---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We rely on faith only in the context of…"
description: "\"We rely on faith only in the context of claims for which there is no sufficient sensory or logical evidence.\" — Sam Harris"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08e/sam-harris-457_atheism_we-rely-on-faith-only-in-the-context-of_2079824.jpg"
---

#  We rely on faith only in the context of claims for which…

![“We rely on faith only in the context of claims for which there is no sufficient sensory or logical evidence.” quote by Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08e/sam-harris-457_atheism_we-rely-on-faith-only-in-the-context-of_2079824.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08e/sam-harris-457_atheism_we-rely-on-faith-only-in-the-context-of_2079824.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08e/sam-harris-457_atheism_we-rely-on-faith-only-in-the-context-of_2079824.jpg)

> “We rely on faith only in the context of claims for which there is no sufficient sensory or logical evidence.”

[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.

Faith is justified only when evidence is lacking; otherwise reason should guide belief.

**In simple terms:** Faith fills gaps where evidence is absent.

Key Takeaway

Use evidence when possible, trust faith only when necessary.

Themes

faith reason evidence belief

Mood

thoughtful analytical

Type

philosophical reflective

When to use this quote

- making decisions under uncertainty
- discussing religion
- evaluating claims
- personal belief formation

Key Concepts

Epistemology skepticism cognitive bias

Questions to Reflect On

- When do you rely on faith versus evidence?
- How does uncertainty affect your belief choices?

A Different Perspective

Faith may hinder critical thinking when over-relied upon.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Atheist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheist/) [Claims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/claims/) [Evidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evidence/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Faith Context](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith-context-4057194/) [Logical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logical/) [Logical Evidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logical-evidence-4057195/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Rely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rely/) [Rely Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rely-faith-1499954/)

## Related quotes

> [The more you delve into science, the more it appears to rely on faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/the-more-you-delve-into-science-the-more-it-appears-to-rely-on-faith/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [“couldn’t give two fucks about what you want. So I rely on faith. Faith that I’ll make it through this and find”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corinne-michaels/couldn-t-give-two-fucks-about-what-you-want-so-i-rely-on-faith-faith/)

[Corinne Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corinne-michaels/)

> [Too often today, we do not rely on faith so much as on our own ability to reason and solve problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-b-wirthlin/too-often-today-we-do-not-rely-on-faith-so-much-as-on-our-own-ability/)

[Joseph B. Wirthlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-b-wirthlin/)

> [“You’d have to trust in Hope,” said Fern. “Is that it?” No,” Ragginbone replied shortly. “Hope needs something tangible to sustain it. You would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-siegel/you-d-have-to-trust-in-hope-said-fern-is-that-it-no-ragginbone/)

[Jan Siegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-siegel/)

> [“But like most actions that rely on faith, it still took plenty of our own muscle and ingenuity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-lende/but-like-most-actions-that-rely-on-faith-it-still-took-plenty-of-our/)

[Heather Lende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-lende/)

> [If we rely on anything else besides faith to maintain the practice of the presence of God, we will certainly fail, whether this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/if-we-rely-on-anything-else-besides-faith-to-maintain-the-practice-of/)

[Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/)

> [When I rely on my faith, I know God wants to reward and bless me but not because of some great act that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torii-hunter/when-i-rely-on-my-faith-i-know-god-wants-to-reward-and-bless-me-but/)

[Torii Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torii-hunter/)

> [“Well, you have to accept this.Check it out.You know how when someone dies, people are all sad and stuff?" "Yeah?" "Well,why are they sad?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-marks/well-you-have-to-accept-this-check-it-out-you-know-how-when-someone/)

[Daniel Marks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-marks/)

> [If one's cause is supported by sound reasoning, there is no point in using violence. It is those who have no motive other than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/if-one-s-cause-is-supported-by-sound-reasoning-there-is-no-point-in/)

[Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/)

