Christian Smith Quotes

The same is true about husbands being the "spiritual heads" of their households (not one verse says that), about Sunday and not Saturday being Christians' set-apart day of rest and worship (just ask Seventh Day Adventists), ~ Christian Smith

Capitalism is not merely a system for the efficient production and distribution of goods and services; it also incarnates and promotes a particular moral order, an institutionalized normative worldview comprising and fostering particular assumptions, narratives, commitments, beliefs, values, and goals. ~ Christian Smith

Human social life, I suggest, is the magma that erupts and builds up, so to speak, at the fault lines where natural human capacities meet and grind against and over natural human limitations ... . This meeting of powers and limitations produces a creative, dynamic tension and energy that generates and fuels the making of human social life and social structures ... . It is real human persons living through the tensions of natural existential contradictions who construct patterned social meanings, interactions, institutions, and structures. ~ Christian Smith

Adults have their own issues and their own problems, which are understandable, and some adults are working through their own adolescent issues.- ~ Christian Smith

Evangelicals usually fail to challenge the system not just out of concern for evangelism, but also because they support the American system and enjoy its fruits. They share the Protestant work ethic, support laissez-faire economics, and sometimes fail to evaluate whether the social system is consistent with their Christianity. ~ Christian Smith

Evangelicals come from all ethnic and racial backgrounds, but nearly 90 percent of Americans who call themselves evangelicals are white. ~ Christian Smith

The problem is that, regardless of what our theologies tell us about the purpose of the clergy, the actual effect of the clergy profession is to make the body of Christ lame. This happens not because clergy intend it (they usually intend the opposite) but because the objective nature of the profession inevitably turns the laity into passive receivers. ~ Christian Smith

Or take the belief common among some evangelicals that every individual needs an identifiable point of personal faith conversion to create a "personal relationship with Jesus." That's certainly a key to evangelical revivalism, and one can definitely find various Bible verses that seem to buttress such a claim. But, altogether, the direct biblical evidence for that theology and rhetoric is in fact pretty thin. ~ Christian Smith

In fact, during his life on earth, there were parts of God the Father's plan that Jesus himself did not know (Mark 13:32). As for us, God tells us what we need to know and instructs us to get on with living in light of what he does tell. ~ Christian Smith

Why stash little ones away in a nursery downstairs with volunteers, who are hard to recruit and who themselves then miss the service, when they can actually be part of God's people in worship? This can make it hard sometimes when children are acting up. But it keeps families together. ~ Christian Smith

Part of the irony of religion's role is that in strengthening micro bonds between individuals, religion contributes to within-group homogeneity, heightens isolation from different groups, and reduces the opportunity for the formation of macro bonds - bonds between groups - that serve to integrate a society. ~ Christian Smith

Generosity involved in proactively forgiving other people. This form of generosity, and the positive feelings it evokes in generous forgivers, have been shown by studies to reduce stress, tension, and sadness, and to lead to lower heart rates, lower skin conduction levels, and lower blood pressure. By contrast, those who ungenerously hold grudges are more angry, feel less in control of their lives, and, partly as a result, exhibit symptoms of unhealthy physical conditions. ~ Christian Smith

In my experience, one of the very nice things about Catholic Churches is how diverse, ordinary, and natural they are and feel. So many evangelical churches, by contrast, seem to me to be very earnest in trying so hard to be and do something or other - to be sincere or happy or vibrant or dynamic or appealing or whatever. By contrast, in my experience, most Catholic parishes are simply unperturbed in doing the regular business of being Church. They've been doing it for 2,000 years and will keep doing it till Christ returns. ~ Christian Smith

Most young people today know they need to approach their careers with a variety of skills, maximal flexibility, and readiness to retool as needed. That itself pushes youth toward extended schooling, delay of marriage, and, arguably, a general psychological orientation of maximizing options and postponing commitments. ~ Christian Smith

However, one cannot charge with the sin of the separation those who at present are born into these communities [that resulted from such separation] and in them are brought up in the faith of Christ, and the Catholic Church accepts them with respect and affection as brothers. . . All who have been justified by faith in Baptism are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers in the Lord by the children of the Catholic Church. ~ Christian Smith

Rather than leaving generous people on the short end of an unequal bargain, practices of generosity are actually likely instead to provide generous givers with essential goods in life - happiness, health, and purpose - which money and time themselves simply cannot buy. That is an empirical fact well worth knowing. ~ Christian Smith

