--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In my old easy-going theism, I had…" description: "\"“In my old easy-going theism, I had regarded Christianity as a sort of fairy tale; and I had neither accepted nor rejected Jesus, since I had never, in..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d88/sheldon-vanauken-19025_christianity_in-my-old-easy-going-theism-i-had-regard_1026459.jpg" --- # In my old easy-going theism, I had regarded Christianity… ![“In my old easy-going theism, I had regarded Christianity as a sort of fairy tale; and I had neither accepted nor rejected Jesus, since I had never, in fact, encountered him. Now I had. The position was not, as I had been comfortably thinking all these months, merely a question of whether I was to…” quote by Sheldon Vanauken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d88/sheldon-vanauken-19025_christianity_in-my-old-easy-going-theism-i-had-regard_1026459.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d88/sheldon-vanauken-19025_christianity_in-my-old-easy-going-theism-i-had-regard_1026459.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d88/sheldon-vanauken-19025_christianity_in-my-old-easy-going-theism-i-had-regard_1026459.jpg) > ““In my old easy-going theism, I had regarded Christianity as a sort of fairy tale; and I had neither accepted nor rejected Jesus, since I had never, in fact, encountered him. Now I had. The position was not, as I had been comfortably thinking all these months, merely a question of whether I was to accept the Messiah or not. It was a question of whether I was to accept Him--or reject>. My God! There was a gap behind me too. Perhaps the leap to acceptance was a horrifying gamble-but what of the leap to rejection? There might be no certainty that Christ was God-but, by God, there was no certainty that He was not. ”” [Sheldon Vanauken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-vanauken/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author describes moving from viewing Christianity as a myth to confronting the existential risk of belief versus disbelief, highlighting the uncertainty inherent in faith decisions. **In simple terms:** He wrestles with faith, unsure of certainty. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty while seeking truth. Themes faith existential doubt spiritual journey risk Mood reflective conflicted Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - prayer - study groups - dialogue with skeptics Key Concepts theology philosophy personal transformation Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to gamble on belief? - How can one live with spiritual uncertainty? A Different Perspective Faith may not resolve all doubts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Certainty Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty-christ-2318976/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Fairy tale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairy-tale/) [Regarded Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regarded-christianity-2318978/) [Reject God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reject-god-262754/) [Rejected Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rejected-jesus-2318975/) [Theism Regarded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theism-regarded-2318977/) ## Related quotes > [ Nothing, indeed, could be more unlike the tone of the \[Patristic\] Fathers, than the cold, passionless, and prudential theology of the eighteenth century; a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-edward-hartpole-lecky/nothing-indeed-could-be-more-unlike-the-tone-of-the-patristic-fathers/) [William Edward Hartpole Lecky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-edward-hartpole-lecky/) > [“Jesus came to the whole nation; Israel as a nation rejected him. 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One of them recognized Jesus for who he was and received him; Jesus promised that when he died he would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-macdonald/these-criminals-represent-us-one-of-them-recognized-jesus-for-who-he/) [James MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-macdonald/) > [“But you did not know that as soon as man rejects miracles, he will at once reject God as well, for man seeks not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/but-you-did-not-know-that-as-soon-as-man-rejects-miracles-he-will-at/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [I want to put on the table, not why 85% of the members of the National Academy of Sciences reject God, I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-want-to-put-on-the-table-not-why-85-of-the-members-of-the-national/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“Some people reject their God given gifts because society makes them feel ashamed when they shine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-reid/some-people-reject-their-god-given-gifts-because-society-makes-them/) [Penny Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-reid/) > [God says "This is what I would love you to be, but I am not going to constrain you. I want it to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/god-says-this-is-what-i-would-love-you-to-be-but-i-am-not-going-to/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [“Those who observe suffering are tempted to reject God; those who experience it often cannot give up on God, their solace and their agony.