--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I grew up fundamentalist, evangelical…" description: "\"I grew up fundamentalist, evangelical, Protestant. Those are my roots, and they are good roots. But it means the Pharisees are my people. I grew up wit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b45/william-p-young-3038_evangelical_i-grew-up-fundamentalist-evangelical-pro_628841.jpg" --- # I grew up fundamentalist, evangelical, Protestant. Those… ![“I grew up fundamentalist, evangelical, Protestant. Those are my roots, and they are good roots. But it means the Pharisees are my people. I grew up with an image of God that was not helpful -- largely the face of my father expanded.” quote by William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b45/william-p-young-3038_evangelical_i-grew-up-fundamentalist-evangelical-pro_628841.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b45/william-p-young-3038_evangelical_i-grew-up-fundamentalist-evangelical-pro_628841.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b45/william-p-young-3038_evangelical_i-grew-up-fundamentalist-evangelical-pro_628841.jpg) > “I grew up fundamentalist, evangelical, Protestant. Those are my roots, and they are good roots. But it means the Pharisees are my people. I grew up with an image of God that was not helpful -- largely the face of my father expanded.” [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acknowledging personal religious roots while recognizing their limitations and the need for broader spiritual understanding. **In simple terms:** Roots are good but can be limiting. Key Takeaway Seek wider spiritual perspective. Themes faith identity growth reflection Mood introspective hopeful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal counseling - interfaith dialogue - self‑reflection sessions Key Concepts theology personal development spirituality Questions to Reflect On - How do personal religious backgrounds shape worldview? - What steps expand spiritual understanding beyond inherited beliefs? A Different Perspective Risk of overgeneralizing religious groups. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evangelical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evangelical/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Fundamentalist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentalist/) [Fundamentalist Evangelical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentalist-evangelical-1391386/) [God image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-image/) [Grew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grew/) [Grew Fundamentalist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grew-fundamentalist-1391387/) [Grew up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grew-up/) [Helpful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helpful/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Means Pharisees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/means-pharisees-5072159/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Pharisees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pharisees/) [Protestant Roots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protestant-roots-5072158/) [Protestants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protestants/) [Roots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roots/) ## Related quotes > [I grew up in a very fundamentalist, evangelical Christian household. Both my parents were born-again - their faith infused every aspect of my childhood.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/i-grew-up-in-a-very-fundamentalist-evangelical-christian-household/) [Craig Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-thompson/) > [I grew up in a fundamentalist protestant family that stressed that we were a select people and so we were to avoid contact with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/i-grew-up-in-a-fundamentalist-protestant-family-that-stressed-that-we/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [A spoiled saint, a Pharisee, an inquisitor, or a magician, makes better sport to Hell than a mere common tyrant or debauchee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/a-spoiled-saint-a-pharisee-an-inquisitor-or-a-magician-makes-better/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [A pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself, but a spiritual man is easy on others and hard on himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/a-pharisee-is-hard-on-others-and-easy-on-himself-but-a-spiritual-man/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [“Sometimes, you will go through awful trials in your life and then a miracle happens--God heals you. Don’t be disheartened when the people you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/sometimes-you-will-go-through-awful-trials-in-your-life-and-then-a/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [To preach the Bible as 'the handbook for life,' or as the answer to every question, rather than as the revelation of Christ, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-horton/to-preach-the-bible-as-the-handbook-for-life-or-as-the-answer-to/) [Michael Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-horton/) > [The Bible in itself is not the Word of God. The Word of God is a person. Neither does the Bible have life, power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-brinsmead/the-bible-in-itself-is-not-the-word-of-god-the-word-of-god-is-a/) [Robert D. Brinsmead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-brinsmead/) > [“He speaks to the poor, the powerless, and he mocks the rich and powerful. He isn't the Messiah the Pharisees are looking for.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-landsem/he-speaks-to-the-poor-the-powerless-and-he-mocks-the-rich-and/) [Stephanie Landsem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-landsem/) > [The Talmud derives its authority from the position held by the ancient (Pharisee) academies. The teachers of those academies, both of Babylonia and of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-finkelstein/the-talmud-derives-its-authority-from-the-position-held-by-the/) [Louis Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-finkelstein/) > [“To those who rejected Him, righteousness would one day appear as a terrible justice; to the sinful men who accepted Him and allied themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/to-those-who-rejected-him-righteousness-would-one-day-appear-as-a/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [The pharisees minded what God spoke, but not what He intended. They were busy in the outward work of the hand, but incurious of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-taylor/the-pharisees-minded-what-god-spoke-but-not-what-he-intended-they/) [Jeremy Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-taylor/) > [Gluttony should be destroyed by self-control; unchastity by desire for God and longing for the blessings held in store; avarice by compassion for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-of-damascus/gluttony-should-be-destroyed-by-self-control-unchastity-by-desire-for/) [John of Damascus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-of-damascus/) > [According to Miller, Pharisee Judaism is not a religion at all, but a secret society posing as a religion, a "sect with Judaism as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-starr-miller/according-to-miller-pharisee-judaism-is-not-a-religion-at-all-but-a/) [Edith Starr Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-starr-miller/) > [A Pharisee is someone who is virtuous out of obedience to the Great Beast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/a-pharisee-is-someone-who-is-virtuous-out-of-obedience-to-the-great/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [Curiously, the righteous Pharisees had little historical impact, save for a brief time in a remote corner of the Roman Empire. But Jesus' disciples…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/curiously-the-righteous-pharisees-had-little-historical-impact-save/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) ## More by William P. Young > [I don't want my kids growing up with the image of God that I had -- Plato's white grandfatherly god -- because that god…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/i-don-t-want-my-kids-growing-up-with-the-image-of-god-that-i-had/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [Because you continue to inhabit and believe your metaphors, you cannot see what is