He will wipe the tears from all faces.' It takes nothing from the loveliness of the verse to say that is exactly what will be required
Marilynne RobinsonRead
It seems to me there is less meanness in atheism, by a good measure. It seems that the spirit of religious self-righteousness this article deplores is precisely the spirit in which it is written. Of course he's right about many things, one of them being the destructive potency of religious self-righteousness. (p. 146)
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques religious self-righteousness and suggests atheism may embody less egoism.
In this quote, Marilynne Robinson expresses a perspective on the nature of atheism versus religious belief. She posits that atheism, potentially lacking the fervent moral superiority that can accompany religious conviction, is less mean-spirited. Robinson points out that the self-righteousness often associated with religious adherence can lead to destructive behavior, contrasting it with a more open-minded or compassionate approach found in atheism.
Themes
AtheismSelf-RighteousnessReligionCompassionBelief
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate on morality, one could use this quote to illustrate the perils of self-righteousness in religious discussions.
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Every single one of us is a little civilization built on the ruins of any number of preceding civilizations, but with our own variant notions of what is beautiful and what is acceptable - which, I haste to add, we generally do not satisfy and by which we struggle to live.
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