--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...so profound an insight into God that…" description: "\"“...so profound an insight into God that for a century and a half he was branded a dangerous atheist...”\" — Stephen Mitchell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/750/stephen-mitchell-16811_god_so-profound-an-insight-into-god-that-for_1793021.png" --- # ...so profound an insight into God that for a century and… ![“...so profound an insight into God that for a century and a half he was branded a dangerous atheist...” quote by Stephen Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/750/stephen-mitchell-16811_god_so-profound-an-insight-into-god-that-for_1793021.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/750/stephen-mitchell-16811_god_so-profound-an-insight-into-god-that-for_1793021.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/750/stephen-mitchell-16811_god_so-profound-an-insight-into-god-that-for_1793021.png) > ““...so profound an insight into God that for a century and a half he was branded a dangerous atheist...”” [Stephen Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mitchell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Deep insights into divinity can be misunderstood, leading to accusations of heresy. **In simple terms:** Profound ideas may be labeled dangerous. Key Takeaway Seek understanding before judging. Themes faith interpretation misunderstanding Mood inquisitive open‑minded Type educational contemplative When to use this quote - religious debates - academic discussions - personal study Key Concepts theology philosophy cultural context Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions cause mislabeling? - How can dialogue reduce fear? A Different Perspective Labels can stifle exploration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Profound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profound/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [Our searches for numerical order lead as often to terminal nuttiness as to profound insight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/our-searches-for-numerical-order-lead-as-often-to-terminal-nuttiness/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [... my century.. is unique in the history of men for two reasons. It is the first century since life began when a decisive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whittaker-chambers/my-century-is-unique-in-the-history-of-men-for-two-reasons-it-is-the/) [Whittaker Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whittaker-chambers/) > [Every man of ambition has to fight his century with its own weapons. What this century worships is wealth. The God of this century…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/every-man-of-ambition-has-to-fight-his-century-with-its-own-weapons/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The essence of profound insight is simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/the-essence-of-profound-insight-is-simplicity/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) > [I am sure I have heard this several times from places I can't recall, but it's not already in the Gaia Quotes database, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-frost/i-am-sure-i-have-heard-this-several-times-from-places-i-can-t-recall/) [Robert Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-frost/) > [“In the course of these trips he was kind and indulgent, and talked rather than preached. He never went far in search of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/in-the-course-of-these-trips-he-was-kind-and-indulgent-and-talked/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Insight is the God given ability for you to know your Identity, your Kingdom ID; your spiritual DNA; your uniqueness in the earth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-pierce/insight-is-the-god-given-ability-for-you-to-know-your-identity-your/) [Chuck Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-pierce/) > [“God uses a multiplicity of ways to communicate with His people. Letters and numbers are just a fraction of the vehicles that God uses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael/god-uses-a-multiplicity-of-ways-to-communicate-with-his-people/) Michael > [After the destructionofthe Second Temple Jewslived by an ancient and fundamental insight, that God does not live in buildings but in the human heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-sacks/after-the-destructionofthe-second-temple-jewslived-by-an-ancient-and/) [Jonathan Sacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sacks/) > [A moment of insight from God is worth more than a lifetime of experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-jackson/a-moment-of-insight-from-god-is-worth-more-than-a-lifetime-of/) [John Paul Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-jackson/) > [Then comes the insight that All is God. One still realizes that the world is as it was, but it does not matter, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-joshua-heschel/then-comes-the-insight-that-all-is-god-one-still-realizes-that-the/) [Abraham Joshua Heschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-joshua-heschel/) > [And, as soon as possible, be on the lookout for someone whose whole manner of speaking and being makes, as it were, a "sound"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-needleman/and-as-soon-as-possible-be-on-the-lookout-for-someone-whose-whole/) [Jacob Needleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-needleman/) > [What is commonly honored with the name of Friendship is no very profound or powerful instinct. Men do not, after all, love their Friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/what-is-commonly-honored-with-the-name-of-friendship-is-no-very/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Perhaps the most sophisticated and highly evolved system is that originated by Joseph Scogna. I was impressed by the profound insights into the relationship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolph-ballentine/perhaps-the-most-sophisticated-and-highly-evolved-system-is-that/) Rudolph Ballentine > [“MIND & GRIND Self-belief and hard work can propel you past more talented peers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/mind-grind-self-belief-and-hard-work-can-propel-you-past-more/) [Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/) ## More by Stephen Mitchell > [ \[Jesus\] teaches that just as the sun gives light to both wicked and good, and the rain brings nourishment to righteous and unrighteous, God's… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mitchell/jesus-teaches-that-just-as-the-sun-gives-light-to-both-wicked-and/) [Stephen Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mitchell/) > [True mastery can be gained by letting things go their own way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mitchell/true-mastery-can-be-gained-by-letting-things-go-their-own-way/) [Stephen Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mitchell/) > [Education is no longer thought of as a preparation for adult life, but as a continuing process of growth and development from birth until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mitchell/education-is-no-longer-thought-of-as-a-preparation-for-adult-life-but/) [Stephen Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mitchell/) > [“The Master is not trapped in opposites. His this is also a that. He sees that life becomes death and death becomes life, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mitchell/the-master-is-not-trapped-in-opposites-his-this-is-also-a-that-he/) [Stephen Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mitchell/) > [What is the gospel according to Jesus? Simply this: that the love we all long for in our innermost heart is already present, beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mitchell/what-is-the-gospel-according-to-jesus-simply-this-that-the-love-we/) [Stephen Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mitchell/) > [“I am speechless: what can I answer? I put hand on my mouth. I have said too much already; now I will speak no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mitchell/i-am-speechless-what-can-i-answer-i-put-hand-on-my-mouth-i-have-said/) [Stephen Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mitchell/) > [When speech comes from a quiet heart, it has the strength of the orchid, and the fragrance of rock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mitchell/when-speech-comes-from-a-quiet-heart-it-has-the-strength-of-the/) [Stephen Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mitchell/) > [“Hmm,' said the King. 