--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's always been you know, religion that…" description: "\"It's always been you know, religion that has been the primary impediment to actual relationship with God, because it creates a mythology about performa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/william-p-young-3038_ability_it-s-always-been-you-know-religion-that_2268865.jpg" --- # It's always been you know, religion that has been the… ![“It's always been you know, religion that has been the primary impediment to actual relationship with God, because it creates a mythology about performance -- that you can perform your way into the appeasement of the deity. And you know, when you're born inside the cultural framework that I was…” quote by William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/william-p-young-3038_ability_it-s-always-been-you-know-religion-that_2268865.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/william-p-young-3038_ability_it-s-always-been-you-know-religion-that_2268865.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/william-p-young-3038_ability_it-s-always-been-you-know-religion-that_2268865.jpg) > “It's always been you know, religion that has been the primary impediment to actual relationship with God, because it creates a mythology about performance -- that you can perform your way into the appeasement of the deity. And you know, when you're born inside the cultural framework that I was, and you're born inside the religious traditions that I was, that becomes your understanding of spirituality: That it's about trying to please God. So, it's really not about God at all; it's about our ability to perform according to whatever the expectations are.” [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. It argues that organized religion can turn spirituality into a performance, diverting focus from genuine connection with the divine. **In simple terms:** Religion can become a performance, obscuring true spirituality. Key Takeaway Seek authentic spiritual experience beyond rituals. Themes religion spirituality performance Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal faith journeys - religious education - spiritual counseling Key Concepts theology personal growth Questions to Reflect On - How does performance affect your spiritual life? - Can rituals coexist with authentic spirituality? A Different Perspective Not all religious experiences are purely performative. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Appeasement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appeasement/) [Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born/) [Deities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deities/) [Deity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deity/) [Deity Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deity-know-5249792/) [Expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/) [Framework](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/framework/) [God Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-ability-317433/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Impediments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impediments/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Mythology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mythology/) [Performances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performances/) [Please](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/please/) [Primaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/primaries/) [Relationship God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship-god/) [Relationship with god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship-with-god/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Religious traditions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-traditions/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Spirituality Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality-trying-4313428/) [Tradition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tradition/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [“Scientific experiences and practices can easily lead to spirituality, rather than trying to memorize more facts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/scientific-experiences-and-practices-can-easily-lead-to-spirituality/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [Parents, whether or not we believe in a deity, know that to witness a child's mind searching for meaning is a miracle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-m-kennedy/parents-whether-or-not-we-believe-in-a-deity-know-that-to-witness-a/) [Marge M. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-m-kennedy/) > [And when you learn, over the course of your life, that it's not about pleasing God, it's about learning how to trust God. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/and-when-you-learn-over-the-course-of-your-life-that-it-s-not-about/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [Evangelicals have like millions of rules. And it's just, uh, we have sort of an accepted, rationalism within which we frame religion. And we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/evangelicals-have-like-millions-of-rules-and-it-s-just-uh-we-have/) [William P. 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When you rely on God, you do something beyond your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-rely-on-yourself-you-do-something-with-your-ability-when-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“God made the ability to feel pain. He didn’t have to, you know. He made the ability to feel pain and He also made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-henderson/god-made-the-ability-to-feel-pain-he-didn-t-have-to-you-know-he-made/) [Dee Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-henderson/) ## 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 Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. 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I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's always been you know, religion that has been the primary impediment to actual relationship with God, because it creates a mythology about performance -- that you can perform your way into the appeasement of the deity. 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