"For me, the great problem growing up in England was that I had a very narrow concept of what God can be, and it was damn close to an old man with a beard"

John Cleese's quote speaks with the minimal understanding of God that he had maturing in England. He was raised in a culture that taught him to consider God as an old man with a beard, and this limited his understanding of the divine. He was not able to conceive of a God that was more extensive and inclusive than the one he was taught. This quote talks to the power of culture and training in forming our beliefs and understanding of the divine. It likewise talks to the value of being open to various interpretations of God and spirituality, and not limiting ourselves to one narrow view. By being open to different analyses, we can get a more holistic understanding of the divine and our relationship to it.