Were I a Roman Catholic, perhaps I should on this occasion vow to build a chapel to some saint, but as I am not, if I were to vow at all, it should be to build a light-house.[ Letter to his wife, 17 July 1757, after narrowly avoiding a shipwreck; often misquoted as "Lighthouses are more helpful than churches."] Benjamin Franklin
About This Quote

"Were I a Roman Catholic, perhaps I should on this occasion vow to build a chapel to some saint, but as I am not, if I were to vow at all, it should be to build a light-house." The idea here refers back to the quote explaining that you shouldn’t wish to change your religion just because you’re stranded on a desert island. The point is that even though there is no religious chapel on the island, you would still want to build a lighthouse. Life is full of uncertainties and unexpected events. You can’t take for granted that the sun will rise every morning or that you won’t be lost at sea.

When you are faced with these kinds of situations, thoughts about religion are irrelevant. It’s what you do next that matters most.

Source: Memoirs Of The Life And Writings Of Benjamin Franklin

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