Compassion is the key in Islam and Buddhism and Judaism and Christianity. They are profoundly similar.
Karen ArmstrongRead
Creation stories had never been regarded as historically accurate; their purpose was therapeutic. But once you start reading Genesis as scientifically valid, you have bad science and bad religion.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Creation stories serve a therapeutic purpose rather than a literal truth. Viewing them as scientifically valid undermines both faith and reason.
In this quote, Karen Armstrong emphasizes that creation stories, such as those found in Genesis, are not intended to be taken as scientifically accurate accounts of history. Instead, their primary function is to provide comfort and meaning to human existence. When individuals attempt to interpret these narratives within a scientific framework, it leads to a conflict that diminishes the value of both science and faith, as each has its own unique context and purpose.
Themes
CreationStoriesScienceReligionMeaning
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the role of mythology in culture, this quote can provide insight into the therapeutic nature of stories.
More from Karen Armstrong
All quotes βYet a personal God can become a grave liability. He can be a mere idol carved in our own image, a projection of our limited needs, fears and desires. We can assume that he loves what we love and hates what we hate, endorsing our prejudices instead of compelling us to transcend them.
Karen ArmstrongRead
When violence becomes imbedded in a region, then this affects everything. It affects your dreams, your fantasies and relationships, and your religion becomes violent, too.
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Far from being the father of jihad, [Prophet] Mohammad was a peacemaker, who risked his life and nearly lost the loyalty of his closest companions because he was determined to effect a reconciliation with Mecca
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Yes, all fundamentalists feel that in a secular society, God has been relegated to the margin, to the periphery and they are all in different ways seeking to drag him out of that peripheral position, back to center stage.
Karen ArmstrongRead
Religion is a search for transcendence. But transcendence isn't necessarily sited in an external god, which can be a very unspiritual, unreligious concept.
Karen ArmstrongRead
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