--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is not to say that the deepest…" description: "\"“This is not to say that the deepest concerns of the faithful, whether moderate or extreme, are trivial or misguided. There is no denying that most of ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/574/sam-harris-457_human-life_this-is-not-to-say-that-the-deepest-conc_1257637.jpg" --- # This is not to say that the deepest concerns of the… ![“This is not to say that the deepest concerns of the faithful, whether moderate or extreme, are trivial or misguided. There is no denying that most of us have emotional and spiritual needs that are now addressed—however obliquely and at a terrible price—by mainstream religion. And these are needs…” quote by Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/574/sam-harris-457_human-life_this-is-not-to-say-that-the-deepest-conc_1257637.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/574/sam-harris-457_human-life_this-is-not-to-say-that-the-deepest-conc_1257637.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/574/sam-harris-457_human-life_this-is-not-to-say-that-the-deepest-conc_1257637.jpg) > ““This is not to say that the deepest concerns of the faithful, whether moderate or extreme, are trivial or misguided. There is no denying that most of us have emotional and spiritual needs that are now addressed—however obliquely and at a terrible price—by mainstream religion. And these are needs that a mere understanding of our world, scientific or otherwise, will never fulfill. There is clearly a sacred dimension to our existence, and coming to terms with it could well be the highest purpose of human life. But we will find that it requires no faith in untestable propositions—Jesus was born of a virgin; the Koran is the word of God—for us to do this.”” [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human beings have deep spiritual needs that science alone cannot satisfy, suggesting a sacred aspect to life that can be explored without religious dogma. **In simple terms:** Spiritual needs need more than science, but can be met without faith. Key Takeaway Seek meaning beyond doctrine. Themes spirituality meaning human purpose religion critique Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - personal reflection - philosophical inquiry - interfaith dialogue - mental health - ethical decision making Key Concepts existentialism secular humanism sacredness Questions to Reflect On - How can we nurture spiritual fulfillment without doctrine? - What practices can replace religious rituals? A Different Perspective Religious faith can provide community and comfort that secular approaches may lack. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Concerns Faithful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concerns-faithful-3986695/) [Human life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-life/) [Mainstream Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mainstream-religion-2754120/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religion Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-needs-491838/) [Requires Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/requires-faith-767458/) [Spiritual Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual-needs-716480/) ## Related quotes > [The scientists who attack mainstream religion, rather than striving for peaceful coexistence with it, damage science, and also weaken the fight against fundamentalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/the-scientists-who-attack-mainstream-religion-rather-than-striving/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [All the sobriety which' religion needs or requires is that which real earnestness produces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/all-the-sobriety-which-religion-needs-or-requires-is-that-which-real/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [Religion needs science to keep it away from superstition and keep it close to reality, to protect it from creationism, which at the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-consolmagno/religion-needs-science-to-keep-it-away-from-superstition-and-keep-it/) [Guy Consolmagno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-consolmagno/) > [The world is not religious because religion is imposed upon us. The parents are in a hurry to impose; the church, the state, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/the-world-is-not-religious-because-religion-is-imposed-upon-us-the/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [The Christian religion is only for one who needs infinite help, therefore only for one who feels an infinite need. The whole planet cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-wittgenstein/the-christian-religion-is-only-for-one-who-needs-infinite-help/) [Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-wittgenstein/) > [That cannot be a true religion which needs carnal weapons to uphold it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-williams/that-cannot-be-a-true-religion-which-needs-carnal-weapons-to-uphold-it/) [Roger Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-williams/) > [Religion needs a baptism of horse sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/religion-needs-a-baptism-of-horse-sense/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) > [Christ's religion needs no prop of any kind from any worldly source, and to the degree that it is thus supported is a millstone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-truett/christ-s-religion-needs-no-prop-of-any-kind-from-any-worldly-source/) [George W Truett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-truett/) > [Jesus has given me ample resources to meet the spiritual needs of others because He has given me Himself and He has give me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-graham-lotz/jesus-has-given-me-ample-resources-to-meet-the-spiritual-needs-of/) [Anne Graham Lotz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-graham-lotz/) > [Christian, n.: one who believes that the New Testament is a divinely inspired book admirably suited to the spiritual needs of his neighbor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/christian-n-one-who-believes-that-the-new-testament-is-a-divinely/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [HOMILETICS, n. The science of adapting sermons to the spiritual needs, capacities and conditions of the congregation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/homiletics-n-the-science-of-adapting-sermons-to-the-spiritual-needs/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [“We are so blind that we run to God with physical ailments and needs, but for illnesses of the soul we run away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/we-are-so-blind-that-we-run-to-god-with-physical-ailments-and-needs/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“By faith, we understand that we are just like the children of Israel. Whatever our needs are, the Eternal God is our source. God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-haddon-spurgeon/by-faith-we-understand-that-we-are-just-like-the-children-of-israel/) [Charles Haddon Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-haddon-spurgeon/) > [“If we care for our spiritual needs, we shall find strength for any other well-being.