Identifying Big Quotes

What Book(s) Do You Quote Inspiration From?

I was recently asked via social media “How do you identify religiously?”

This is a question for the ages.

Men in rationalizing themselves and the world around them have reached into philosophy and have conjured religions from such a question.

Regarding mankind and our limited understanding, our sometimes faulty perception and our reaching into thoughts unknown, we can develop a wide array of self-perceptions and, thus, various identities.

Certain terms or phrases do allow us a way to begin to understand 'who' and 'what' we are, but not always.

For some people, they perceive themselves as nothing more than ethereal thoughts currently stuck in a body that will eventually fail and go back to its basic components (dust)... but they would be quick to deny acknowledging God (or any 'god')... perhaps even thinking themselves to be 'god' or what that notion would mean (according, of course, to their own thoughts).

Some people view themselves as an animal just above the current physical pecking order, void of spirit and void of any divine features... suspecting that the idea of 'God' is a superstition made up by others to control and triumph over mankind.

But for me, I use terms which speak to my heart and clear my mind of, what I consider faulty ideas that cause people to deny the very things (as I believe) that define their reality, their humanity and their innermost thoughts / desires, the evidence of inherent divinity.

So I answered this question with the following:

“Disciple of Christ / follower of Christ / child of God... as the Gospel would define these ideas... and other identifiers, depends on the audience (in terms of speaking from their identity).”

I was then asked “So you're not Catholic or Protestant?”

Many centuries before there was such a thing as a 'Protestant' or a 'Catholic', there were human beings who, despite sharing the same genetic code (DNA), perceived themselves as not related.

This idea was purposed for a set time, to make a clear distinction between peoples.

However, the reality of our common ancestry never being of singular origin was never honestly challenged (never a serious question).

Science has recently been making inroads into the factual reality that all of mankind shares a common matrilineal ancestry.

We are all related!

Science has finally caught up with what was proclaimed very long ago:
From one man He made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 
- Acts 17: 26
The dilemma between a matrilineal line being derived from a single man is similar to the question "what came first; the chicken or the egg"? (a blog topic for another time)

So I answered that follow-up question with the following:

“I was raised according to the Catholic ideology (parents) going to private Catholic school for six years, having been baptized according to Way as a child.

Years later, after having strayed far and away, I was then born-again at age 22 (with a Protestant-leaning church organization).

Now I identify past those two sometimes opposing ideologies, sometimes confluent stances.

In short:

Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Yeshua replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in within you." 
- Luke 17: 20-21”

The response to this answer was succinctly “Good quote!”


I must confess I am partial to such quotes.

Such quotes have formed my heart, molded my mind and broadened my view in providing a gift I cannot adequately conceptualize narrowly enough to put into words... so I share my experiences with such quotes.

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