--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There’s only one God—everything else is…" description: "\"“There’s only one God—everything else is metaphor.’ Now, strip away all the metaphors, and what is the one single commandment common to every decent re..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0df/sean-chercover-15822_commandment_there-s-only-one-god-everything-else-is_3210977.jpg" --- # There’s only one God—everything else is metaphor.’ Now… ![“There’s only one God—everything else is metaphor.’ Now, strip away all the metaphors, and what is the one single commandment common to every decent religion ever known?” “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” “Exactly. Every religion in human history has had a variation of it, but…” quote by Sean Chercover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0df/sean-chercover-15822_commandment_there-s-only-one-god-everything-else-is_3210977.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0df/sean-chercover-15822_commandment_there-s-only-one-god-everything-else-is_3210977.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0df/sean-chercover-15822_commandment_there-s-only-one-god-everything-else-is_3210977.jpg) > ““There’s only one God—everything else is metaphor.’ Now, strip away all the metaphors, and what is the one single commandment common to every decent religion ever known?” “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” “Exactly. Every religion in human history has had a variation of it, but why do so few people live by it? Because of all the other crap, because of the metaphors.”” [Sean Chercover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-chercover/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The core moral teaching across religions is the Golden Rule, but people often ignore it due to other doctrines and distractions. **In simple terms:** All religions share the Golden Rule, yet many ignore it. Key Takeaway Practice empathy daily. Themes ethics religion humanity Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - personal relationships - conflict resolution - community building Key Concepts Golden Rule universal morality Questions to Reflect On - How can we make empathy a habit? - What barriers keep us from treating others well? A Different Perspective Human nature often prioritizes self‑interest over altruism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Commandment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commandment/) [Metaphor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/metaphor/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [The religion of the short poem, in every age and in every literature, has a single commandment: Less is always more. The short poem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-simic/the-religion-of-the-short-poem-in-every-age-and-in-every-literature/) [Charles Simic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-simic/) > [I don't expect Christians to see God as a metaphor, but that's what he is. Perhaps it might be clearer to call him a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/i-don-t-expect-christians-to-see-god-as-a-metaphor-but-that-s-what-he/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [Physicists use 'God' as a metaphor more often than other scientists-- especially in popular writing, but in the technical literature as well. Of course,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taner-edis/physicists-use-god-as-a-metaphor-more-often-than-other-scientists/) [Taner Edis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taner-edis/) > [“Remember—there’s only one God, everything else is metaphor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-chercover/remember-there-s-only-one-god-everything-else-is-metaphor/) [Sean Chercover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-chercover/) > [God is a metaphor for that which transcends all levels of intellectual thought. It's as simple as that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/god-is-a-metaphor-for-that-which-transcends-all-levels-of/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [God is a metaphor for that which trancends all levels of intellectual thought. It's as simple as that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/god-is-a-metaphor-for-that-which-trancends-all-levels-of-intellectual/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [A theology whose god is a metaphor is wasting its time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/a-theology-whose-god-is-a-metaphor-is-wasting-its-time/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [“Many Christians, including BioLogos, like to throw out the "you can't take the Bible literally" argument. They think it is the ultimate zinger that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-m-jackson/many-christians-including-biologos-like-to-throw-out-the-you-can-t/) [G.M. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-m-jackson/) > [“Every faith in the world is based on fabrication. That is the definition of faith―acceptance of that which we imagine to be true, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/every-faith-in-the-world-is-based-on-fabrication-that-is-the-2/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [Let us not mock God with metaphor, Analogy, sidestepping, transcendence; Making of the event a parable, a sign painted in the Faded credulity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/let-us-not-mock-god-with-metaphor-analogy-sidestepping-transcendence/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“From The Ghost Wars- on the concept of the Torah as ancient science fiction. “Take the story of the fall of the tower of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-j-davis/from-the-ghost-wars-on-the-concept-of-the-torah-as-ancient-science/) Cole J. Davis > [“I had broken the most basic commandment of our culture: Thou shalt pretend there is nothing wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/i-had-broken-the-most-basic-commandment-of-our-culture-thou-shalt/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) > [Here is your government at work. A congressman from Colorado said he wants to draft a rule that would make it unethical to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/here-is-your-government-at-work-a-congressman-from-colorado-said-he/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [“The leader’s commandment is made up of pledges to solve local and global problems, and not to create more problems to add to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/the-leader-s-commandment-is-made-up-of-pledges-to-solve-local-and/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“Eve is a figure for the soul that each human should love. The commandment to be fruitful and multiply did not originally refer to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-greenblatt/eve-is-a-figure-for-the-soul-that-each-human-should-love-the/) [Stephen Greenblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-greenblatt/) ## More by Sean Chercover > [“Throughout history, the men competing to shape the future had collected lost sheep to use as pawns in their game, cannon fodder in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-chercover/throughout-history-the-men-competing-to-shape-the-future-had/) [Sean Chercover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-chercover/) > [“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. It was the third of Arthur C. Clarke’s three laws of prediction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-chercover/any-sufficiently-advanced-technology-is-indistinguishable-from-magic/) [Sean Chercover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-chercover/) > [“And truthfully, when microbiologists talk amongst ourselves, off the record after a few glasses of wine, the optimists admit their optimism is more wishful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-chercover/and-truthfully-when-microbiologists-talk-amongst-ourselves-off-the/) [Sean Chercover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-chercover/) > [“Man plans and God laughs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-chercover/man-plans-and-god-laughs/) [Sean Chercover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-chercover/) > [“many