A nation can assume that the addition of the words "under God" to its pledge of allegiance gives evidence that its citizens actually believe in God whereas all it really proves is that they believe in "believing" in God
Huston SmithRead
So always, if we look back, concern for face-to-face morality, and its modern emphasis on justice as well, have historically evolved as religious issues.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The evolution of morality and justice is deeply rooted in religious contexts.
This quote by Huston Smith suggests that our understanding of morality and the concept of justice have traditionally been intertwined with religious beliefs. It emphasizes that historical reflections on these ethical principles reveal a significant influence from religious traditions, highlighting how our moral compass has been shaped over time by religious thought and values.
Themes
MoralityJusticeReligionEthicsHistorical Evolution
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the evolution of societal values during a philosophy class.
More from Huston Smith
All quotes βOne reason education undoes belief is its teaching of evolution; Darwin's own drift from orthodoxy to agnosticism was symptomatic. Martin Lings is probably right in saying that more cases of loss of religious faith are to be traced to the theory of evolution ... than to anything else.
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The crisis that the world finds itself in as it swings on the hinge of a new millennium is located in something deeper than particular ways of organizing political systems and economies.
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...conversation can be as mutually incomprehensible as foreign languages. We need the different and complementary perspectives of the various yogas - and ideally of all religions - not only to reach God but to reach each other.
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In the post-individualistic era, science and spirituality will become allies, and human beings will realize a vast potentiality now only dimly felt.
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In nature, the emphasis is in what is rather than what ought to be.
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