I'm a person who has always believed that you tell people the truth, and they'll make reasonable decisions. Truth is powerful.
John F. KerryRead
But I can tell you what I believe: When tens of thousands of innocent souls have perished in Darfur-when 11 million children are without health insurance-when our colossal debt subjects our economic future to the whims of Asian bankers-no one can tell me that faith demands this Senate spend its time arguing over a handful of judges. No one with those priorities can use my faith to intimidate me.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of prioritizing pressing humanitarian issues over political debates.
John F. Kerry's quote expresses his strong belief that the suffering of innocent people, such as those affected by the crisis in Darfur and children lacking health insurance, should take precedence over partisan arguments about judicial appointments. Kerry asserts that using faith as a means to divert attention from such critical social issues is unacceptable, suggesting that true faith should inspire compassion and action towards alleviating human suffering.
Themes
FaithHumanitarianPrioritiesJusticePolitics
In practice
Example use cases
During a debate on social justice, you could reference this quote to highlight the need for addressing fundamental human rights.
More from John F. Kerry
All quotes →Confronting climate change is, in the long run, one of the greatest challenges that we face, and you can see this duty or responsibility laid down in scriptures, clearly.
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Unlike Washington, which is stuck in ideological gridlock, Americans feel the impact of climate change in their own hometowns and they know something must be done.
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Here I am in the state of New Mexico. George Bush is still in the state of denial. New Mexico has five electoral votes. The state of denial has none. I like my chances.
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Democracy relies on free speech. Yes, say anything you want, but it relies even more on the speech being truthful. It is the truth, after all, that sets us free.
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War should be not a war of choice; it should be a war of necessity. And it should be a last resort.
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