“An idea is growing in foreign policy circles in Washington ... that there is no turning back. We are stuck in Iraq and Afghanistan for 25 to 40 years, we are embedded in our prideful unilateralism, and nothing can return us to more traditional American values and principles of action. The hubristic creators of this "inevitability" planned it this way. ... Their failures in Iraq have not stopped the fanatic, power-hungry neoconservatives. ... The hard-liners who dominate this administration ... have led us to eternal conflict with Muslims.” WayYearsIdeasWarHardActionReligionValuesPrinciplesPowerGrowingPolicyReturnConflictEternalIraqCreatorCirclesStuckHungryTraditionalAdministrationAfghanistanForeign PolicyFanaticsEmbeddedInevitabilityAmerican ValuesNo Turning BackPower HungryUnilateralism Author:Georgie Anne Geyer
“The profession of shaman has many advantages. It offers high status with a safe livelihood free of work in the dreary, sweaty sense. In most societies it offers legal privileges and immunities not granted to other men. But it is hard to see how a man who has been given a mandate from on High to spread tidings of joy to all mankind can be seriously interested in taking up a collection to pay his salary; it causes one to suspect that the shaman is on the moral level of any other con man. But it is a lovely work if you can stomach it.” IfsMenHas BeensHardJoyReligionGivenCausesLevelsPayMoralMankindOffersSafeAdvantagePrivilegeSpreadProfessionLovelyGrantedCollectionsSuspectsStomachSalaryMandatesLivelihoodDrearyImmunityTidings Book:Time Enough for Love Source: Time Enough for Love
“Betrayal of any kind is hard, but betrayal by one's religion is excruciating. It makes you want to rage and weep.” WantKindHardReligionBetrayalRage Author:Sue Monk Kidd
“It is hard for many people today to make the distinction between religion and religiosity, the latter a dangerous parody of the former.” PeopleHardTodayReligionDangerousFormerDistinctionLatterParody Author:Abigail McCarthy
“Cardinal Dolan, of course, has a very, very hard job: trying to hold up Catholic family values in sexually liberal New York City. I'm not saying New York is the Gay Mecca. But it's at least Gay-rusalem.” TryingHardJobsReligionValuesCoursesCommunityLeadershipWorkCitiesFamilyComedyHuman NaturePolicyNew YorkGayEthicsCatholicStrategyNew York CitySexuallyCardinalsFamily ValuesMeccaCatholic Family Author:Stephen Colbert
“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
“Trials can be hard, if you don't know God.” IfsKnowsHardReligionReligiousTrialsKnowing God Author:Al Green