“hope is not a plan of action.” ThinkingActionHopePlansWishful Thinking Book:Never Say Die: The Myth and Marketing of the New Old Age Source: Never Say Die: The Myth and Marketing of the New Old Age
“It is hard to think of conversion as a blinding light on the road to Damascus, or as a highly spiritual or intellectual process, when the light comes from a flickering television; the voice of the deity is Bishop Sheen and you have drilled your father on his catechism answers...I was troubled at a young age by the idea that pouring water over someone's head could change both his relationship to God.” ThinkingIdeasHardLightAgeSpiritualYoungReligionFatherProcessWomenVoiceWaterAnswersTelevisionIntellectualConversionYoung AgeDeitiesBishopsPouringCatechismBlinding Light Author:Susan Jacoby
“I think very few people realize how much the separation of church and state has to do with the fact that Americans are not only more religious than a lot of other people in the world but that conversions are much more common here.” PeopleThinkingWorldStatesFactsRealizingChurchReligiousCommonSeparationConversionChurch And StateSeparation Of Church And State Author:Susan Jacoby
“People think that, that conversion to Judaism is just a modern phenomenon. But there was an era in the late Roman Empire Judaism was not a proselytizing religion. It didn't go out looking for converts, but it accepted converts.” PeopleThinkingModernLateAcceptedConversionErasEmpiresPhenomenonJudaismRoman EmpireProselytizing Author:Susan Jacoby
“For one thing, the Catholic Church in particular has this one thing - confession - in which you could go, confess to a priest and obtain absolution of your sins. And there was a routine and a ritual and I think - I think that it did help.” ThinkingHelpingChurchSinOne ThingParticularCatholicPriestsRitualRoutineConfessionCatholic ChurchAbsolution Author:Susan Jacoby
“God Bless America started to become an almost ritualistic incantation at the end of political speeches really with Ronald Reagan. It appears occasionally before, but it was not that common. And of course since it was a song that wasn't written by Irving Berlin until the 20th century (laughter), none of the 19th century presidents said God Bless America at the end of speeches, either. I think that the symbolism which suggests that everybody is religious and that even presidents who believe in church and state feel obliged to do this.” ThinkingFeelsBelieveSaidEndsStatesAmericaPoliticalSongCoursesPresidentChurchReligiousCommonWrittenCenturySpeechLaughterBless20th CenturyObligedChurch And StateBerlin19th CenturySymbolismGod BlessGod Bless AmericaPolitical Speeches Author:Susan Jacoby
“I still do find the prayers of the Kaddish quite moving, and I just substitute in my mind nature, although that's what the founders did in a lot of their documents, too. They substituted nature or providence for God. I think that's what I do in my head with Jewish God.” ThinkingMindStillsMovingPrayerSubstitutesProvidenceFoundersDocuments Author:Susan Jacoby
“I completely can't understand people of different faiths who say that their children will choose when they grow up. I think that if you believe in a religion, most people believe that it's right.” PeopleIfsThinkingBelieveChildrenDifferentGrowsGrowing UpIf You BelieveDifferent Faiths Author:Susan Jacoby
“I think people who love each other and live together and have children together need to agree on the things that are most important in life.” PeopleThinkingNeedsChildrenImportantTogetherAgreeLove Each Other Author:Susan Jacoby
“My atheism doesn't define my day-to-day life at all. But I realize - and maybe it is because, unlike people who sort of stay comfortably in a religion, I had to do a lot of thinking and reading before I realized that I was an atheist.” PeopleThinkingReadingRealizingAtheismAtheistI RealizedDay To DayDay LifeDay To Day Life Author:Susan Jacoby
“I'm not saying that I think atheists are better than other people. God, no. What I am saying is I do feel that this an integral part of who I am. And it's not something that I could comfortably think of not sharing with the person I loved most in the world.” PeopleThinkingWorldFeelsPersonsAtheistWho I Am Author:Susan Jacoby
