"God is a concept by which we measure our pain"
About this Quote
The subtext is a critique of how belief can turn anguish into meaning, and how meaning can be mistaken for relief. Lennon isn’t simply mocking religion; he’s exposing a bargain: when life hurts, we reach for narratives that make the hurt legible. That can be soothing, but it can also keep pain in circulation, giving it a sacred frame that resists resolution. The line’s power comes from its inversion of religious hierarchy. Pain isn’t a test from God; God is a response to pain.
Context matters: “God” sits inside Plastic Ono Band (1970), Lennon’s post-Beatles rupture and primal-scream era, steeped in therapy, disillusionment, and a public break from inherited pieties. Coming from a pop idol, it lands less like a philosopher’s thesis and more like a confession shouted into a microphone: if your faith is real, what happens when the person you trusted to sing you through the dark says the dark is the point?
Quote Details
| Topic | God |
|---|---|
| Source | Lyric line from the song 'God' by John Lennon, on the album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970). |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Lennon, John. (2026, January 17). God is a concept by which we measure our pain. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/god-is-a-concept-by-which-we-measure-our-pain-24837/
Chicago Style
Lennon, John. "God is a concept by which we measure our pain." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/god-is-a-concept-by-which-we-measure-our-pain-24837/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"God is a concept by which we measure our pain." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/god-is-a-concept-by-which-we-measure-our-pain-24837/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.





