It were better to have no opinion of God at all than such a one as is unworthy of him; for the one is only belief - the other contempt.
Interpretation
It's better to have no beliefs about God than to hold an unworthy opinion about Him.
This quote by Plutarch suggests that having a low or contemptuous opinion of God is more detrimental than having no opinion whatsoever. It highlights the importance of forming respectful and worthy beliefs about divine matters, implying that the nature of one's understanding of God can reflect deeply on one's character and moral standing.
In practice
During a philosophical discussion on the nature of belief and its implications on morality, this quote can help frame the argument.
Sometimes small incidents, rather than glorious exploits, give us the best evidence of character. So, as portrait painters are more exact in doing the face, where the character is revealed, than the rest of the body, I must be allowed to give my more particular attention to the marks of the souls of men.
Come back with your shield - or on it
The richest soil, if uncultivated, produces the rankest weeds.
For the correct analogy for the mind is not a vessel that needs filling, but wood that needs igniting.
Our senses through ignorance of Reality, falsely tell us that what appears to be, is. FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real
I don't need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better.
I have gained this from philosophy: that I do without being commanded what others do only from fear of the law.
To be sure, those who are actually engaged in combat - those who actually see the maimed bodies and mourning mothers - struggle more than the rest of us to make sense of the reality of war.
Humans were denied the speech of animals. The only common ground of communication upon which dogs and men can get together is in fiction.
The humanity that is given to other people isn't given to us. There is an expendability that comes along with being African American.
Fake is as old as the Eden tree.
Doubt is part of all religion. All the religious thinkers were doubters.
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