---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What people need to see is this openness…"
description: "\"What people need to see is this openness, not this church that is so built on structure and religious order that you can't be free and worship God and ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a7/robert-hood-29289_built_what-people-need-to-see-is-this-openness_1533031.jpg"
---

#  What people need to see is this openness, not this church…

![“What people need to see is this openness, not this church that is so built on structure and religious order that you can't be free and worship God and have a good time because we're so caught up in condemnation, 'I can't say this I can't wear this I can't do this because of this perception of what…” quote by Robert Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a7/robert-hood-29289_built_what-people-need-to-see-is-this-openness_1533031.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a7/robert-hood-29289_built_what-people-need-to-see-is-this-openness_1533031.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a7/robert-hood-29289_built_what-people-need-to-see-is-this-openness_1533031.jpg)

> “What people need to see is this openness, not this church that is so built on structure and religious order that you can't be free and worship God and have a good time because we're so caught up in condemnation, 'I can't say this I can't wear this I can't do this because of this perception of what a Christian is and is not'. It's not about that. God says 'come as you are'.”

[Robert Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hood/)

## About This Quote

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

True spiritual freedom lies in openness and acceptance, rejecting rigid structures that limit worship and enjoyment; God invites people as they are.

**In simple terms:** God wants people to be accepted as they are, without strict rules.

Key Takeaway

Practice inclusive, non‑judgmental worship.

Themes

religion freedom inclusion acceptance identity

Mood

hopeful inspirational

Type

theological motivational

When to use this quote

- church services
- interfaith dialogues
- personal spiritual practice

Key Concepts

unconditional love personal authenticity community building

Questions to Reflect On

- What structures limit genuine worship?
- How can churches balance tradition with openness?

A Different Perspective

May overlook the need for moral boundaries.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Built](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/built/) [Caught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caught/) [Caught up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caught-up/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Condemnation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/condemnation/) [Free Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-worship-1754468/) [Good times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-times/) [Having a good time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-a-good-time/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Need Openness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-openness-275535/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Openness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/openness/) [Openness Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/openness-church-5691354/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Perception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perception/) [Perception Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perception-christian-5068107/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Structure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/structure/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship/) [Worship god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship-god/)

## Related quotes

> [I've been a Christian for a long time, and I think that Christianity gets a bad rap. I think that people's perception of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andie-macdowell/i-ve-been-a-christian-for-a-long-time-and-i-think-that-christianity/)

[Andie MacDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andie-macdowell/)

> [If greater openness is a key to economic success, I believe there is increasingly a need for openness in the political sphere as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-wolfowitz/if-greater-openness-is-a-key-to-economic-success-i-believe-there-is/)

[Paul Wolfowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-wolfowitz/)

> [“You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to have it all figured out. You only need to show up — with openness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margarita-sekulova-affirmations-a-guide-to-manifest-better-life/you-don-t-have-to-be-perfect-you-don-t-have-to-have-it-all-figured/)

[Margarita Sekulova, Affirmations: A Guide to Manifest Better Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margarita-sekulova-affirmations-a-guide-to-manifest-better-life/)

> [...you need openness and inability to do anything other than get to the point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/you-need-openness-and-inability-to-do-anything-other-than-get-to-the/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [Human beings are free to worship anyone or anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahesh-bhatt/human-beings-are-free-to-worship-anyone-or-anything/)

[Mahesh Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahesh-bhatt/)

> [Brother, you can believe in stones, as long as you don't throw them at me. You are free to worship whoever you want, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wafa-sultan/brother-you-can-believe-in-stones-as-long-as-you-don-t-throw-them-at/)

[Wafa Sultan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wafa-sultan/)

> [ It \[freedom\] is a thing of the spirit. Men must be free to worship, to think, to hold opinions, to speak without fear. They… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/it-freedom-is-a-thing-of-the-spirit-men-must-be-free-to-worship-to/)

[Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/)

> [“Only when people are free to worship, create, and build, only when they can decide their destiny and benefit from their own risks—only then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kengor/only-when-people-are-free-to-worship-create-and-build-only-when-they/)

[Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kengor/)

