--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are always those who take it upon…" description: "\"“There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as if the sustaining frame of existence were something weak ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d80/yann-martel-395_defend_there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon_35822.jpg" --- # There are always those who take it upon themselves to… ![“There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as if the sustaining frame of existence were something weak and helpless.” quote by Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d80/yann-martel-395_defend_there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon_35822.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d80/yann-martel-395_defend_there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon_35822.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d80/yann-martel-395_defend_there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon_35822.jpg) > ““There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as if the sustaining frame of existence were something weak and helpless.”” [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques the tendency to anthropomorphize or diminish the concept of a divine or ultimate reality, urging respect for its profound and resilient nature. **In simple terms:** Defending God reveals a fragile view of ultimate reality. Key Takeaway Respect the depth of ultimate reality. Themes theology philosophy existentialism human perception spiritual humility Mood contemplative critical reverent Type aphilosophical s When to use this quote - religious debates - personal crises of faith - philosophical discussions - cultural critiques Key Concepts divine agency ontological foundations human frailty metaphysical resilience Practical Applications - theological education - interfaith dialogue Questions to Reflect On - How does personifying the divine affect our understanding of existence? - What does it mean to view ultimate reality as weak? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [“There are those who take upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as if the sustaining frame of existence, were something weak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/there-are-those-who-take-upon-themselves-to-defend-god-as-if-ultimate/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [I know it's not good to be weak and helpless. 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These people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon-themselves-to-defend-god-the/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as if the sustaining frame of existence, were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon-themselves-to-defend-god-as-3/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as if the sustaining frame of existence, were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon-themselves-to-defend-god-as-2/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as if the sustaining frame of existence, were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon-themselves-to-defend-god-as-4/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“And that wasn't the end of it. 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What is really have such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/today-it-because-they-are-weak-and-helpless-earnings-of-his-whole/) Mak\_786 > [We manufacture anger to give ourselves the illusion of power when we feel weak and helpless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-hannah/we-manufacture-anger-to-give-ourselves-the-illusion-of-power-when-we/) [Sophie Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-hannah/) > [A guilty, weak, and helpless worm, On Christ's kind arms I fall, He is my strength and righteousness, My Jesus, and my all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aprajita/a-guilty-weak-and-helpless-worm-on-christ-s-kind-arms-i-fall-he-is-my/) Aprajita > [“I know a little bit about learning to live again. I know about being so weak and helpless you want to die. I know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-scott/i-know-a-little-bit-about-learning-to-live-again-i-know-about-being/) [Jessica Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-scott/) > [It's okay to accept things from people. It doesn't make you weak or helpless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/it-s-okay-to-accept-things-from-people-it-doesn-t-make-you-weak-or/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) ## More by Yann Martel > [“It’s a big ocean crossed by busy ships. I went slowly, observing much.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/it-s-a-big-ocean-crossed-by-busy-ships-i-went-slowly-observing-much/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“The word isn't just the way it is. It is how we understand it, no? And in understanding something, we bring something to it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/the-word-isn-t-just-the-way-it-is-it-is-how-we-understand-it-no-and/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“Remember that your days on this earth are counted and you might as well make the best of those you have left.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/remember-that-your-days-on-this-earth-are-counted-and-you-might-as/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“I must say a word about fear. It's is life's only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life. It is a clever, treacherous adversary,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/i-must-say-a-word-about-fear-it-s-is-life-s-only-true-opponent-only/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [I was not wounded in any part of my body, but I had never experienced such intense pain, such a ripping of the nerves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/i-was-not-wounded-in-any-part-of-my-body-but-i-had-never-experienced/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [High calls low and low calls high. I tell you, if you were in such dire straits as I was, you too would elevate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/high-calls-low-and-low-calls-high-i-tell-you-if-you-were-in-such-dire/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“Or rather, since Christians are so fond of capital letters, a Story.