“When a writer calls his work a Romance, it need hardly be observed that he wishes to claim a certain latitude, both as to its fashion and material, which he would not have felt himself entitled to assume had he professed to be writing a Novel.” NeedsWritingRomanceCertainWishFeltNovelFashionMaterialsClaimsAssumingEntitledLatitude Author:Nathaniel Hawthorne
“I am not even an atheist so much as I am an antitheist; I not only maintain that all religions are versions of the same untruth, but I hold that the influence of churches, and the effect of religious belief is positively harmful. Reviewing the false claims of religion, I do not wish, as some sentimental materialists affect to wish, that they were true. I do not envy believers their faith. I am relieved to think that the whole story is a sinister fairy tale; life would be miserable if what the faithful affirmed was actually the case.” IfsThinkingWholeStoriesWould BeBeliefWishChurchReligiousCasesAtheismInfluenceEffectsClaimsAtheistEnvyBelieverTalesVersionsMiserableFaithfulFairyFairy TaleSentimentalPositivelyReligious BeliefRelievedSinisterUntruth Book:Letters to a Young Contrarian Source: Letters to a Young Contrarian
“Does it take a blanket presupposition for a historian to discount some miracle stories as legendary? No, because, as even Bultmann recognized, there is no problem accepting reports even of extraordinary things that we can still verify as occurring today, like faith healings and exorcisms. However you may wish to account for them, you can go to certain meetings and see scenes somewhat resembling those in the gospels. So it is by no means a matter of rejecting all miracle stories on principle. Biblical critics are not like the Committee for Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal.” MayMeanDoeStillsMatterStoriesProblemTodayCertainReligionWishHealingAcceptingPrinciplesSceneAccountsMiracleClaimsMeetingsCriticsExtraordinaryParanormalReportsHistorianInvestigationBiblicalCommitteesNo ProblemBlanketLegendaryRejectingExtraordinary ThingsDiscountsVerifyExorcismFaith Healing Author:Robert M. Price
“In any relationship we feel an unconscious need to create, as it were, a new picture, a new edition of ourselves to present to the fresh person who claims our interests; for them, we in a strange sense wish to, and do, start life anew.” NeedsFeelsPersonsWishInterestStrangeClaimsUnconscious Author:Ann Bridge
“... skepticism about past returns is crucial. The truth is, much as you may wish you could know which funds will be hot, you can't - and neither can the legions of advisers and publications that claim they can. That's why building a portfolio around index funds isn't really settling for average. It's just refusing to believe in magic.” KnowsBelieveMayPastWishMagicBuildingReturnTruth IsClaimsHotInvestingAverageSettlingFundCrucialSkepticismWish YouPublicationAdviserLegionPortfoliosIndex Funds Author:Bethany McLean