> [I have a great respect for the flag, (but) if the government passed a law saying that I had to pledge allegiance to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/i-have-a-great-respect-for-the-flag-but-if-the-government-passed-a/)

[Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/)

> [“The mind, stretched to new dimensions by images, thoughts and ideas, can never return to its former shape.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-luedke/the-mind-stretched-to-new-dimensions-by-images-thoughts-and-ideas-can/)

[Travis Luedke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-luedke/)

> [A father may turn his back on his child, brothers and sisters may become inveterate enemies, husbands may desert their wives, wives their husbands.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/a-father-may-turn-his-back-on-his-child-brothers-and-sisters-may/)

[Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/)

> [If it is not strong upon your heart to practice what you read, to what end do you read? To increase your own condemnation?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/if-it-is-not-strong-upon-your-heart-to-practice-what-you-read-to-what/)

[Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/)

> [Bring everything up to the surface. Accept your humanity, your animality. Whatsoever is there, accept it without any condemnation. Acceptance is transformation, because through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/bring-everything-up-to-the-surface-accept-your-humanity-your/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [“Author describes that a failed sea captain, "vacillated miserably between self-recrimination and defensiveness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wheelan/author-describes-that-a-failed-sea-captain-vacillated-miserably/)

[Joseph Wheelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wheelan/)

> [“Jesus came to give his righteousness not to condemn the unrighteous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-canoza/jesus-came-to-give-his-righteousness-not-to-condemn-the-unrighteous/)

[Mac Canoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-canoza/)

## More by Robert Hood

> [What we need to do from God's perspective is that we need to reach out and understand each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hood/what-we-need-to-do-from-god-s-perspective-is-that-we-need-to-reach/)

[Robert Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hood/)

> [It's about reaching as many souls as I can through techno, speaking God's truth and his gospel to as many ears as I can,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hood/it-s-about-reaching-as-many-souls-as-i-can-through-techno-speaking/)

[Robert Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hood/)

> [That feeling of hopelessness and racism has been looming over Detroit ever since I was a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hood/that-feeling-of-hopelessness-and-racism-has-been-looming-over-detroit/)

[Robert Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hood/)

> [Just the same as I mix each track to connect them together to build a story, it's the same with the message, each scripture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hood/just-the-same-as-i-mix-each-track-to-connect-them-together-to-build-a/)

[Robert Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hood/)

> [I'm not there to impose my religious beliefs on anybody, or say 'this is the only way you should think'. It's up to you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hood/i-m-not-there-to-impose-my-religious-beliefs-on-anybody-or-say-this/)

[Robert Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hood/)

> [Christianity and the Holy Spirit is not just for a special group of people, it's for all of us. That's when I really began…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hood/christianity-and-the-holy-spirit-is-not-just-for-a-special-group-of/)

[Robert Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hood/)

> [The church is so big on law but not on the love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hood/the-church-is-so-big-on-law-but-not-on-the-love/)

[Robert Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hood/)

> [I live in rural Alabama, and it's very conservative. I've had one guy say 'you can't be a minister and a DJ at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hood/i-live-in-rural-alabama-and-it-s-very-conservative-i-ve-had-one-guy/)

[Robert Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hood/)

> [The message has to go to the streets, it's imperative that we reach those who may not get to a church. We receive their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hood/the-message-has-to-go-to-the-streets-it-s-imperative-that-we-reach/)

[Robert Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hood/)

> [Abortion and gay marriage are the political hot-buttons of the day. There are lot of things going wrong in the world, hate is running…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hood/abortion-and-gay-marriage-are-the-political-hot-buttons-of-the-day/)

[Robert Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hood/)

> [Spirituality and the secular world are not that far apart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hood/spirituality-and-the-secular-world-are-not-that-far-apart/)

[Robert Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hood/)

> [When there's fear people act out in desperate ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hood/when-there-s-fear-people-act-out-in-desperate-ways/)

[Robert Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hood/)

> [I ask God in spirit and in truth 'what are we?'. It's the questions first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hood/i-ask-god-in-spirit-and-in-truth-what-are-we-it-s-the-questions-first/)

[Robert Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hood/)

> [Jesus is all about inclusion not exclusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hood/jesus-is-all-about-inclusion-not-exclusion/)