'I must write that down in my book of aphorisms. I don't know if it is deep, but it sounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mitchell/hmm-said-the-king-i-must-write-that-down-in-my-book-of-aphorisms-i/) [Stephen Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mitchell/) > [There are two kinds of women: those who marry princes and those who marry frogs. The frogs never become princes, but it is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mitchell/there-are-two-kinds-of-women-those-who-marry-princes-and-those-who/) [Stephen Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mitchell/) > [“The river rises, flows over its banks and carries us all away, like mayflies floating downstream: they stare at the sun, then all at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mitchell/the-river-rises-flows-over-its-banks-and-carries-us-all-away-like/) [Stephen Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mitchell/) > [What may appear to be proud ungrateful and headstrong fron the outside may from the inside express an unshakable integrity of character. Pride, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mitchell/what-may-appear-to-be-proud-ungrateful-and-headstrong-fron-the/) [Stephen Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mitchell/) > [“The Frog was the only one who could retrieve the golden ball because he was the only one who could descend into the well.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mitchell/the-frog-was-the-only-one-who-could-retrieve-the-golden-ball-because/) [Stephen Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mitchell/) > [“The master competes with no one so, no one can compete with her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mitchell/the-master-competes-with-no-one-so-no-one-can-compete-with-her/) [Stephen Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mitchell/) > [Creativity, not normality, has become the paradigm of mental health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mitchell/creativity-not-normality-has-become-the-paradigm-of-mental-health/) [Stephen Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mitchell/) > [What people love about life is its miraculous beauty; what they hate about death is the loss and decay around it. Yet losing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mitchell/what-people-love-about-life-is-its-miraculous-beauty-what-they-hate/) [Stephen Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mitchell/) [Explore all 38 Stephen Mitchell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mitchell/) ## More God quotes > [I don't drink much anymore, but when I traveled with Frank Sinatra, God rest his soul, I used to drink like I could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-don-t-drink-much-anymore-but-when-i-traveled-with-frank-sinatra-god/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/) [Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/) > [“am not suggesting that successes in academics, athletics, or vocation somehow stand outside God’s good plan. Learning and play are joys that God himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-paul-jones/am-not-suggesting-that-successes-in-academics-athletics-or-vocation/) [Timothy Paul Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-paul-jones/) > [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [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/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Here's the reality. The image of a white Jesus has been used to justify enslavement, conquest, colonialism, the genocide of indigenous peoples. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/here-s-the-reality-the-image-of-a-white-jesus-has-been-used-to/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [The faster you go, the shorter you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-faster-you-go-the-shorter-you-are/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [A lot of people have been saying 'The 100' reminds them of 'Lord Of The Flies,' 'Lost' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' and all of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-avgeropoulos/a-lot-of-people-have-been-saying-the-100-reminds-them-of-lord-of-the/) [Marie Avgeropoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-avgeropoulos/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wonder: when a Jehovah's Witness dies and goes to Heaven, does God hide behind the door and pretend He's not home?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-celio/i-wonder-when-a-jehovah-s-witness-dies-and-goes-to-heaven-does-god/) [Brian Celio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-celio/) > [What would God have me do with my life?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/what-would-god-have-me-do-with-my-life/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [God always gets the glory when Jesus comes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-giglio/god-always-gets-the-glory-when-jesus-comes/) [Louie Giglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-giglio/) > [“Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/do-all-the-good-you-can-by-all-the-means-you-can-in-all-the-ways-you/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [You are a God Act like one!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/you-are-a-god-act-like-one/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) [Browse all 37,707 God quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“...so profound an insight into God that for a century and a half he was branded a dangerous atheist...”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen Mitchell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mitchell/so-profound-an-insight-into-god-that-for-a-century-and-a-half-he-was/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "God" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mitchell/so-profound-an-insight-into-god-that-for-a-century-and-a-half-he-was/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/750/stephen-mitchell-16811_god_so-profound-an-insight-into-god-that-for_1793021.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/750/stephen-mitchell-16811_god_so-profound-an-insight-into-god-that-for_1793021.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/750/stephen-mitchell-16811_god_so-profound-an-insight-into-god-that-for_1793021.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“...so profound an insight into God that for a century and a half he was branded a dangerous atheist...” — Stephen Mitchell", "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": "Stephen Mitchell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mitchell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“...so profound an insight into God...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mitchell/so-profound-an-insight-into-god-that-for-a-century-and-a-half-he-was/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mitchell/so-profound-an-insight-into-god-that-for-a-century-and-a-half-he-was/#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 } } ] } ```