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/if-we-care-for-our-spiritual-needs-we-shall-find-strength-for-any/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [All religions upon the earth are necessary because there are people who need what they teach. ... Each church fulfills spiritual needs that perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-eadie/all-religions-upon-the-earth-are-necessary-because-there-are-people/) [Betty Eadie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-eadie/) ## More by Sam Harris > [“Moderates in every faith are obliged to loosely interpret (or simply ignore) much of their canons in the interests of living in the modern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/moderates-in-every-faith-are-obliged-to-loosely-interpret-or-simply/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [There is no question but that nominally religious scientists like Francis Collins and Kenneth R. Miller are doing lasting harm to our discourse by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/there-is-no-question-but-that-nominally-religious-scientists-like/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [We have Christians against Muslims against Jews, and no matter how liberal your theology, merely identifying yourself as a Christian or a Jew lends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/we-have-christians-against-muslims-against-jews-and-no-matter-how/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“Your principal concern appears to be that the Creator of the universe will take offense at something people do while naked. This prudery of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/your-principal-concern-appears-to-be-that-the-creator-of-the-universe/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“As manuals for contemplative understanding, the Bible and the Koran are worse than useless. Whatever wisdom can be found in their pages is never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/as-manuals-for-contemplative-understanding-the-bible-and-the-koran/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [About 120 million of us place the big bang 2,500 years after the Babylonians and Sumerians learned to brew beer. If our polls are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/about-120-million-of-us-place-the-big-bang-2-500-years-after-the/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“If your golf instructor were to insist that you shave your head, sleep no more than four hours each night, renounce sex, and subsist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/if-your-golf-instructor-were-to-insist-that-you-shave-your-head-sleep/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [The fact that one can lose one's sense of self in an ocean of tranquility does not mean that one's consciousness is immaterial or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-fact-that-one-can-lose-one-s-sense-of-self-in-an-ocean-of/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [The second commandment is "Thou shall not construct any graven images." Is this really the pinnacle of what we can achieve morally? The second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-second-commandment-is-thou-shall-not-construct-any-graven-images/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“But the reality of consciousness appears irreducible. Only consciousness can know itself—and directly, through first-person experience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/but-the-reality-of-consciousness-appears-irreducible-only/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“Whether or not one likes Huntington's formulation, one thing is clear: the evil that has finally reached our shores is not merely the evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/whether-or-not-one-likes-huntington-s-formulation-one-thing-is-clear/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [The problem is that religion tends to give people bad reasons to be good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-problem-is-that-religion-tends-to-give-people-bad-reasons-to-be/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [Muslim moderates, wherever they are, must be given every tool necessary to win a war of ideas with their co-religionists. Otherwise, we will have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/muslim-moderates-wherever-they-are-must-be-given-every-tool-necessary/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [The idea that any one of our religions represents the infallible word of the One True God requires an encyclopedic ignorance of history, mythology,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-idea-that-any-one-of-our-religions-represents-the-infallible-word/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“What could possibly cause billions of human beings to reconsider their religious beliefs? And yet, it is obvious that an utter revolution in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/what-could-possibly-cause-billions-of-human-beings-to-reconsider/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) [Explore all 543 Sam Harris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) ## More Human life quotes > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Conception is the beginning of human life. From the time that an ovum is fertilized a new life begins that is neither that of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declaration-on-procured-abortion-congregation-for-the-doctrine-of-the-faith-1974/conception-is-the-beginning-of-human-life-from-the-time-that-an-ovum/) [Declaration on Procured Abortion Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 1974](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declaration-on-procured-abortion-congregation-for-the-doctrine-of-the-faith-1974/) > [To hurry through the rise and fall of a fine, full sentence is like defying the role of time in human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clark/to-hurry-through-the-rise-and-fall-of-a-fine-full-sentence-is-like/) [Kenneth Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clark/) > [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Art is not a pleasure, a solace, or an amusement; art is great matter. Art is an organ of human life, transmitting man's reasonable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/art-is-not-a-pleasure-a-solace-or-an-amusement-art-is-great-matter/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I free slaves because I believe we are all created equal. I just can't think of anything that has a higher purpose than putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-williams/i-free-slaves-because-i-believe-we-are-all-created-equal-i-just-can-t/) [Virginia Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-williams/) > [Human life consists of doing certain things ... to take part in the life of the community; to be able to talk about subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/human-life-consists-of-doing-certain-things-to-take-part-in-the-life/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [There seems to be a kind of order in the universe…in the movement of the stars and the turning of the Earth and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/there-seems-to-be-a-kind-of-order-in-the-universe-in-the-movement-of/) [Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/) > [I think we are not spend our life as it pick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ankit-narwal/i-think-we-are-not-spend-our-life-as-it-pick/) [ANKIT NARWAL](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ankit-narwal/) > [“Whenever I think about ancient cultures nostalgia seizes me. Perhaps this is nothing but envy of the sweet slowness of the history of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/whenever-i-think-about-ancient-cultures-nostalgia-seizes-me-perhaps/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [To all conservative women out there: If you are so sure the embryo needed for stem cell research are precious human life that can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/to-all-conservative-women-out-there-if-you-are-so-sure-the-embryo/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [Anyone who thinks science is trying to make human life easier or more pleasant is utterly mistaken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/anyone-who-thinks-science-is-trying-to-make-human-life-easier-or-more/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Human life is created in God's image, and that makes it sacred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-s-smith/human-life-is-created-in-god-s-image-and-that-makes-it-sacred/) [Colin S. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-s-smith/) > [“You finally fell in love, I see,” said Salo. “Only an Earthling year ago,” said Constant. “It took us that long to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-finally-fell-in-love-i-see-said-salo-only-an-earthling-year-ago/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [In these years we are witnessing the gigantic spectacle of innumerable human lives wandering about lost in their own labyrinths, through not having anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ortega-y-gasset/in-these-years-we-are-witnessing-the-gigantic-spectacle-of/) [Jose Ortega y Gasset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ortega-y-gasset/) [Browse all 2,309 Human life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“This is not to say that the deepest concerns of the faithful, whether moderate or extreme, are trivial or misguided. 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