--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My theory is if you have a religion, it's…" description: "\"My theory is if you have a religion, it's a good one. Because some people don't have any at all.\" — Tom T. Hall" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f15/tom-t-hall-13734_good-people_my-theory-is-if-you-have-a-religion-it-s_2500483.png" --- # My theory is if you have a religion, it's a good one… ![“My theory is if you have a religion, it's a good one. Because some people don't have any at all.” quote by Tom T. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f15/tom-t-hall-13734_good-people_my-theory-is-if-you-have-a-religion-it-s_2500483.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f15/tom-t-hall-13734_good-people_my-theory-is-if-you-have-a-religion-it-s_2500483.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f15/tom-t-hall-13734_good-people_my-theory-is-if-you-have-a-religion-it-s_2500483.png) > “My theory is if you have a religion, it's a good one. Because some people don't have any at all.” [Tom T. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-t-hall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A religion that offers moral guidance is valuable, especially for those lacking any spiritual framework. **In simple terms:** Good religions help people without faith. Key Takeaway Value religions that guide morality. Themes spirituality morality religion human need ethical guidance Mood reflective thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - personal counseling - community outreach - interfaith dialogue - ethical education - social services Key Concepts philosophy ethics cultural anthropology psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do religions shape moral behavior? - Can secular ethics replace religion? A Different Perspective Not all religions are beneficial; personal belief varies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Good people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-people/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [The theory that religion is a force for peace, often heard among the religious right and its allies today, does not fit the facts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-theory-that-religion-is-a-force-for-peace-often-heard-among-the/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [From what I have seen, I am driven to the conclusion that religion is only good for good people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/from-what-i-have-seen-i-am-driven-to-the-conclusion-that-religion-is/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) > [“TO WHOM LIFE IS AN EXPERIENCE TO BE CARRIED AS FAR AS POSSIBLE... I have not meant to express my thought but to help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-bataille/to-whom-life-is-an-experience-to-be-carried-as-far-as-possible-i-have/) [Georges Bataille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-bataille/) > [“If god is a theory,religion is not the proof to that theory”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aswin/if-god-is-a-theory-religion-is-not-the-proof-to-that-theory/) Aswin > [With life and all I've been through, I do have a belief in goodness, a good spirit. I think what people have done with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/with-life-and-all-i-ve-been-through-i-do-have-a-belief-in-goodness-a/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) > [With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weinberg/with-or-without-religion-you-would-have-good-people-doing-good-things/) [Steven Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weinberg/) > [“good people don't have to say they're good people, it just shows.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-parker/good-people-don-t-have-to-say-they-re-good-people-it-just-shows/) Shauna Parker > [“Religion can be a good thing. Churches did black folks good after Reconstruction. It was the only place people like Nat Turner and Douglass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaunda-micheaux-nelson/religion-can-be-a-good-thing-churches-did-black-folks-good-after/) [Vaunda Micheaux Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaunda-micheaux-nelson/) > [ “\[ When asked 'Given the chance, how would you change the world ?'\] It's a big question. Getting rid of religion would be a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bjork/when-asked-given-the-chance-how-would-you-change-the-world-it-s-a-big/) [Björk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bjork/) > [As a teenager, I increasingly had questions about religion to which I found no good answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-baggini/as-a-teenager-i-increasingly-had-questions-about-religion-to-which-i/) [Julian Baggini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-baggini/) > [Overall, we think religion is a good thing. I mean, if we were godless society, we would have many other problems; the communists found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hsien-loong/overall-we-think-religion-is-a-good-thing-i-mean-if-we-were-godless/) [Lee Hsien Loong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hsien-loong/) > [To realize the spirit as spirit is practical religion. Everything else is good so far as it leads to this one grand idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/to-realize-the-spirit-as-spirit-is-practical-religion-everything-else/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [I judge a religion as being good or bad based on whether its adherents become better people as a result of practicing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-mullally/i-judge-a-religion-as-being-good-or-bad-based-on-whether-its/) Joe Mullally > [If you have a particular faith or religion, that is good. But you can survive without it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/if-you-have-a-particular-faith-or-religion-that-is-good-but-you-can/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [ \[The disestablishment of religion\] may not have been such a good idea. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/the-disestablishment-of-religion-may-not-have-been-such-a-good-idea/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) ## More by Tom T. Hall > [A song is a poem set to music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-t-hall/a-song-is-a-poem-set-to-music/) [Tom T. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-t-hall/) > [A monkey was the President, though maybe not the first. And there was peace and harmony throughout the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-t-hall/a-monkey-was-the-president-though-maybe-not-the-first-and-there-was/) [Tom T. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-t-hall/) > [I've been polite and I've always shown up. Somebody asked me if I had any advice for young people entering the business. I said:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-t-hall/i-ve-been-polite-and-i-ve-always-shown-up-somebody-asked-me-if-i-had/) [Tom T. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-t-hall/) > [It used to be that youd have a song recorded by a major country artist and if it was a hit, you could buy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-t-hall/it-used-to-be-that-youd-have-a-song-recorded-by-a-major-country/) [Tom T. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-t-hall/) > [“Ain't but three things in this world worth a solitary dime/ But old dogs, children, and watermelon wine”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-t-hall/ain-t-but-three-things-in-this-world-worth-a-solitary-dime-but-old/) [Tom T. