#kindlehighlight

Isaac Asimov's remark about the infantilism of pseudoscience is just as applicable to religion: 'Inspect every piece of pseudoscience and you will find a security blanket, a thumb to suck, a skirt to hold.' It is astonishing, moreover, how many people are unable to understand that 'X is comforting' does not imply 'X is true'. ↗

— Richard Dawkins

#religion

Does religious conviction provide a powerful reason for killing? Undeniably it often does. It also often provides the sole compelling reason for refusing to kill, or for being merciful, or for seeking peace; only the profoundest ignorance of history could prevent one from recognizing this. For the truth is that religion and irreligion are cultural variables, but killing is a human constant. ↗

— David Bentley Hart

#reason #religion

You see, the thing about working with pirates is that they know what they are doing. They already know more than you do because they are sailing and raiding. They are the experts in your organization, and you need to get them on your side, not turn them against you. Here is how to deal with a pirate ship model in ten simple steps: 1. Respect the pirates. (They know how to execute.) 2. Invite the pirates to the table. Recognize their wins. 3. Ask the pirates to report on what they see and hear. 4. Ask the pirates to report on their wins and losses. 5. Ask the pirates how you can help them win more.... ↗

— Olivier Blanchard

#respect

Seems to me-" Lee said, feeling for the words, "seems to me the place you fight cruelty is where you find it, and the place you give help is where you see it needed.... ↗

— Philip Pullman

#cruelty

You can't eat books, sweetheart. ↗

— Markus Zusak

#eating

If we don't learn to mythologize our lives, inevitably we will pathologize them. ↗

— Richard Rohr

#mythology

Play hard to get. You should be. ↗

— Addison Moore

#play

What are the distinctive characteristics, or marks, of personality? Knowledge, feeling or emotion, and will. Any entity that thinks and feels and wills is a person. ↗

— R.A. Torrey

#holy-spirit

I. All the distinctive characteristics of personality are ascribed to the Holy Spirit in the Bible. ↗

— R.A. Torrey

#holy-spirit

I am sorry for being so weak. I will always love you…” Arin whispers back to his family without facing them again, “But this Detrelli, this devil… it will never touch another person … never again… Not a single death will go unaccounted for, I promise you both… I promise…”    ↗

— Jason J. Berg

#death