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/those-who-observe-suffering-are-tempted-to-reject-god-those-who/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [“Whoever reject the gospel of salvation, reject God's grace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/whoever-reject-the-gospel-of-salvation-reject-god-s-grace/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Oh, you knew that your deed would be preserved in books, would reach tghe depths of the ages and the utmost limits of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/oh-you-knew-that-your-deed-would-be-preserved-in-books-would-reach/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“Shall we obey man's law yet reject God's law?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/shall-we-obey-man-s-law-yet-reject-god-s-law/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [There is no broader way to apostasy than to reject God’s sovereignty in all things concerning the revelation of himself and our obedience...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/there-is-no-broader-way-to-apostasy-than-to-reject-god-s-sovereignty/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [“And the price of love, is the free choice to reject it. God did not create us to be robots. He created us with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-e-creasy/and-the-price-of-love-is-the-free-choice-to-reject-it-god-did-not/) [Paul E. Creasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-e-creasy/) > [Life without god is very unsertain epmty,with unreasonablly fear,little wisdom or not at all. people who reject god are the ones who chose to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena/life-without-god-is-very-unsertain-epmty-with-unreasonablly-fear/) [Lena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena/) > [It's a fantastic thing that from moment to the next moment if God were to have stopped for a split second we would disintegrate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/it-s-a-fantastic-thing-that-from-moment-to-the-next-moment-if-god/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) ## More by Sheldon Vanauken > [“At my father's club, sitting before the fire, we had spoken of 'moments made eternity', meaning what are called timeless moments, moments precisely without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-vanauken/at-my-father-s-club-sitting-before-the-fire-we-had-spoken-of-moments/) [Sheldon Vanauken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-vanauken/) > [Art is first a seeing and then a revealing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-vanauken/art-is-first-a-seeing-and-then-a-revealing/) [Sheldon Vanauken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-vanauken/) > [...So Englishmen saw it. 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Afraid to jump, we stand absurd, Then see behind us sink the ground and, worse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-vanauken/between-the-probable-and-proved-there-yawns-a-gap-afraid-to-jump-we/) [Sheldon Vanauken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-vanauken/) > [“What we did see was that jealousy is fear: it can corrode even if quite baseless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-vanauken/what-we-did-see-was-that-jealousy-is-fear-it-can-corrode-even-if/) [Sheldon Vanauken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-vanauken/) > [“C.S. Lewis in his second letter to me at Oxford, asked how it was that I, as a product of a materialistic universe, was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-vanauken/c-s-lewis-in-his-second-letter-to-me-at-oxford-asked-how-it-was-that/) [Sheldon Vanauken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-vanauken/) > [The adult must seem to mislead the child, and the Master the dog. They misread the signs. Their ignorance and their wishes twist everything.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-vanauken/the-adult-must-seem-to-mislead-the-child-and-the-master-the-dog-they/) [Sheldon Vanauken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-vanauken/) > […though I wouldn’t have admitted it, even to myself, I didn’t want God aboard. He was too heavy. I wanted Him approving from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-vanauken/though-i-wouldn-t-have-admitted-it-even-to-myself-i-didn-t-want-god/) [Sheldon Vanauken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-vanauken/) > [“That death, so full of suffering for us both, suffering that still overwhelmed my life, was yet a severe mercy. A mercy as severe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-vanauken/that-death-so-full-of-suffering-for-us-both-suffering-that-still/) [Sheldon Vanauken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-vanauken/) [Explore all 33 Sheldon Vanauken quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-vanauken/) ## More Christianity quotes > [Christianity was never meant to be defined by its disciplines, but by its passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/christianity-was-never-meant-to-be-defined-by-its-disciplines-but-by/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. 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Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) [Browse all 14,385 Christianity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In my old easy-going theism, I had regarded Christianity as a sort of fairy tale; and I had neither accepted nor rejected Jesus, since I had never, in fact, encountered him. Now I had. The position was not, as I had been comfortably thinking all these months, merely a question of whether I was to accept the Messiah or not. It was a question of whether I was to accept Him--or reject>. My God! There was a gap behind me too. Perhaps the leap to acceptance was a horrifying gamble-but what of the leap to rejection? 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