I have no argument with those who see in organized religion a template or an imperative to live life according to a prescribed set of beliefs. Just give others the room, within the laws of civil society, to believe or not believe whatever they like.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the importance of respecting individual beliefs while acknowledging the structure that organized religion provides for some.
Michael J. Fox encourages a balance between personal beliefs and the acceptance of differing perspectives. He recognizes the value that organized religion can provide for some individuals in guiding their lives, but also insists on the need for tolerance and freedom of belief within a civil society, allowing everyone to choose their own spiritual path without interference.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech promoting interfaith dialogue and understanding.
I find as long as I acknowledge the truth of something, then that's it. I know what it is and then I can operate. But if I overestimate the downside of something or the challenge of something and I get too obsessed about the difficulty of it, then I don't leave enough room to be open to the upside, the possibility.
My whole life, meeting people is like a blind date, because I feel like they've already seen the video on me.
There are no moments you have frozen in amber. It's moving, it's changing, so appreciate what's good about right now and be ready for what's next.
There's always failure. And there's always disappointment. And there's always loss. But the secret is learning from the loss, and realizing that none of those holes are vacuums.
Certainly people have a lot tougher situations than I've had to deal with. But I will say we are all dying from the moment we are born. This is not just rehearsal.
I'm a dad, I'm a husband, I'm an activist, I'm a writer and I'm just a student of the world.
Mom said, "His spirit is there," and that made me really angry. I told her, "Dad didn't have a spirit! He had cells!" "His memory is there." "His memory is here," I said, pointing at my head. "Dad had a spirit," she said, like she was rewinding a bit in our conversation. I told her, "He had cells, and now they're on rooftops, and in the river, and in the lungs of millions of people around New York, who breathe him every time they speak!
...the most obvious, ubiquitous, important realities are often the ones that are hardest to see and talk about.
It is the nature of all greatness not to be exact.
You become like what you worship. When you gaze in awe, admiration, and wonder at something or someone, you begin to take on something of the character of the object of your worship.
While the notion that torture works has been glorified in television shows and movies, the simple truth is this: torture has never been an effective interrogation method.
Demands for solidarity can quickly turn into demands for groupthink, making it difficult to express nuance.
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