When push comes to shove, it ain’t the science that’s going to lift you up-it’s the belief, the spiritual side of life, that’s going to lift you up, no matter what religion you are.

Kirstie Alley contrasts empirical knowledge (“science”) with the sustaining power of faith and inner conviction when life becomes difficult. The phrase “when push comes to shove” frames the claim as a practical, crisis-tested insight: in moments of fear, grief, or uncertainty, people often reach less for explanation than for meaning, hope, and a sense of being held by something larger than themselves. By adding “no matter what religion you are,” the quote gestures toward an ecumenical spirituality—belief as a human resource rather than a sectarian doctrine. Its significance lies in asserting that resilience is not only cognitive or technical but also existential and moral, rooted in trust, purpose, and spiritual imagination.