true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/because-you-continue-to-inhabit-and-believe-your-metaphors-you-cannot/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [“Religion must use law to empower itself and control the people who they need in order to survive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/religion-must-use-law-to-empower-itself-and-control-the-people-who/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [Once you have hierarchy you need rules to protect and administer it, and then you need law and the enforcement of the rules, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/once-you-have-hierarchy-you-need-rules-to-protect-and-administer-it/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [“(Jesus speaking) "An awful lot of what is done in my name has nothing to do with me and is often, even if unintentional,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/jesus-speaking-an-awful-lot-of-what-is-done-in-my-name-has-nothing-to/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [This life is only the anteroom of a greater reality to come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/this-life-is-only-the-anteroom-of-a-greater-reality-to-come/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [I often find that getting head issues out of the way first makes the heart stuff easier to work on later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/i-often-find-that-getting-head-issues-out-of-the-way-first-makes-the/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [For me, everything is about Jesus and Father and the Holy Spirit, and relationships, and life is an adventure of faith lived one day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/for-me-everything-is-about-jesus-and-father-and-the-holy-spirit-and/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [Relationships are never about power, and one way to avoid the will to hold power over another is to chose to limit to onself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/relationships-are-never-about-power-and-one-way-to-avoid-the-will-to/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [It is my desire and intent to trust the multi-layered good purposes of God than in what humans fabricate out of their need and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/it-is-my-desire-and-intent-to-trust-the-multi-layered-good-purposes/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [Jesus was always challenging the dogma of religion. So, you know, it's not like I'm out there by myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/jesus-was-always-challenging-the-dogma-of-religion-so-you-know-it-s/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [If anything matters, then everything matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/if-anything-matters-then-everything-matters/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [I don't just want a piece of you and a piece of your life. Even if you were able, which you are not, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/i-don-t-just-want-a-piece-of-you-and-a-piece-of-your-life-even-if-you/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [Trust is the fruit of a relationship in which you know you are loved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/trust-is-the-fruit-of-a-relationship-in-which-you-know-you-are-loved/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [Something in the heart of most human beings simply cannot abide pain inflicted on the innocent, especially children. Even broken men serving in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/something-in-the-heart-of-most-human-beings-simply-cannot-abide-pain/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) [Explore all 138 William P. Young quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) ## More Evangelical quotes > [Evangelical Christians and I can sit down and talk one on one about how much we love Jesus, and yet I'm not carried in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/evangelical-christians-and-i-can-sit-down-and-talk-one-on-one-about/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [New Rule: There is no devil, so stop blaming your screw-ups on him. Last week, one of the biggest evangelical leaders in America, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/new-rule-there-is-no-devil-so-stop-blaming-your-screw-ups-on-him-last/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“The "new evangelical" wears skinny jeans and earrings made from recycled beer caps. After all, she is acquiring a taste for Blue Moon and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/addie-zierman/the-new-evangelical-wears-skinny-jeans-and-earrings-made-from/) [Addie Zierman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/addie-zierman/) > [The two most evangelical groups in the world are atheists and vegetarians, especially the least knowledgeable and least intelligent individuals within those groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clark-coleman/the-two-most-evangelical-groups-in-the-world-are-atheists-and/) [Clark Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clark-coleman/) > [As far apart as they are theologically, Mormons and evangelical Christians may have more in common with each other anthropologically than they do with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/as-far-apart-as-they-are-theologically-mormons-and-evangelical/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [As evangelical Christians we have tended to relegate art to the very fringe of life. The rest of human life we feel is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/as-evangelical-christians-we-have-tended-to-relegate-art-to-the-very/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [“The world is in a mad dash of personal peace and affluence. Sadly, too often the evangelical church is not much different. Of course,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-jr-2/the-world-is-in-a-mad-dash-of-personal-peace-and-affluence-sadly-too/) [R.C. Sproul Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-jr-2/) > [“The evangelical wing of the Church spends a lot of energy on being "born again" but little time on "growing up" again. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-stockman/the-evangelical-wing-of-the-church-spends-a-lot-of-energy-on-being/) [Steve Stockman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-stockman/) > [I don't think I am evangelical in my work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-i-am-evangelical-in-my-work/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [You've got these twenty million people who call themselves the Evangelical Christians who will put their hand up and say, I believe in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/you-ve-got-these-twenty-million-people-who-call-themselves-the/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [As evangelical Christians, we have tended to relegate art to the very fringe of life. The rest of human life we feel is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/as-evangelical-christians-we-have-tended-to-relegate-art-to-the-very-2/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [We live in a very pluralistic society today. There are Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, atheists, Roman Catholics, Evangelical Christians, and Christians like me. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/we-live-in-a-very-pluralistic-society-today-there-are-buddhists/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [“Evangelical faith has the gospel of Christ for its foundation;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-edwards/evangelical-faith-has-the-gospel-of-christ-for-its-foundation/) [Jonathan Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-edwards/) > [“The last thing I crave is to be exposed to the sort of grandstanding preachers that so many evangelical churches seem to breed with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-schaeffer/the-last-thing-i-crave-is-to-be-exposed-to-the-sort-of-grandstanding/) [Frank Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-schaeffer/) > [In the 20th century, evangelical Christians in America have naively accepted the role assigned to us by an anti-religious, anti-Christian consensus in our society.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/in-the-20th-century-evangelical-christians-in-america-have-naively/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) [Browse all 347 Evangelical quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evangelical/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I grew up fundamentalist, evangelical, Protestant. 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