34 John Shelby Spong Quotes for You to Enjoy

John Shelby Spong

American Clergyman

Born: Jun 16, 1931

Bible Church God Life People You

Related authors: Billy Graham Charles R. Swindoll Henry Ward Beecher Jim Elliot Joel Osteen John C. Maxwell Norman Vincent Peale Thomas S. Monson

Christianity is, I believe, about expanded life, heightened consciousness and achieving a new humanity. It is not about closed minds, supernatural interventions, a fallen creation, guilt, original sin or divine rescue. John Shelby Spong

Life Humanity Guilt Closed Creation Believe Christianity Minds About Supernatural Divine Sin New Fallen Achieving Rescue Original Original Sin Consciousness

All religion seems to need to prove that it's the only truth. And that's where it turns demonic. Because that's when you get religious wars and persecutions and burning heretics at the stake. John Shelby Spong

Truth Religion You Religious Religious Wars Seems Only Because Demonic Prove Get Where Burning Stake Turns Wars Need

When I grew up in the South, I was taught that segregation was the will of God, and the Bible was quoted to prove it. I was taught that women were by nature in inferior to men, and the Bible was quoted to prove it. I was taught that it was okay to hate other religions, and especially the Jews, and the Bible was quoted to prove it. John Shelby Spong

The audience that I try to reach are members of what I call the church alumni association. Now they are people who have not found in institutional religion a God big enough to be God for their world. John Shelby Spong

God Religion People World Try Church Big Enough Members Institutional Reach Call Alumni Audience Big Enough Who Found Now Association

The Bible tells me that every life is holy; the Bible tells me that every life is loved; the Bible tells me that every life is called to be all that it can be. John Shelby Spong

Life Me Bible Every Tells Loved Holy

Whatever diminishes life is evil, and whatever enhances life is good. John Shelby Spong

Life Good Evil Whatever Diminishes Enhances

You can't have a world where 50 percent of the people are dieting and 50 percent of the people are starving if you want stability. John Shelby Spong

You People World Starving Percent Stability Dieting Where Want

We've got to deal with the fact that the church has been violently prejudiced against gay people. We've murdered them; we've burned them at the stake; we've run them out of town for something over which they have no control. And that's immoral. John Shelby Spong

If you begin to give people hope that there is a brighter future, there is a new tomorrow, then the people who were yesterday's terrorists become tomorrow's elected officials and they're part of the system. John Shelby Spong

I live on the other side of Charles Darwin and I can no longer see human light as having been created perfect and falling into sin, I see us rather emerging into higher and higher levels of consciousness and higher and higher levels of complication. John Shelby Spong

Light Live Other Side Complication Charles See Darwin Emerging Rather Having Perfect Higher Higher Levels Sin Longer Falling Been Human Us Created Consciousness Levels

I am trying to understand what it means to be a Christian without being religious. John Shelby Spong

Christian Religious Without Understand Am Trying Being Means

I believe God is real, but I believe God calls me beyond myself to take responsibility for my life and to try top work to allow other people to be themselves and to take responsibility for their lives. John Shelby Spong

Life Work God Myself Me People Try Responsibility My Life Believe Other Top Take Allow Beyond Calls Real Themselves Lives

Inequality for gay and lesbian people is no longer a debatable issue in either church or state. John Shelby Spong

Gay People Church Lesbian State Longer Inequality Issue Debatable Either

I admire our ancestors, whoever they were. I think the first self-conscious person must have shaken in his boots. Because as he becomes self-conscious, he's no longer part of nature. He sees himself against nature. He looks at the vastness of the universe and it looks hostile. John Shelby Spong

Nature First Think Universe Our Ancestors Boots Must Admire Shaken Sees Vastness He Hostile Part Self-Conscious Longer Looks Himself Because Becomes Were His Person Against Whoever