Theologian Quotes - Page 16

• Theologians are all alike, of whatever religion or country they may be; their aim is always to wield despotic authority over men's consciences; they therefore persecute all of us who have the temerity to tell the truth.

  Frederick The Great

  Country, Men, Atheism

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• From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the rack, the thumb-screw, the stake, the persecutions of witchcraft, the whipping of naked women through the streets of Boston, banishment, trials of heresy, the halter about Garrison's neck, Lovejoy's death, the branding of Captain Walker, shouts of infidel and atheist, have all been for this purpose.

  Matilda Joslyn Gage

  Atheist, Boston, People

  Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan Brownell Anthony, Matilda Joslyn Gage (1979). “History of Woman Suffrage”, Ayer Company Pub

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• Whatever a theologian regards as true must be false: there you have almost a criterion of truth.

  Friedrich Nietzsche

  Atheism, Criteria, Regard

  Friedrich Nietzsche “Delphi Complete Works of Friedrich Nietzsche (Illustrated): Friedrich Nietzsche”, Delphi Classics

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• It is quite likely ... that the central figure of the gospels is not based on any historical individual. Put simply, not only is the theological "Christ of faith" a synthetic construct of theologians, a symbolic "Uncle Sam" figure, but if you could travel ... back to First-Century Nazareth, you would not find a Jesus living there.

  Robert M. Price

  Jesus, Uncles, Historical

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• Agnostics are people who, like myself, confess themselves to be hopelessly ignorant concerning a variety of matters, about which metaphysicians and theologians, both orthodox and heterodox, dogmatize with the utmost confidence.

  Herbert Spencer

  People, Ignorant, Atheism

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• Our problem was that in the American approach to Soviet affairs policy has oscillated between people who take an essentially psychological approach and people who take an essentially theological approach, and the two really meet. The psychologists try to "understand" the Soviet Union. And try to ease its alleged fears. The theologians say the Soviets are evil.

  Henry A. Kissinger

  Two, People, Evil

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• To a thrifty theologian, bent on redemption with economy, there are few points of ethics too fine-spun for splitting.

  Ellen Glasgow

  Redemption, Ethics, Economy

  Ellen Anderson Gholson Glasgow (1938). “Works”

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• Of course, Jastrow's comment is exaggerated at best; theologians hardly predicted the Big Bang. If our universe turns out to be closed, hence with an end, this does not mean apocalyptic visions of the end of the world were on target. And even if a beginning for the universe is a successful prediction of one version of theism, this is still not that impressive. After all, even a stopped clock is right twice a day. The Big Bang becomes strong support for God only with an argument showing that such a beginning requires a Creator.

  Taner Edis

  Strong, Mean, Successful

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• There is an old, old story about a theologian who was asked to reconcile the Doctrine of Divine Mercy with the doctrine of infant damnation. 'The Almighty,' he explained, 'finds it necessary to do things in His official and public capacity which in His private and personal capacity He deplores.

  Robert A. Heinlein

  Religion, Damnation, Doctrine

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• My job as a pastor and theologian is to tease out the nature and the necessity of the gospel in meticulous ways, in everything I say, in everything I like. I want desperately for the church in America to rediscover the power and the beauty and the nature and the necessity of the gospel.

  Tullian Tchividjian

  Jobs, America, Church

  Source: www.christianpost.com

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• Laughing has always been considered by theologians as a crime.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Laughter, Laughing, Crime

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1907). “The works of Robert G. Ingersoll”, p.2352, Library of Alexandria

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• Science and vivisection make no appeal to a theological idea, much less a political one. You can argue with a theologian or a politician, but doctors are sacrosanct. They know; you do not. Science has its mystique much more powerful than any religion active today.

  Brenda Ueland

  Powerful, Science, Animal

  Brenda Ueland (1993). “Strength to Your Sword Arm: Selected Writings”, Holy Cow Press

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• whoever is so stupid as to imagine God to be either masculine or feminine openly shows that he is as bad a philosopher as a theologian.

  Marie de Gournay

  God, Stupid, Philosopher

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• In my eyes, concepts of theology have only as much value as they are able to interpret experience. It seems to me that we have long reached the point where we theologians only talk to ourselves and debate with our own history of concepts.

  Eugen Drewermann

  Eye, Long, Able

  "Wort des Heils, Wort der Heilung". Book by Eugen Drewermann, 1989.

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• The beauty of science and the nature of scientific revelations constitute part of the modern theologian's perspective and toolbox.

  Joseph Silk

  Perspective, Modern, Revelations

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• We never really know what we want until after we get it. If after we get it, it makes life more miserable, we know that isn't what we wanted. If it makes our life wonderful, we know this is a strategy which will meet out need. That's why Paul Tillich, the theologian says we need to sin courageously. You ask for what you want, hoping to meet your needs. If you get it and it makes life worse, you learn that this isn't what I want.

  Marshall B. Rosenberg

  Communication, Want, Needs

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• I confess I take perverse delight as a theologian in the controversies surrounding postmodernism.

  Stanley Hauerwas

  Delight, Postmodernism, Controversy

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• A ground frequently taken by Christian theologians is that the progress and civilization of the world are due to Christianity; and the discussion is complicated by the fact that many eminent servants of humanity have been nominal Christians, of one or other of the sects. My allegation will be that the special services rendered to human progress by these exceptional men have not been in consequence of their adhesion to Christianity, but in spite of it, and that the specific points of advantage to human kind have been in ratio of their direct opposition to precise Biblical enactments.

  Charles Bradlaugh

  Christian, Taken, Biblical

  Marsden Gibson, Charles Bradlaugh (1889*). “Has Humanity Gained from Unbelief?: Two Nights Debate Between Marsden Gibson and Charles Bradlaugh at Newcastle-on-Tyne”

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• A philosopher is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat that isn't there. A theologian is the man who finds it.

  Laurence J. Peter

  Cat, Dark, Men

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• I am not a theologian or a philosopher. I am a story teller.

  William Golding

  Stories, Philosopher

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• Only a God of love is fully personal. Thus the Trinity is crucial for maintaining a fully personal concept of God. As theologian Robert Letham writes, “Only a God who is triune can be personal.... A solitary monad cannot love and, since it cannot love, neither can it be a person.” Therefore it “has no way to explain or even to maintain human personhood.

  Nancy Pearcey

  Writing, Love Is, Way

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• His (the theologian) basic instinct of self preservation forbids him to respect reality at any point or even to let it get a word in.

  Friedrich Nietzsche

  Reality, Self, Instinct

  Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1993). “Nietzsche Selections”, Prentice Hall

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• The whole of theology, in regard to hell no less than to heaven, takes it for granted that Man is what is of most importance in the Universe of created beings. Since all theologians are men, this postulate has met with little opposition.

  Bertrand Russell

  Men, Heaven, Littles

  Bertrand Russell (2009). “The Basic Writings of Bertrand Russell”, p.53, Routledge

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• Modern theologians are like a pack of dogs who spend most of their time sniffing each other's behinds.

  David Chilton

  Dog, Modern, Packs

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• I think, again, if someone wants to know what I believe then look at my life. I am pursuing Christ wholeheartedly 100 percent. I don't need a theologian or a set of man-made beliefs to guide me in my daily life. I'm grateful for people's opinions but I choose to surrender and to serve Christ and Christ alone and in that my life has changed.

  Alan Chambers

  Believe, Grateful, Men

  Source: www.christianpost.com

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