"I reject any religious doctrine that does not appeal to reason and is in conflict with morality"
About this Quote
The phrasing matters. “Reject” is blunt and personal, a refusal to outsource conscience to clergy, scripture, or tradition. Gandhi isn’t merely tolerating pluralism; he’s claiming the right of moral veto. That stance carries subtext in colonial India, where religious identity could be weaponized both by British authorities (as a tool of divide-and-rule) and by nationalist factions eager to sacralize politics. Gandhi’s project depended on cross-communal solidarity and disciplined nonviolence. A religion that blesses cruelty, caste humiliation, or revenge isn’t just wrong; it’s strategically corrosive to liberation.
It also hints at Gandhi’s unromantic view of spirituality. He was deeply religious, but not obedient in the conventional sense. The quote draws a boundary against superstition and against moral exemptions: no doctrine can demand that you suspend empathy, excuse injustice, or numb your judgment. In that way, it reads like a manifesto for ethical modernity from a man often caricatured as purely ascetic. Gandhi’s genius is to make inner life answerable to outer harm, turning “faith” from an identity into a responsibility.
Quote Details
| Topic | Ethics & Morality |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Gandhi, Mahatma. (2026, January 17). I reject any religious doctrine that does not appeal to reason and is in conflict with morality. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-reject-any-religious-doctrine-that-does-not-26070/
Chicago Style
Gandhi, Mahatma. "I reject any religious doctrine that does not appeal to reason and is in conflict with morality." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-reject-any-religious-doctrine-that-does-not-26070/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I reject any religious doctrine that does not appeal to reason and is in conflict with morality." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-reject-any-religious-doctrine-that-does-not-26070/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.