[Robert Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hood/)

> [We're connected to God through faith and Satan through fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hood/we-re-connected-to-god-through-faith-and-satan-through-fear/)

[Robert Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hood/)

[Explore all 18 Robert Hood quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hood/)

## More Built quotes

> [It's really fun and challenging to build things that have never been built before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mason/it-s-really-fun-and-challenging-to-build-things-that-have-never-been/)

[Hilary Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mason/)

> [Astronomers have built telescopes which can show myriads of stars unseen before; but when a man looks through a tear in his own eye,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/astronomers-have-built-telescopes-which-can-show-myriads-of-stars/)

[Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/)

> [So I concentrated on the rhythmic side of things, and therefore left a lot of holes. I didn't want to use big pad chords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/midge-ure/so-i-concentrated-on-the-rhythmic-side-of-things-and-therefore-left-a/)

[Midge Ure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/midge-ure/)

> [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/)

[Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/)

> [Most startups are not just built for the person who is using them. When you do that, every now and then you get really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmett-shear/most-startups-are-not-just-built-for-the-person-who-is-using-them/)

[Emmett Shear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmett-shear/)

> [Call me the rap assassinator / rhymes rugged and built like Schwarzenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raekwon/call-me-the-rap-assassinator-rhymes-rugged-and-built-like/)

[Raekwon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raekwon/)

> [Do we make ourselves into what we become or is it built into our genes, into the fate spun for us by whatever shapes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/do-we-make-ourselves-into-what-we-become-or-is-it-built-into-our/)

[Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/)

> [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/)

[Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/)

> [The dark ages still reign over all humanity, and the depth and persistence of this domination are only now becoming clear. This Dark Ages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/the-dark-ages-still-reign-over-all-humanity-and-the-depth-and/)

[R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/)

> [God and I have built an immense fire together. We keep each other happy and warm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hafez/god-and-i-have-built-an-immense-fire-together-we-keep-each-other/)

[Hafez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hafez/)

> [When we built Roomba, we explicitly designed it to not have a face. We didn't want to think it was cute; we wanted people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-angle/when-we-built-roomba-we-explicitly-designed-it-to-not-have-a-face-we/)

[Colin Angle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-angle/)

> [Winning a competition in architecture is a ticket to oblivion. It's just an idea. Ninety-nine per cent never get built](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-libeskind/winning-a-competition-in-architecture-is-a-ticket-to-oblivion-it-s/)

[Daniel Libeskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-libeskind/)

> [Good churches are not built by bad men; at least, there must be probity and enthusiasm somewhere in the society. These minsters were neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/good-churches-are-not-built-by-bad-men-at-least-there-must-be-probity/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [Mostly what I'm focused on is finding people who are younger who haven't built companies before but have a good idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hughes/mostly-what-i-m-focused-on-is-finding-people-who-are-younger-who/)

[Chris Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hughes/)

> [“Imagine what I could have done in ten years. I could have learned to speak Japanese. I could have played every RPG video game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/imagine-what-i-could-have-done-in-ten-years-i-could-have-learned-to/)

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

[Browse all 3,164 Built quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/built/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "What people need to see is this openness, not this church that is so built on structure and religious order that you can't be free and worship God and have a good time because we're so caught up in condemnation, 'I can't say this I can't wear this I can't do this because of this perception of what a Christian is and is not'. It's not about that. God says 'come as you are'.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Robert Hood"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hood/what-people-need-to-see-is-this-openness-not-this-church-that-is-so/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Built"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hood/what-people-need-to-see-is-this-openness-not-this-church-that-is-so/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a7/robert-hood-29289_built_what-people-need-to-see-is-this-openness_1533031.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a7/robert-hood-29289_built_what-people-need-to-see-is-this-openness_1533031.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a7/robert-hood-29289_built_what-people-need-to-see-is-this-openness_1533031.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“What people need to see is this openness, not this church that is so built on structure and religious order…” — Robert Hood",
                "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 Hood",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hood/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "What people need to see is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hood/what-people-need-to-see-is-this-openness-not-this-church-that-is-so/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hood/what-people-need-to-see-is-this-openness-not-this-church-that-is-so/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