The clergy profession is fundamentally self-defeating. Its stated purpose is to nurture spiritual maturity in the church - a valuable goal. In actuality, however; it accomplishes the opposite by nurturing a permanent dependence of the laity on the clergy. Clergy become to their congregations like parents whose children never grow up, like therapists whose clients never become healed, like teachers whose students never graduate. ~ Christian Smith

I know one thing. If a NASCAR driver ever got on the court with me, they wouldn't be able to keep up. That would be like me driving a bus in a NASCAR race. ~ Kenny Smith

This place is full of unwritten rules. ~ Alexander Gordon Smith

Thinking about somebody every day of his life ... oh yes, he said to himself. Oh yes, you do. You think about somebody. He fills your world. He is all about you, a presence, and you think about him; you can't help it, because he's always there, in your thoughts. But you know, of course, that all the while you're thinking about him, he's not thinking about you. That's the hardest thing about it. That's what makes it so very, very hard to bear. So hard that sometimes you just sit there and let the misery wash over you; the misery, the emptiness. ~ Alexander McCall Smith

And perhaps for my mother this dream was the truth, and just by dreaming it she felt she had brought it to pass. ~ Zadie Smith

No civilization other than that which is Christian, is worth seeking or possessing. ~ Otto Von Bismarck

I have been a Cowboys fan since I was a little bitty boy. And my dream has finally become a reality, of not only just playing a professional, becoming a professional athlete, but playing for the team that I always wanted to play for. ~ Emmitt Smith

I broke every barrier I could to see things as they are. ~ Lillian Smith

Let us, with songs of praise, embrace the sacred year. ~ Lailah Gifty Akita

But this larger and more adventurous Christian universe has one final mark difficult to express; yet as a conclusion of the whole matter I will attempt to express ~ G.K. Chesterton

There always has to be someone to take the punches. That's how it works. It isn't fair, it isn't right, but that kid licking slop off the floor over there means that we get to eat in peace. ~ Alexander Gordon Smith

Obstacles are placed in our path to determine whether we really wanted something or just thought we did." Dr. Harold Smith ~ Suzie Grant

Do not be ashamed to cry, Rra," said Mma Ramotswe. "It is the way that things begin to get better. It is the first step. ~ Alexander McCall Smith

I never saw a useful Christian who was not a student of the Bible. If a man neglects his Bible, he may pray and ask God to use him in His work; but God cannot make much use of him, for there is not much for the Holy Ghost to work upon. ~ Dwight L. Moody

Richard Lovelace's book Dynamics of Spiritual Life, ~ Gordon T. Smith

The religion of Christianity Is mixed of sweetness and cruelty Reject this Sweetness, for she wears A smoky dress out of hell fires. ~ Stevie Smith

If you want to write something of length, however modern and radical, you must live the life of an elderly gentleman of the 1950s. ~ Arthur Smith

It is of very little use in trying to be dignified, if dignity is no part of your character. ~ Christian Nestell Bovee

There are old mycologists and there are bold mycologists, but there are no old, bold mycologists. ~ Alexander McCall Smith

This is Africa, my friends … These folks do things differently." Sven Taxel, who regards himself as an expert on South Africa because he has read Wilbur Smith, Rian Malan and André Brink, tries to calm his fellow congregation members. ~ Harry Kalmer

We sometimes hear the argument, 'All the world' thinks this, or does that, given as a reason for our doing likewise; but that is an argument that should have no weight with the Christian, who is commanded not to be conformed to the world. ~ Hudson Taylor

Of what earthly value is Christianity if it leaves no indelible mark on one's lifestyle? It is of no value (in this life) to be Christian if you do not think Christianly--if you do not have a Christian life view. ~ Patrick Morley

If the words of God are uttered merely as verbal expressions, and their message is not rooted in the virtuous way of life of those who utter them, they will not be heard. But if they are uttered through the practice of the commandments, their sound has such power that they dissolve the demons and dispose men eagerly to build their hearts into temples of God through making progress in works of righteousness. ~ Maximus The Confessor

Contentment is the greatest joy. ~ Lailah Gifty Akita

Don't think, just feel it. I know you do; I can see it on your face. ~ Megan Smith

Our prayers are something akin to delivering a list, verses surrendering a life. The former will always leave me creating the next list, while the latter will leave me creating a new life. ~ Craig D. Lounsbrough

