“To sin by silence when they should protest, makes cowards of men.”

“My difficulties lay deeper. It was more than I could believe that Jesus was the only incarnate son of God, and that only he who believed in him would have everlasting life. If God could have sons, all of us were His sons. If Jesus was like God, or God Himself, then all men were like God and could be God Himself. My reason was not ready to believe literally that Jesus by his death and by his blood redeemed the sins of the world. Metaphorically there might be some truth in it. Again, according to Christianity only human beings had souls, and not other living beings, for whom death meant complete extinction; while I held a contrary belief. I could accept Jesus as a martyr, an embodiment of sacrifice, and a divine teacher, but not as the most perfect man ever born. His death on the Cross was a great example to the world, but that there was anything like a mysterious or miraculous virtue in it my heart could not accept. The pious lives of Christians did not give me anything that the lives of men of other faiths had failed to give. I had seen in other lives just the same reformation that I had heard of among Christians. Philosophically there was nothing extraordinary in Christian principles. From the point of view of sacrifice, it seemed to me that the Hindus greatly surpassed the Christians. It was impossible for me to regard Christianity as a perfect religion or the greatest of all religions.”

“Be grateful for the life of those who mass up challenges on the paths to your fulfillment. At least they taught you self-defense!”

“It is so shocking to find out how many people do not believe that they can learn, and how many more believe learning to be difficult.”

“many people are more comfortable with old problems than with new solutions.

“I am not what happened to me; I am what I choose to become.”

“Most of the Houses have grown fat by taking few risks. One cannot truly blame them for this; one can only despise them.”

“Pray for your enemies, and bless those who mistreat you” (see Matt. 5:44).”

“The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. PSALM 34:7”

“DAY 10 Thinking about My Purpose POINT TO PONDER: The heart of worship is surrender. VERSE TO REMEMBER: “Surrender your whole being to him to be used for righteous purposes.” ROMANS 6:13B (TEV) QUESTION TO CONSIDER: What area of my life am I holding back from God?”

“The legitimate object of government is to do for a community of people whatever they need to have done, but can not do at all, or can not so well do, for themselves – in their separate, and individual capacities.”

“The capacity to surmount failure without being discouraged is the chief asset of every person who attains outstanding success in any calling.”

“I'm a little pencil in the hand of a writing God, who is sending a love letter to the world.”

“I am fond of saying that if two people think and say the same thing about everything, then one of them is not necessary.”

“The ultimate tragedy of Birmingham was not the brutality of the bad people, but the silence of the good people.”