> [Things may not be logical or fair, but when God is directing the events of our lives, they are right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luci-swindoll/things-may-not-be-logical-or-fair-but-when-god-is-directing-the/)

[Luci Swindoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luci-swindoll/)

> [If someone doesn’t value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide that proves they should value evidence. If someone doesn’t value logic, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/if-someone-doesn-t-value-evidence-what-evidence-are-you-going-to/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [Water is two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. What if someone says, “Well, that’s not how I choose to think about water.”? All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/water-is-two-parts-hydrogen-and-one-part-oxygen-what-if-someone-says/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [If one doesn't value logic, what logical argument would you invoke to prove they should value logic?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/if-one-doesn-t-value-logic-what-logical-argument-would-you-invoke-to/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [Someone once said that if you sat a million monkeys at a million typewriters for a million years, one of them would eventually type…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/someone-once-said-that-if-you-sat-a-million-monkeys-at-a-million/)

[Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/)

> [Advance warning of Katrina's path was wrested from mute Nature by meteorological calculations and satellite imagery. God told no one of His plans. Had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/advance-warning-of-katrina-s-path-was-wrested-from-mute-nature-by/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

## 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 Atheism quotes

> [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/)

[Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/)

> [“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/)

> [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/)

[Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/)

> [No philosophy, no religion, has ever brought so glad a message to the world as this good news of Atheism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-besant/no-philosophy-no-religion-has-ever-brought-so-glad-a-message-to-the/)

[Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-besant/)

> [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/)

[John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/)

> [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/)

[Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/)

> [God speaks through me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/god-speaks-through-me/)

[George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/)

> [A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestations of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/a-knowledge-of-the-existence-of-something-we-cannot-penetrate-of-the/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [You cannot ... transmute some incoherent mixture of words into sense merely by introducing the three-letter word "God" to be its grammatical subject.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-flew/you-cannot-transmute-some-incoherent-mixture-of-words-into-sense/)

[Antony Flew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-flew/)

> [Many humanists have argued that happiness involves a combination of hedonism and creative moral development; that an exuberant life fuses excellence and enjoyment, meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/many-humanists-have-argued-that-happiness-involves-a-combination-of/)

[Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/)

> [If, with all the time at my disposal, with all the wealth of the resources of this vast universe, to do with as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/if-with-all-the-time-at-my-disposal-with-all-the-wealth-of-the/)

[Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/)

> [Do you think that was kind? Do you think it was godlike? What would you think of a physician, if a woman came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-h-gardener/do-you-think-that-was-kind-do-you-think-it-was-godlike-what-would-you/)

[Helen H. Gardener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-h-gardener/)

> [Science can destroy religion by ignoring it as well as by disproving its tenets. No one ever demonstrated, so far as I am aware,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/science-can-destroy-religion-by-ignoring-it-as-well-as-by-disproving/)

[Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/)

> [Honest investigation is utterly impossible within the pale of any church, for the reason, that if you think the church is right you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/honest-investigation-is-utterly-impossible-within-the-pale-of-any/)

[Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/)

[Browse all 4,769 Atheism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "We rely on faith only in the context of claims for which there is no sufficient sensory or logical evidence.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sam Harris"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/we-rely-on-faith-only-in-the-context-of-claims-for-which-there-is-no/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Atheism"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/we-rely-on-faith-only-in-the-context-of-claims-for-which-there-is-no/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08e/sam-harris-457_atheism_we-rely-on-faith-only-in-the-context-of_2079824.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08e/sam-harris-457_atheism_we-rely-on-faith-only-in-the-context-of_2079824.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08e/sam-harris-457_atheism_we-rely-on-faith-only-in-the-context-of_2079824.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We rely on faith only in the context of claims for which there is no sufficient sensory or logical evidence.” — Sam Harris",
                "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": "Sam Harris",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "We rely on faith only in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/we-rely-on-faith-only-in-the-context-of-claims-for-which-there-is-no/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/we-rely-on-faith-only-in-the-context-of-claims-for-which-there-is-no/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
