding/)

[Robert Andrews Millikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-andrews-millikan/)

> [From that night on, the electron-up to that time largely the plaything of the scientist-had clearly entered the field as a potent agent in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-andrews-millikan/from-that-night-on-the-electron-up-to-that-time-largely-the-plaything/)

[Robert Andrews Millikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-andrews-millikan/)

[Explore all 29 Robert Andrews Millikan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-andrews-millikan/)

## More Aspiration quotes

> [To refer even in passing to unpublished or struggling authors and their problems is to put oneself at some risk, so I will say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-amis/to-refer-even-in-passing-to-unpublished-or-struggling-authors-and/)

[Kingsley Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-amis/)

> [The emerging church movement has come to believe that the ultimate context of the spiritual aspirations of a follower of Jesus Christ is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-selmanovic/the-emerging-church-movement-has-come-to-believe-that-the-ultimate/)

[Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/)

> [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/)

[Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/)

> [We were all children once. And we all share the desire for the well-being of our children, which has always been and will continue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/we-were-all-children-once-and-we-all-share-the-desire-for-the-well/)

[Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/)

> [Noise has taken the place of punk rock. People who play noise have no real aspirations to being part of the mainstream culture. Punk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thurston-moore/noise-has-taken-the-place-of-punk-rock-people-who-play-noise-have-no/)

[Thurston Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thurston-moore/)

> [“A responsible woman doesn’t see opportunities and needs and look the other way pretending not to see them rather she gets to work to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agu-jaachynma-n-e/a-responsible-woman-doesn-t-see-opportunities-and-needs-and-look-the/)

[Agu Jaachynma N.E](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agu-jaachynma-n-e/)

> [Our task today is to bring India to the threshold of the twenty-first century, free of burden of poverty, legacy of our colonial past,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajiv-gandhi/our-task-today-is-to-bring-india-to-the-threshold-of-the-twenty-first/)

[Rajiv Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajiv-gandhi/)

> [I know well, Monsieur, how much you have to endure in your present duty, and I ask Our Lord to strengthen you in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-de-paul/i-know-well-monsieur-how-much-you-have-to-endure-in-your-present-duty/)

[Vincent de Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-de-paul/)

> [“Don't die without fulfilling your purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaachynma-n-e-agu/don-t-die-without-fulfilling-your-purpose/)

[Jaachynma N.E. Agu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaachynma-n-e-agu/)

> [“Eschew evil and it's machinations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaachynma-n-e-agu/eschew-evil-and-it-s-machinations/)

[Jaachynma N.E. Agu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaachynma-n-e-agu/)

> [ One of the great crimes of the Bloomberg/Klein administration \[in New York City\] is that they've removed themselves from communities, as if communities have… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/one-of-the-great-crimes-of-the-bloomberg-klein-administration-in-new/)

[Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/)

> [You boys know what tropism is, it's what makes a plant grow toward the light. Everything aspires to the light. You don't have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-wolff/you-boys-know-what-tropism-is-it-s-what-makes-a-plant-grow-toward-the/)

[Tobias Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-wolff/)

> [The world of rumor and gossip is like a privileged world with which a social scientist or an anthropologist can take the temperature of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-scott/the-world-of-rumor-and-gossip-is-like-a-privileged-world-with-which-a/)

[James C. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-scott/)

> [“Don't let any situation intimidate you anymore, don't accept defeat anymore.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaachynma-n-e-agu/don-t-let-any-situation-intimidate-you-anymore-don-t-accept-defeat/)

[Jaachynma N.E. Agu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaachynma-n-e-agu/)

> [The most important part of our lives-our sensations, emotions, desires, and aspirations-takes place in a universe of illusions which science can attenuate or destroy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wood-krutch/the-most-important-part-of-our-lives-our-sensations-emotions-desires/)

[Joseph Wood Krutch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wood-krutch/)

[Browse all 1,137 Aspiration quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aspiration/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I conceive the essential task of religion to be \"to develop the consciences, the ideals, and the aspirations of mankind\".",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Robert Andrews Millikan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-andrews-millikan/i-conceive-the-essential-task-of-religion-to-be-to-develop-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Aspiration"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-andrews-millikan/i-conceive-the-essential-task-of-religion-to-be-to-develop-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de5/robert-andrews-millikan-21380_aspiration_i-conceive-the-essential-task-of-religio_1506018.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de5/robert-andrews-millikan-21380_aspiration_i-conceive-the-essential-task-of-religio_1506018.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de5/robert-andrews-millikan-21380_aspiration_i-conceive-the-essential-task-of-religio_1506018.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I conceive the essential task of religion to be \"to develop the consciences, the ideals, and the aspirations…” — Robert Andrews Millikan",
                "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": "Robert Andrews Millikan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-andrews-millikan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I conceive the essential task of...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-andrews-millikan/i-conceive-the-essential-task-of-religion-to-be-to-develop-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-andrews-millikan/i-conceive-the-essential-task-of-religion-to-be-to-develop-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```