People in general are equally horrified at hearing the Christian religion doubted, and at seeing it practiced.
—Samuel Butler
I am not a Catholic; but I consider the Christian idea, which has its roots in Greek thought and in the course of the centuries has nourished all of our European civilization, as something that one cannot renounce without becoming degraded.
—Simone Weil (1909–1943) French Philosopher, Political Activist
God doesn’t have any grandchildren.
—E. Stanley Jones (1884–1973) American Methodist Priest, Theologian
Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue with that; I’m right and I will be proved right. We’re more popular than Jesus now; I don’t know which will go first—rock and roll or Christianity.
—John Lennon (1940–80) British Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Activist
Christianity is not a theory or speculation, but a life; not a philosophy of life, but a life and a living process.
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834) English Poet, Literary Critic, Philosopher
A rule I have had for years is: to treat the Lord Jesus Christ as a personal friend. His is not a creed, a mere doctrine, but it is He Himself we have.
—Dwight L. Moody (1837–99) Christian Religious Leader, Publisher
I believe in Christianity as I believe in the rising sun; not because I see it, but by it I can see all else.
—C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) Irish-born British Academic, Author, Literary Scholar
Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion; it is like a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ.
—Billy Graham (1918–91) American Baptist Religious Leader
The most pressing question on the problem of faith is whether a man, as a civilized being, can believe in the divinity of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, for therein rests the whole of our faith.
—Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821–81) Russian Novelist, Essayist, Writer
The test of Christian character should be that a man is a joy-bearing agent to the world.
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
By a Carpenter mankind was made, and only by that Carpenter can mankind be remade.
—Desiderius Erasmus (c.1469–1536) Dutch Humanist, Scholar
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the oceans dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
—Frederick Martin Lehman
With a strong affirmation of our goodness and a gentle understanding of our weakness, God is loving us—you and me—this moment, just as we are and not as we should be.
—Brennan Manning (1934–2013) American Theologian, Author
A real Christian is a person who can give his pet parrot to the town gossip.
—Billy Graham (1918–91) American Baptist Religious Leader
Wherever there are walls I shall inscribe this eternal accusation against Christianity upon them—I can write in letters which make even the blind see. I call Christianity the one great curse, the one great intrinsic depravity, the one great instinct for revenge for which no expedient is sufficiently poisonous, secret, subterranean, petty—I call it the one immortal blemish of mankind.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
The Gateway to Christianity is not through an intricate labyrinth of dogma, but by a simple belief in the person of Christ.
—William Lyon Phelps (1865–1943) American Author, Critic, Scholar
The task and triumph of religion is to make men and nations true and just and upright in all their dealings, and to bring all law as well as all conduct into subjection and conformity to the law of God.
—Henry van Dyke Jr. (1852–1933) American Author, Educator, Clergyman
True Christianity is love in action.
—David O. McKay (1873–1970) American Mormon Religious Leader
Christianity is a battle not a dream.
—Wendell Phillips (1811–84) American Abolitionist, Lawyer, Orator
Two great European narcotics, alcohol and Christianity.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
God speaks to me not through the thunder and the earthquake, nor through the ocean and the stars, but through the Son of Man, and speaks in a language adapted to my imperfect sight and hearing.
—William Lyon Phelps (1865–1943) American Author, Critic, Scholar
There are many of us that are willing to do great things for the Lord, but few of us are willing to do little things.
—Dwight L. Moody (1837–99) Christian Religious Leader, Publisher
He spends his life explaining from his pulpit that the glory of Christianity consists in the fact that though it is not true it has been found necessary to invent it.
—Saki (Hector Hugh Munro) (1870–1916) British Short Story Writer, Satirist, Historian
Above all the grace and the gifts that Christ gives to his beloved is that of overcoming self.
—Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) Italian Monk, Founder of the Franciscan Order
I … look at Jesus and see a humanity open to all that God is—open to life, open to love and open to being.
—John Shelby Spong (1931–2021) American Episcopal Bishop
Christianity works while infidelity talks. She feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, visits and cheers the sick, and seeks the lost, while infidelity abuses her and babbles nonsense and profanity. “By their fruits ye shall know them.”
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
He who begins by loving Christianity better than truth, will proceed by loving his own sect or church better than Christianity, and end in loving himself better than all.
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834) English Poet, Literary Critic, Philosopher
The early Christian rules of life were not made to last, because the early Christians did not believe that the world itself was going to last.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
The tendency of Christian ideas is to mental growth.—The mind must expand that takes them in with cordial sympathy. The conversion of Saul of Tarsus wrought in him an intellectual as well as a moral revolution.
—Austin Phelps (1820–90) American Presbyterian Clergyman, Educator, Theologian
Faith makes a Christian. Life proves a Christian. Trial confirms a Christian. Death crowns a Christian.
—Unknown