---
title: "1 Belief Don Quotes By John Shelby Spong"
description: "1 Belief Don quotes by John Shelby Spong. Plus more from John Shelby Spong and more Belief Don sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/john-shelby-spong-1488_abortion_you-need-to-identify-the-values-that-com_1133735.jpg"
---

> [You need to identify the values that come out of that kind of belief system, because I don't see them. All the polls I look at say, for example, that adultery is committed as much in the Bible Belt as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/you-need-to-identify-the-values-that-come-out-of-that-kind-of-belief/)

[John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/john-shelby-spong-1488_abortion_you-need-to-identify-the-values-that-com_1133735.jpg)

## More by John Shelby Spong

> [The way that I see Christianity is that its role is to enhance the life of every person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-way-that-i-see-christianity-is-that-its-role-is-to-enhance-the/)

[John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/)

> [The Sins of Scripture is an interesting title; most people don't put sins and scripture together in the same title. It jars people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-sins-of-scripture-is-an-interesting-title-most-people-don-t-put/)

[John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/)

> [“When a human life is open to all that humanity can be, humanity and divinity flow together as one. It was and is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/when-a-human-life-is-open-to-all-that-humanity-can-be-humanity-and/)

[John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/)

> [I don't see Jesus as rescuing the fallen; I see Jesus as expanding the potential of life. The primary reason the old idea of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-don-t-see-jesus-as-rescuing-the-fallen-i-see-jesus-as-expanding-the/)

[John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/)

> [The Bible interprets life from its particular perspective; it does not record in a factual way the human journey through history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-bible-interprets-life-from-its-particular-perspective-it-does-not/)

[John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/)

> [My basis of morality is this: does this action enhance life, or does it denigrate life? Does it build up or does it tear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/my-basis-of-morality-is-this-does-this-action-enhance-life-or-does-it/)

[John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/)

> [I want the traditional family upheld, but I don't want it upheld to the detriment of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-want-the-traditional-family-upheld-but-i-don-t-want-it-upheld-to/)

[John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/)

> [We live in a very pluralistic society today. There are Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, atheists, Roman Catholics, Evangelical Christians, and Christians like me. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/we-live-in-a-very-pluralistic-society-today-there-are-buddhists/)

[John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/)

> [The Bible was written between 3,000 and 2,000 years ago, and it's filled with the knowledge that people had in that period of time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-bible-was-written-between-3-000-and-2-000-years-ago-and-it-s/)

[John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/)

> [We are in a survival mentality, and that's hard-wired into our humanity, because we are the winners of an evolutionary struggle of millions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/we-are-in-a-survival-mentality-and-that-s-hard-wired-into-our/)

[John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/)

> [Some people think prayer stops bullets or rockets or land mines. It doesn't. That's magic, that's not God. Sometimes, you're just in the wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/some-people-think-prayer-stops-bullets-or-rockets-or-land-mines-it/)

[John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/)

> [The Hebrew scriptures say it's okay to enslave anybody except your fellow Jews. It says you should enslave only your neighbors. I say to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-hebrew-scriptures-say-it-s-okay-to-enslave-anybody-except-your/)

[John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/)

> [ I know Jerry \[Falwell\] fairly well, and he's probably not bright enough to recognize all of the implications of what he said. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-know-jerry-falwell-fairly-well-and-he-s-probably-not-bright-enough/)

[John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/)

> [Benedict XVI kept saying that homosexuals are deviant. They're not deviant. They're deviant only if you say that anyone who is different from me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/benedict-xvi-kept-saying-that-homosexuals-are-deviant-they-re-not/)

[John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/)

> [ I find it fascinating that Paul \[the apostol\], writing to the Galatians, responds to the question, "What does it mean to live in Christ?"… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-find-it-fascinating-that-paul-the-apostol-writing-to-the-galatians/)

[John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "ItemList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief-don/john-shelby-spong/#itemlist",
            "name": "1 Belief Don Quotes By John Shelby Spong",
            "numberOfItems": 1,
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "You need to identify the values that come out of that kind of belief system, because I don't see them. All the polls I look at say, for example, that adultery is committed as much in the Bible Belt as in any other part of the country. The same goes for abortion, child abuse, spouse abuse or murder.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "John Shelby Spong"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/you-need-to-identify-the-values-that-come-out-of-that-kind-of-belief/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/john-shelby-spong-1488_abortion_you-need-to-identify-the-values-that-com_1133735.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/john-shelby-spong-1488_abortion_you-need-to-identify-the-values-that-com_1133735.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/john-shelby-spong-1488_abortion_you-need-to-identify-the-values-that-com_1133735.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“You need to identify the values that come out of that kind of belief system, because I don't see them. All…” — John Shelby Spong",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "CollectionPage",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief-don/john-shelby-spong/#webpage",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief-don/john-shelby-spong/",
            "name": "Belief Don Quotes by John Shelby Spong",
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "mainEntity": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief-don/john-shelby-spong/#itemlist"
            },
            "primaryImageOfPage": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/john-shelby-spong-1488_abortion_you-need-to-identify-the-values-that-com_1133735.jpg"
            },
            "description": "1 Belief Don quotes by John Shelby Spong. Plus more from John Shelby Spong and more Belief Don sayings from other authors.",
            "breadcrumb": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief-don/john-shelby-spong/#breadcrumb"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief-don/john-shelby-spong/#breadcrumb",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Topics",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Belief Don",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief-don/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "name": "John Shelby Spong",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief-don/john-shelby-spong/"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
