100 Quotes About Scripture

Each religion makes scores of purportedly factual assertions about everything from the creation of the universe to the afterlife. But on what grounds can believers presume to know that these assertions are true? The reasons they give are various, but the ultimate justification for most religious people’s beliefs is a simple one: we believe what we believe because our holy scriptures say so. But how, then, do we know that our holy scriptures are factually accurate? Because the scriptures themselves say so. Theologians specialize in weaving elaborate webs of verbiage to avoid saying anything quite so bluntly, but this gem of circular reasoning really is the epistemological bottom line on which all 'faith' is grounded. In the words of Pope John Paul II: 'By the authority of his absolute transcendence, God who makes himself known is also the source of the credibility of what he reveals.' It goes without saying that this begs the question of whether the texts at issue really were authored or inspired by God, and on what grounds one knows this. 'Faith' is not in fact a rejection of reason, but simply a lazy acceptance of bad reasons. 'Faith' is the pseudo-justification that some people trot out when they want to make claims without the necessary evidence. But of course we never apply these lax standards of evidence to the claims made in the other fellow’s holy scriptures: when it comes to religions other than one’s own, religious people are as rational as everyone else. Only our own religion, whatever it may be, seems to merit some special dispensation from the general standards of evidence. And here, it seems to me, is the crux of the conflict between religion and science. Not the religious rejection of specific scientific theories (be it heliocentrism in the 17th century or evolutionary biology today); over time most religions do find some way to make peace with well-established science. Rather, the scientific worldview and the religious worldview come into conflict over a far more fundamental question: namely, what constitutes evidence. Science relies on publicly reproducible sense experience (that is, experiments and observations) combined with rational reflection on those empirical observations. Religious people acknowledge the validity of that method, but then claim to be in the possession of additional methods for obtaining reliable knowledge of factual matters – methods that go beyond the mere assessment of empirical evidence – such as intuition, revelation, or the reliance on sacred texts. But the trouble is this: What good reason do we have to believe that such methods work, in the sense of steering us systematically (even if not invariably) towards true beliefs rather than towards false ones? At least in the domains where we have been able to test these methods – astronomy, geology and history, for instance – they have not proven terribly reliable. Why should we expect them to work any better when we apply them to problems that are even more difficult, such as the fundamental nature of the universe? Last but not least, these non-empirical methods suffer from an insuperable logical problem: What should we do when different people’s intuitions or revelations conflict? How can we know which of the many purportedly sacred texts – whose assertions frequently contradict one another – are in fact sacred?. Alan Sokal

We don’t exhaust the Bible even after reading it hundreds of times. Each time we read it we see it in a new light. That is the greatness of the holy scriptures. They are that way because they were created by holy prophets who experienced the truth. Each time we read these works we elevate ourselves to see a little more. (81) Swami Satchidananda

It is better to consult God’s instruction than seek your own ways. Lailah Gifty Akita

Abraham Lincoln quoted the Scriptures in an 1858 speech to the Illinois Republican Convention. He said, “ A house divided against itself cannot stand.” That, I fear, is where diversity leads. If by that term we refer to love and tolerance for peoples who are different from one another, it has great validity for us. But if by diversity we mean that all of us have been given reason to resent one another. Having no common values, heritage, commitment, or hope, then we are a nation in serious trouble. James C. Dobson

The argument against faith is all based upon the rigorous analysis of the scriptures, and not upon the objective observation of the actual individual sensation of faith. Historical experiences of the Kingdom of God gave rise to all the scriptures in the world, but the scriptures themselves don’t account for the actual globally prevalent psychological element of faith or divinity in the human mind. Faith is a natural evolutionary trait of the human mind, selected by Mother Nature as an internal coping-mechanism. Abhijit Naskar

The moment the religious population of the world begins to see the prophets what they really were - mortal teachers of the mortal world, a great portion of the world's religious conflicts shall vanish into thin air. Abhijit Naskar

The most sensitive period of their developmental age, when the kids are supposed to be taught to question everything and nourish their reasoning skills, they are taught that God created the world in seven days — that the human race did not evolve from apes through millions of years, rather it came from the amorous congress between two God-made humans, named Adam and Eve. And if you ask why? The answers of the uneducated primordial teachers would be that the scriptures say so. And now if you ask, can’t the scriptures be wrong — do I have to take these stories literally? They would lash out with rage and shout at you — how dare you question the scriptures! Every single word in it is true. There is no greater truth than the truth of these sacred texts. . Abhijit Naskar

Forget the Bible, the Quran, the Vedas, the Granth Sahib, and all the scriptures in the world. None of them will show you the Great Eternal Truth. None of them will show you the Kingdom of God, for the real Kingdom of the Ultimate Truth is inside your mind. It was born in you when you were born. And it will cease to exist when you die. Your mind is not merely the vehicle of God, rather it is the life-force that keeps God alive. Without the Mind, there is no God. Without you, there is no God. Abhijit Naskar

People fight over religion, because they don't understand religion. They think reading a few Bibles, Qurans and Vedas makes them religious. Books are not religion my friend. Real religion is realization of the Self. Abhijit Naskar

Forget all the formal decency of tolerance, and simply love your fellow humans. And the Self within you shall attain the highest pedestal of greatness, way higher than all the book-learned preachers in the world. Abhijit Naskar

The sacred texts of human history from all over the world, can never be perceived by the rational mind as texts of historical accuracy. They can only be a glaring representation of the traditions and ideals of the people. Now, it is up to the rational mind, to analyze those texts and thereafter consume the good elements from them, while discarding the rest. Abhijit Naskar