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/or-rather-since-christians-are-so-fond-of-capital-letters-a-story/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“Progress is unstoppable. It is a drumbeat to which we must all march. Technology helps and good ideas spread - these are two laws…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/progress-is-unstoppable-it-is-a-drumbeat-to-which-we-must-all-march/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“I never had problems with my fellow scientists. Scientists are a friendly, atheistic, hard-working, beer-drinking lot whose minds are preoccupied with sex, chess and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/i-never-had-problems-with-my-fellow-scientists-scientists-are-a/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“For evil in the open is but evil from within that has been let out. The main battlefield for good is not the open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/for-evil-in-the-open-is-but-evil-from-within-that-has-been-let-out/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [Books are something social - a writer speaking to a reader - so I think making the reading of a book the center of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/books-are-something-social-a-writer-speaking-to-a-reader-so-i-think/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [Nothing beats reason for keeping tigers away. But be excessively reasonable and you risk throwing out the universe with the bathwater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/nothing-beats-reason-for-keeping-tigers-away-but-be-excessively/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“Uvek ima onih koji uzmu za pravo da brane Boga, kao da je Poslednja stvarnost, kao da je temeljni ram postojanja nešto slabašno i…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/uvek-ima-onih-koji-uzmu-za-pravo-da-brane-boga-kao-da-je-poslednja/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“The reason death sticks so closely to life isn't biological necessity- its envy. Life is so beautiful that death has fallen in love with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/the-reason-death-sticks-so-closely-to-life-isn-t-biological-necessity/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“It was my first clue that atheists are my brothers and sisters of a different faith, and every word they speak speaks of faith.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/it-was-my-first-clue-that-atheists-are-my-brothers-and-sisters-of-a/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) [Explore all 570 Yann Martel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) ## More Defend quotes > [My first Olympics memory was watching Haile Gebrselassie in Sydney 2000. His sprint finish to defend his title really moved me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-farah/my-first-olympics-memory-was-watching-haile-gebrselassie-in-sydney/) [Mo Farah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-farah/) > [We fight to defend our democratic ideals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-austin/we-fight-to-defend-our-democratic-ideals/) [Lloyd Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-austin/) > [The pop culture has become more frenetic. There are more forces at work that are far more invasive. However, I think it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-gibson/the-pop-culture-has-become-more-frenetic-there-are-more-forces-at/) [Mel Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-gibson/) > [I don't need a perfect person. I just need someone who will defend me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-need-a-perfect-person-i-just-need-someone-who-will-defend-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Swearing's my release. It's the one weapon I have to defend myself against destiny when it elects to strike without pity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-pirlo/swearing-s-my-release-it-s-the-one-weapon-i-have-to-defend-myself/) [Andrea Pirlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-pirlo/) > [Having kids is the deal-breaker on shyness! Once you have a baby, you learn to speak up loud and clear to protect them, defend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-foster/having-kids-is-the-deal-breaker-on-shyness-once-you-have-a-baby-you/) [Lori Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-foster/) > [We will defend ourselves, and we have full rights to do so. If the authorities try to destroy us, we have the right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-udaltsov/we-will-defend-ourselves-and-we-have-full-rights-to-do-so-if-the/) Sergei Udaltsov > [I definitely want to defend my 145 belt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-nunes/i-definitely-want-to-defend-my-145-belt/) [Amanda Nunes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-nunes/) > [In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were exterminated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-wurzelbacher/in-1911-turkey-established-gun-control-from-1915-to-1917-1-5-million/) [Joe Wurzelbacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-wurzelbacher/) > [“defend women’s right to be wrong, at least occasionally.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beard/defend-women-s-right-to-be-wrong-at-least-occasionally/) [Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/) > [There are a lot of things you can practise to unsettle teams that defend deep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/didier-deschamps/there-are-a-lot-of-things-you-can-practise-to-unsettle-teams-that/) [Didier Deschamps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/didier-deschamps/) > [The more you defend a lie, the angrier you become.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/the-more-you-defend-a-lie-the-angrier-you-become/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [I'm very willing to defend creative things that I believe in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-schneider/i-m-very-willing-to-defend-creative-things-that-i-believe-in/) [Dan Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-schneider/) > [Sometimes it is difficult to play against teams who just drop back and try to defend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadio-mane/sometimes-it-is-difficult-to-play-against-teams-who-just-drop-back/) [Sadio Mane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadio-mane/) > [I cannot defend myself during a trial if there is no charge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sooraj-pancholi/i-cannot-defend-myself-during-a-trial-if-there-is-no-charge/) [Sooraj Pancholi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sooraj-pancholi/) Browse all 993 Defend quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as if the sustaining frame of existence were something weak and helpless.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Yann Martel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon-themselves-to-defend-god-as/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Defend" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon-themselves-to-defend-god-as/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d80/yann-martel-395_defend_there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon_35822.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d80/yann-martel-395_defend_there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon_35822.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d80/yann-martel-395_defend_there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon_35822.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as if the…” — Yann Martel", "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": "Yann Martel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“There are always those who take...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon-themselves-to-defend-god-as/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon-themselves-to-defend-god-as/#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 } } ] } ```