If the Tiber rises too high, or the Nile too low, the remedy is always feeding Christians to the lions. ~ Tertullian

Start today by practicing constant conversation with God and continual mediation on his Word. Prayer lets you speak to God; mediation lets God speak to you. ~ Rick Warren

The Muslims of recent times had fallen very short indeed of the ideals of their faith, ... nothing could be more erroneous than to measure the potentialities of Muhammad's message by the yardstick of present-day Muslim life and thought - just as he [Shaykh Mustafa al-Maraghi] said, 'it would be erroneous to see in the Christians' unloving behavior toward one another a refutation of Christ's message of love ... ' ~ Muhammad Asad

Yes, Joseph Smith did see angels and visions - because he was the instrument in God's hands to restore the same Church of Jesus Christ as existed in primitive times - all of its powers as well as all of its doctrines. Yet sorrowfully, on occasion, some are willing to set aside the precious gospel truths restored by Joseph Smith because they get diverted on some historical issue or some scientific hypothesis not central to their exaltation, and in so doing they trade their spiritual birthright for a mess of pottage. They exchange the absolute certainty of the Restoration for a doubt, and in that process they fall into the trap of losing faith in the many things they do know because of a few things they do not know. There will always be some seemingly intellectual crisis looming on the horizon as long as faith is required and our minds are finite, but likewise there will always be the sure and solid doctrines of the Restoration to cling to, which will provide the rock foundation upon which our testimonies may be built. ~ Tad R. Callister

It is imperative that the Christian, at the beginning of his pursuit to understand what true worship is, gets it clear that the object of our worship is to be God and God alone. ~ R.C. Sproul

And I belive I am too, and if you think that is awful, then you dont understand a thing. ~ Lee Smith

If you live up to your privileges, the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates. ~ Joseph Smith Jr.

God holds us in the untamed moments too. ~ Ann Voskamp

It's been a tremendous ride. My 15 years, my 15 minutes of fame, is up. ~ Emmitt Smith

It is a good deal better to have life in Christ and God than any where else. I would rather have my life hid with Christ in God than be in Eden as Adam was. Adam might have remained in Paradise for 16,000 years, and then fallen, but if ours is hid in Christ, how safe! ~ Dwight L. Moody

There's a certain worth that can only be given to us by God. You see, if you think about it, worth has nothing to do with the object. Worth has everything to do with how much someone is willing to pay for the object. God paid for each and every one of us with His son's life. That gives me chills. That makes us worth a lot. ~ Cole Ryan

I never met Barbara Cartland. But now that I'm working on her life, I wish I had. I think there was a lot of pathos in it and I'm intrigued by her. ~ Mel Smith

Although it pains me, I must admit that I have never found what I 'need.' And I am in this place because long ago I took it upon myself to decide what I 'want' to need, verses surrendering to what I 'need' to need. And thankfully I have realized that God made Christmas everything that I 'want,' but more so He made it everything that I 'need. ~ Craig D. Lounsbrough

His hope wasn't lost, it was buried, and somehow Prudence Ryland made that old grave seem much more shallow than it once was. ~ Kathryn Smith

Altho' I rarely waste time in reading on theological subjects, as mangled by our Pseudo-Christians, yet I can readily suppose Basanistos may be amusing. Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions. Ideas must be distinct before reason can act upon them; and no man ever had a distinct idea of the trinity. It is mere Abracadabra of the mountebanks calling themselves the priests of Jesus. If it could be understood it would not answer their purpose. Their security is in their faculty of shedding darkness, like the scuttlefish, thro' the element in which they move, and making it impenetrable to the eye of a pursuing enemy, and there they will skulk.
[Letter to Francis Adrian Van der Kemp on 30 July 1810 denouncing the Christian doctrine of the Trinity] ~ Thomas Jefferson

Teachers of my
early youth
Taught forgiveness
stressed the truth
Here then is my
Christian lack:
If I'm struck then
I'll strike back. ~ Maya Angelou

Honorable men were keeping their word, my son, long before this Christian religion was proposed. ~ Lloyd C. Douglas

The Lord sends rain due season. ~ Lailah Gifty Akita

We are all human, so we may trespass each other. But there is always grace for forgiveness. ~ Lailah Gifty Akita

America should function as a Christian nation. ~ Randall Terry

Learn the lesson of your own pain
learn to seek God, not in any single event of past history, but in your own soul
in the constant verifications of experience, in the life of Christian love. ~ Mary Augusta Ward