Religious literature from all around the world have an abundance of philosophical teachings as well, which in fact, prove quite helpful to humanity. But a rational human being must examine every single word from the scriptures before accepting it. Otherwise, it would only lead to religious bulimia, which in turn would bring chaos down on earth. Abhijit Naskar

Interspirituality is not for everyone, but, for those of us who are interested, we have never lived in a better time to explore interspiritual practices. For the first time in history, we have easy access to all of the world’s scriptures and spiritual traditions. Gudjon Bergmann

I have covenanted with my Lord that He should not send visions, or dreams or even angels! I am content with this gift of the Scriptures, which teaches and supplies all that is necessary both for this life and that which is to come. Martin Luther

Failure to put the relationship on a slower timetable may result in an act that was never intended in the first place. Another important principle is to avoid the circumstances where compromise is likely. A girl who wants to preserve her virginity should not find herself in a house or dorm room alone with someone to whom she is attracted. Nor should she single-date with someone she has reason not to trust. A guy who wants to be moral should stay away from the girl he knows would go to bed with him. Remember the words of Solomon to his son, “Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house” (Proverbs 5:8). I know this advice sounds very narrow in a day when virginity is mocked and chastity is considered old-fashioned. But I don’t apologize for it. The Scriptures are eternal, and God’s standards of right and wrong do not change with the whims of culture. He will honor and help those who are trying to follow His commandments. In fact, the apostle Paul said, “He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear” (1Corinthians 10:13). Hold that promise and continue to use your head. You’ll be glad you did. . James C. Dobson

The Holy Scriptures are words taught by the Spirit. Lailah Gifty Akita

All Christians have access to the spiritual riches found in the Scriptures, which, after all, were written amid the spiritual turmoil and social conflicts of the writers’ times. We can learn from those who went before us. James Martin

Renew your mind daily by reading the Holy Scriptures. Lailah Gifty Akita

Daily reading of scriptures is essential for your spiritual growth. Lailah Gifty Akita

The Holy Scriptures are spiritual truths. Lailah Gifty Akita

If Christians read Holy Scripture, they will grow in the Knowledge of Christ. And be filled with the grace of God. Lailah Gifty Akita

If you want to teach real religion to the kids, throw away the Bible, the Vedas, the Quran and all the scriptures, and teach them the religion of love. Abhijit Naskar

Scriptures are meant to serve humanity, not humanity to serve scriptures. Abhijit Naskar

In the hands of blood-sucking monsters a scripture becomes a weapon that takes away humanism from the heart of humans and fills them with hate, rage and selfishness, whereas, in the hands of modern human beings the same scripture can become the greatest philosophical tool to endow the species with goodness and compassion. Abhijit Naskar

The holiness of the gospel is its ability to pierced though the heart. Lailah Gifty Akita

The purest thought comes from mediation on word of God. Lailah Gifty Akita

The Scriptures are the pearls of great words. Lailah Gifty Akita

The Lord our God reigns! The Lord our God is righteous! Lailah Gifty Akita

When we observe trials and tribulations in our world, there's even more reason to lighten the heavy load. Sometimes life gets tough and it's disheartening. Never mind happiness; what we genuinely need is joy! God didn't intend for us to be sad or serious all of the time. His word in Proverbs 17:22 (ESV) says, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Dana Arcuri

Blessed is the person who desired to read the Holy Scriptures. It’s brings great reward to those who believe, trust and obey the Holy instructions. Lailah Gifty Akita

The precious promise of God’s word is light unto our path. Lailah Gifty Akita

Thy word O God is the Truth. Lailah Gifty Akita

The holiness of the gospel softens the hardness of the heart. Lailah Gifty Akita

The Holy Scripture speaks life into our lives. Lailah Gifty Akita

If we begin to study the Scriptures, our souls shall be sanctified. Lailah Gifty Akita

The Holy Bible! Lailah Gifty Akita

If we read the Scripture, we shall know what God requires of us. Lailah Gifty Akita

The sweetness of the Scripture is satisfactory to the soul. Lailah Gifty Akita

The Scripture is never subjected to one's own interpretations. Lailah Gifty Akita

If we wish to grow in grace in the knowledge of God, we must study the Scriptures. Lailah Gifty Akita

Why don't you read the Holy Bible? Lailah Gifty Akita

Study the scriptures. Lailah Gifty Akita

Read, mediate and speak the word of God into your mind, soul and spirit. Lailah Gifty Akita

Read the Scripture to renew your mind. Lailah Gifty Akita

God speak to us through dreams, prayer and reading of Holy Bible. Lailah Gifty Akita

May the Lord grant you grace to read and understand the Holy Scriptures. Lailah Gifty Akita

I believe in the word of God. Lailah Gifty Akita

God has given every man, 120 years of life on earth. It yours to possess. Lailah Gifty Akita

God has given every man, 120 years of life on earth. It is yours to possess. Lailah Gifty Akita

You ought to mediate on the Scriptures daily. Lailah Gifty Akita

Daily mediate the Holy Scriptures. Lailah Gifty Akita

Daily mediate on the Holy Scriptures. Lailah Gifty Akita

I mediate on God’s word, therefore, I have hope. Lailah Gifty Akita

Thy word O Lord is a lamp that lights my path. Lailah Gifty Akita

Self-education begins with the passion to read the Scriptures. Lailah Gifty Akita

The timeless promises of God are our confident hope. Lailah Gifty Akita

Mediate on the word of God. The well spring of life. Lailah Gifty Akita