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-t-hall/) > [Sinclair Lewis was asked one time to give a talk to class of students about writing. When he got there he asked the class,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-t-hall/sinclair-lewis-was-asked-one-time-to-give-a-talk-to-class-of-students/) [Tom T. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-t-hall/) > [I have my own religion. I'm sort of one-quarter Baptist, one-quarter Catholic, one-quarter Jewish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-t-hall/i-have-my-own-religion-i-m-sort-of-one-quarter-baptist-one-quarter/) [Tom T. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-t-hall/) > [Songwriting is as much a craft as a talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-t-hall/songwriting-is-as-much-a-craft-as-a-talent/) [Tom T. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-t-hall/) > [I think the nature of songwriters is that they are philosophers, and philosophers have a bent towards poetry and songwriting, so I think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-t-hall/i-think-the-nature-of-songwriters-is-that-they-are-philosophers-and/) [Tom T. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-t-hall/) > [ When I first got to Nashville, somebody said that \[Kris Kristofferson and I\] were the only two people who could describe Dolly Parton without… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-t-hall/when-i-first-got-to-nashville-somebody-said-that-kris-kristofferson/) [Tom T. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-t-hall/) > [Faulkner was almost oriental. I never got into Faulkner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-t-hall/faulkner-was-almost-oriental-i-never-got-into-faulkner/) [Tom T. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-t-hall/) > [I have had hundreds of people work for me over the years, and I don't think I ever fired anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-t-hall/i-have-had-hundreds-of-people-work-for-me-over-the-years-and-i-don-t/) [Tom T. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-t-hall/) > [I knew a lot of chords, but they weren't the chords that came with the melody that came with the idea I had for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-t-hall/i-knew-a-lot-of-chords-but-they-weren-t-the-chords-that-came-with-the/) [Tom T. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-t-hall/) > [When you retire, it's a place in life, a part of the journey. You just don't quit work; you develop an attitude where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-t-hall/when-you-retire-it-s-a-place-in-life-a-part-of-the-journey-you-just/) [Tom T. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-t-hall/) > [If Barbara Walters was interviewing me, I'd figure her career was as dead as mine!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-t-hall/if-barbara-walters-was-interviewing-me-i-d-figure-her-career-was-as/) [Tom T. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-t-hall/) [Explore all 49 Tom T. Hall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-t-hall/) ## More Good people quotes > [“Any discussion of money and success would be lacking if I did not state that money is neither good nor bad. In the hands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-stovall/any-discussion-of-money-and-success-would-be-lacking-if-i-did-not/) [Jim Stovall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-stovall/) > [From what I have seen, I am driven to the conclusion that religion is only good for good people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/from-what-i-have-seen-i-am-driven-to-the-conclusion-that-religion-is/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) > [When I get a chance to play golf or go on a boat with good people, take the boat out and put some lobsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/when-i-get-a-chance-to-play-golf-or-go-on-a-boat-with-good-people/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [I've said it before, good people are forced to do bad things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-cloud/i-ve-said-it-before-good-people-are-forced-to-do-bad-things/) [Angus Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-cloud/) > [If I had a million dollars, I just wouldn't just completely set back. I'd have to get out there and show my face to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muddy-waters/if-i-had-a-million-dollars-i-just-wouldn-t-just-completely-set-back-i/) [Muddy Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muddy-waters/) > [Constantly look for the good in people and in situations. When you find it, tell the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/constantly-look-for-the-good-in-people-and-in-situations-when-you/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [Life is all about experiences and being able to work with good people is a blessing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhumika-chawla/life-is-all-about-experiences-and-being-able-to-work-with-good-people/) [Bhumika Chawla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhumika-chawla/) > [Good people do not let others suffer needlessly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/good-people-do-not-let-others-suffer-needlessly/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Freedom and liberty lose out by default because good people are not vigilant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/freedom-and-liberty-lose-out-by-default-because-good-people-are-not/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Good people are found not changed. Recently I read a headline that said, 'We don't teach people to be nice. We simply hire nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/good-people-are-found-not-changed-recently-i-read-a-headline-that/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [One of the things that I miss about Canada is that even the strangers, you have an immediate rapport, there's just an understanding that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evangeline-lilly/one-of-the-things-that-i-miss-about-canada-is-that-even-the-strangers/) [Evangeline Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evangeline-lilly/) > [“...I'd be interested in any tips you have for somebody starting out.” “Uh-huh,” I said, looking out the window. I decided, as we drove…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-jenkins-reid/i-d-be-interested-in-any-tips-you-have-for-somebody-starting-out-uh/) [Taylor Jenkins Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-jenkins-reid/) > [I've had a lot of good people, lot of good mentors, coaches along the way to get me where I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sale/i-ve-had-a-lot-of-good-people-lot-of-good-mentors-coaches-along-the/) [Chris Sale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sale/) > [On the West Coast, things are more relaxed, maybe because people have more fun outdoors. In the East, where the weather is not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-parish/on-the-west-coast-things-are-more-relaxed-maybe-because-people-have/) [Robert Parish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-parish/) > [I want to spend my time with people who don't look to be respected. But such good people won't want to spend their time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osamu-dazai/i-want-to-spend-my-time-with-people-who-don-t-look-to-be-respected/) [Osamu Dazai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osamu-dazai/) [Browse all 2,064 Good people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My theory is if you have a religion, it's a good one. Because some people don't have any at all.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tom T. 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