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Richard Rohr

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Famous Richard Rohr Quotes

“If love is the soul of Christian existence, it must be at the heart of every other Christian virtue. Thus, for example, justice without love is legalism; faith without love is ideology; hope without love is self-centeredness; forgiveness without love is self-abasement; fortitude without love is recklessness; generosity without love is extravagance; care without love is mere duty; fidelity without love is servitude. Every virtue is an expression of love. No virtue is really a virtue unless it is permeated, or informed, by love.”

IfsLoveHeartSoulSelfCareChristianJusticeLove IsExistenceVirtueExampleExpressionDutyMereTrue LoveIdeologyGenerosityFortitudeFidelityWithout LoveServitudeExtravaganceChristian LoveRecklessnessSelf CenterednessLegalismCenterednessReligious LoveExpressions Of LoveAbasement
Author:Richard Rohr
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“Who is telling us about the false self today? Who is even equipped tell us? Many clergy have not figured this out for themselves, since even ministry can be a career decision or an attraction to "religion" more than the result of an encounter with God or themselves. Formal religious status can maintain the false self rather effectively, especially if there are a lot of social payoffs like special respect, titles, salaries, a good self image, or nice costumes. It is no accident that the religious "Pharisees" became the symbolic bad guys in the Jesus story.”

IfsSelfStoriesTodayGuyJesusSocialReligiousDecisionResultsCareersNiceSpecialAccidentsAttractionTitlesEncountersMinistryFormalCostumesBad GuysSalarySymbolicClergyPayoffPharisees
Book:Immortal Diamond: The search for our true self
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“If you work with such people almost on the level of spiritual direction, you see that they are people who prefer a world view of order and even punitiveness. And for some reason, there's a feeling that the male psyche is going to give that to them. And if that's your view of religion, which it is for many people, if they've never come to the mystical level, religion is for social order and to maintain social order.”

PeopleIfsWorldGivingReasonFeelingsSpiritualOrderSocialLevelsViewsMalesMysticalWorld ViewSocial OrderSpiritual Direction
Author:Richard Rohr
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“If you stay in the mainstream of life, in other words, you let in the suffering of the world that invariably enters all of our lives by the time we're in our middle years, when we've experienced a few deaths and read a few headlines. Famine, poverty, abuse, you can't keep that all blocked out. If you let those things teach you, influence you, change you, those are the events that transition you without you even knowing it to become more compassionate. In other words, you hold onto your values, but you do it much more inclusively, humbly and in an open ended way. Suffering takes you there.”

IfsWorldWayYearsSufferingValuesPovertyTeachKnowingOur LivesInfluenceMiddleEventsAbuseLive ByTransitionCompassionateMainstreamWithout YouFamineHeadlinesBlocked
Author:Richard Rohr
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“If you're the head of the organization that has to pay salaries, bills and keep the money coming, you have to be concerned with pleasing the middle. I find it means you have to dumb down your message to something less radical than the gospel. It can't be the real gospel. It has to be "churchiness" that pleases everyone, so they come back next Sunday and keep putting money in the collection plate. I don't mean that in a cynical way. I just think it's what happens.”

IfsThinkingWayMeanRealHappensNextPayMiddlePleaseMessagesConcernedOrganizationBillsRadicalDumbCollectionsSundayCynicalPlatesSalary
Author:Richard Rohr
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“If unconditional love, loyalty, and obedience are the tickets to an eternal life, then my black Labrador, Venus, will surely be there long before me, along with all the dear animals in nature who care for their young at great cost to themselves and have suffered so much at the hands of humans.”

IfsHumansLongHandsCareYoungBlackAnimalCostEternalDearLoyaltyObedienceUnconditional LoveTicketsWho CaresUnconditionalEternal LifeVenusAnimals In NatureLabradorsLoyalty Love
Book:Immortal Diamond: The search for our true self
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