people, not just Americans, make the mistake of taking it neat. He explained how Scotch is made, saying, ‘Fer heaven’s sake, we add…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-chercover/many-people-not-just-americans-make-the-mistake-of-taking-it-neat-he/) [Sean Chercover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-chercover/) > [“there’s three sides to every story: yours, mine, and the truth. I can only give you mine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-chercover/there-s-three-sides-to-every-story-yours-mine-and-the-truth-i-can/) [Sean Chercover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-chercover/) > [“productivity meetings were just about the least productive thing ever devised by middle management, and that was saying plenty. Those corporate frat boys were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-chercover/productivity-meetings-were-just-about-the-least-productive-thing-ever/) [Sean Chercover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-chercover/) > [“how he hated the word “homeland”; it sounded just one step shy of “fatherland”—”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-chercover/how-he-hated-the-word-homeland-it-sounded-just-one-step-shy-of/) [Sean Chercover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-chercover/) > [“that’s what religion is. A philosophy of coping. It may bring comfort to the dispossessed, but comfort isn’t good for the dispossessed. The dispossessed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-chercover/that-s-what-religion-is-a-philosophy-of-coping-it-may-bring-comfort/) [Sean Chercover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-chercover/) > [“To beat your enemy, you must understand what your enemy wants.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-chercover/to-beat-your-enemy-you-must-understand-what-your-enemy-wants/) [Sean Chercover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-chercover/) > [“But you better know now, it’s the way of life. Everything you love goes away in the end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-chercover/but-you-better-know-now-it-s-the-way-of-life-everything-you-love-goes/) [Sean Chercover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-chercover/) > [“All that human energy, wasted, in response to the simple fact that we know we are going to die, and we don't know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-chercover/all-that-human-energy-wasted-in-response-to-the-simple-fact-that-we/) [Sean Chercover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-chercover/) > [“A dog doesn’t understand mathematics, but that doesn’t mean mathematics doesn’t exist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-chercover/a-dog-doesn-t-understand-mathematics-but-that-doesn-t-mean/) [Sean Chercover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-chercover/) > [“Correlation does not imply causation,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-chercover/correlation-does-not-imply-causation/) [Sean Chercover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-chercover/) > [“there’s gonna be a riot before this thing is over. A riot, or worse. Folks don’t realize how fragile the social order is, I’m…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-chercover/there-s-gonna-be-a-riot-before-this-thing-is-over-a-riot-or-worse/) [Sean Chercover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-chercover/) [Explore all 42 Sean Chercover quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-chercover/) ## More Commandment quotes > [“Eve is a figure for the soul that each human should love. The commandment to be fruitful and multiply did not originally refer to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-greenblatt/eve-is-a-figure-for-the-soul-that-each-human-should-love-the/) [Stephen Greenblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-greenblatt/) > [“The leader’s commandment is made up of pledges to solve local and global problems, and not to create more problems to add to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/the-leader-s-commandment-is-made-up-of-pledges-to-solve-local-and/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Here is your government at work. A congressman from Colorado said he wants to draft a rule that would make it unethical to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/here-is-your-government-at-work-a-congressman-from-colorado-said-he/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [“I had broken the most basic commandment of our culture: Thou shalt pretend there is nothing wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/i-had-broken-the-most-basic-commandment-of-our-culture-thou-shalt/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) > [But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-morell/but-take-diligent-heed-to-do-the-commandment-and-the-law-which-moses/) Thomas Morell > [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/) > [The second commandment that Jesus referred to was not to love others instead of ourselves, but to love them as ourselves. Before we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-warner/the-second-commandment-that-jesus-referred-to-was-not-to-love-others/) Jim Warner > [“The eleventh commandment of art: thou shalt not be boring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-m-driscoll/the-eleventh-commandment-of-art-thou-shalt-not-be-boring/) [W.M. Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-m-driscoll/) > [“128. Matthew 22:36-37 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-jackson/128-matthew-22-36-37-love-the-lord-your-god-with-all-your-heart-and/) Lois Jackson > [Righteous marriage is a commandment and an essential step in the process of creating a loving family relationship that can be perpetuated beyond the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-bednar/righteous-marriage-is-a-commandment-and-an-essential-step-in-the/) [David A. Bednar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-bednar/) > [“It is highly significant, perplexing to say the least, that we have been bound for thousands of years to a commandment that hardly anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller-the-drama-of-the-gifted-child/it-is-highly-significant-perplexing-to-say-the-least-that-we-have/) [Alice MIller, The Drama of the gifted child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller-the-drama-of-the-gifted-child/) > [Loving your neighbour as much as yourself is practically bloody impossible? You might as well have a commandment that states,'Thou shalt fly'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/loving-your-neighbour-as-much-as-yourself-is-practically-bloody/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [Now we must remark, that there are two parts in the Commandment-the first forbids the erection of a graven image, or any likeness; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/now-we-must-remark-that-there-are-two-parts-in-the-commandment-the/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [Your very eyes. How they have always been for me the command to obey, the inviolable and beautiful commandment. No, no, I'm not telling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-walser/your-very-eyes-how-they-have-always-been-for-me-the-command-to-obey/) [Robert Walser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-walser/) > [“Superficially, the Fourth Commandment can be regarded as a kind of life insurance for old people, which was perhaps necessary in biblical times but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller-the-drama-of-the-gifted-child/superficially-the-fourth-commandment-can-be-regarded-as-a-kind-of/) [Alice MIller, The Drama of the gifted child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller-the-drama-of-the-gifted-child/) [Browse all 211 Commandment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commandment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There’s only one God—everything else is metaphor.’ Now, strip away all the metaphors, and what is the one single commandment common to every decent religion ever known?” “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” “Exactly. 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