35 Karen Armstrong Quotes for You to Enjoy

Karen Armstrong

English Writer

Born: Nov 14, 1944

Compassion God Islam Life People Religion

Related authors: Arthur C. Clarke D. H. Lawrence Douglas Adams Gilbert K. Chesterton John Ruskin Ricky Gervais Rudyard Kipling Thomas Paine

Religious people often prefer to be right rather than compassionate. Often, they don't want to give up their egotism. They want their religion to endorse their ego, their identity. Karen Armstrong

Religion People Ego Religious Religious People Give Rather Identity Up Than Egotism Endorse Often Want Prefer Compassionate Right

I like silence; I'm a gregarious loner and without the solitude, I lose my gregariousness. Karen Armstrong

Silence Solitude Lose Loner Like Without Gregarious

Ever since the Crusades, when Christians from western Europe were fighting holy wars against Muslims in the near east, western people have often perceived Islam as a violent and intolerant faith - even though when this prejudice took root Islam had a better record of tolerance than Christianity. Karen Armstrong

Faith People Better Islam Fighting Tolerance Christianity Took Intolerant Though East Muslims Record Perceived Had Crusades Since Were Western Western Europe Than Often Against Root Holy Prejudice Europe Wars Even Ever Near Violent Christians

Well, logos is science or reason, something that helps us to function practically and effectively in the world, and it must therefore be closely in tune and reflect accurately the realities of the world around us. Karen Armstrong

Science World Reflect Must Logos Something Well Practically Around Effectively Accurately Closely Tune Realities Us Reason Therefore Helps Function

Jesus did not spend a great deal of time discoursing about the trinity or original sin or the incarnation, which have preoccupied later Christians. He went around doing good and being compassionate. Karen Armstrong

Time Good Great Great Deal Spend Later Trinity About He Sin Around Deal Doing Doing Good Did Being Which Incarnation Preoccupied Original Original Sin Compassionate Jesus Christians

Compassion is not a popular virtue. Very often when I talk to religious people, and mention how important it is that compassion is the key, that it's the sine-qua-non of religion, people look kind of balked, and stubborn sometimes, as much to say, what's the point of having religion if you can't disapprove of other people? Karen Armstrong

Religion You People Key Sometimes Compassion Important Other Virtue Say Kind Religious Religious People Having Mention Point Stubborn Disapprove Look Talk How Very Often Much Popular

A theology should be like poetry, which takes us to the end of what words and thoughts can do. Karen Armstrong

Thoughts Words Poetry Takes Like End Which Us Should Theology

Let's use our stories to encourage listening to one another and to hear not just the good news, but also the pain that lies at the back of a lot of people's stories and histories. Karen Armstrong

Good News People Listening Good News Pain Back Our Lies Also Another Hear Encourage Lot Histories Just Stories Use

Every fundamentalist movement I've studied in Judaism, Christianity and Islam is convinced at some gut, visceral level that secular liberal society wants to wipe out religion. Karen Armstrong

Religion Secular Islam Every Society Christianity Liberal Visceral Out Some Gut Wipe Studied Judaism Movement Wants Convinced Level Fundamentalist

Ironically, the first thing that appealed to me about Islam was its pluralism. The fact that the Koran praises all the great prophets of the past. Karen Armstrong

Great Me First Islam Past Pluralism About Fact Prophets First Thing Koran Praises Ironically The First Thing Appealed Thing

Religions have always stressed that compassion is not only central to religious life, it is the key to enlightenment and it the true test of spirituality. But there have always have been those who'd rather put easier goals, like doctrine conformity, in place. Karen Armstrong

Life Key Goals Compassion Spirituality Those Easier Religions Religious Religious Life Rather Only Put True Like Doctrine Always Test True Test Been Place Central Conformity Enlightenment Stressed

Mythology and science both extend the scope of human beings. Like science and technology, mythology, as we shall see, is not about opting out of this world, but about enabling us to live more intensely within it. Karen Armstrong

Today we often think that before we start living a religious life we have first to accept the creedal doctrines and that before one can have any comprehension of the loyalty and trust of faith, one must first force one's mind to accept a host of incomprehensible doctrines. But this is to put the cart before the horse. Karen Armstrong

Life Today Faith Loyalty Trust Mind First Before Living Think Must Cart Religious Religious Life Comprehension Horse Host Put Doctrines Force Accept Any Often Incomprehensible Start