Millions of Christians and Muslims now organize their lives around prophetic traditions that will only find fulfillment once rivers of blood begin flowing from Jerusalem.[2]
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Some religious groups organize around prophecies that predict violent conflict in Jerusalem as a sign of divine fulfillment.
- In plain terms
- Certain believers await a violent event in Jerusalem as a necessary sign of their prophecies coming true.
- What can you take from it?
- Apocalyptic beliefs can motivate people to organize their lives around future violence.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do literal interpretations of prophecy affect real-world behavior?
- Can peaceful interpretations of prophecy exist alongside violent ones?
Another view
Not all believers interpret prophecies literally or act on them violently.
More from Sam Harris
Fundamentalist Christians support Israel because they believe that the final consolidation of Jewish power in the Holy Land-specifically, the rebuilding of Sol…
Permalink to quote #89 We can no longer ignore the fact that billions of our neighbors believe in the metaphysics of martyrdom, or in the literal truth of the book of Revelation, or …
Permalink to quote #91 If Jesus does come down out of the clouds like a superhero, Christianity will stand revealed as a science. That will be the science of Christianity.
Permalink to quote #88
Related quotes
In a word, no forcible conversions, no massacres, no destruction of temples. ... Muslim historians of those times are in raptures at the heap of Kafirs [sic] w…
Arun ShourieArun Shourie quote #1 Many of us saw religion as harmless nonsense. Beliefs might lack all supporting evidence but, we thought, if people needed a crutch for consolation, where's th…
Richard DawkinsRichard Dawkins quote #2 The Old Testament is a chronicle of horrors, describing an egocentric collection of supernatural beings who were always doing rotten things to gentle souls lik…
John KeelJohn Keel quote #3