--- title: "15 Ifs Quotes By Michael Emerson" description: "15 Ifs quotes by Michael Emerson. Plus more from Michael Emerson and more Ifs sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e6/michael-emerson-4622_african-american_every-pastor-i-talk-to-says-and-particul_2021361.jpg" --- > [Every pastor I talk to says, and particularly if they're African American they'll say, "I'm not black enough for African Americans. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/every-pastor-i-talk-to-says-and-particularly-if-they-re-african/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e6/michael-emerson-4622_african-american_every-pastor-i-talk-to-says-and-particul_2021361.jpg) > [Call-and-response style, yes, exactly. So whenever different groups get together then there has to be this long period of negotiation. How will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/call-and-response-style-yes-exactly-so-whenever-different-groups-get/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/435/michael-emerson-4622_acceptable_call-and-response-style-yes-exactly-so-w_72452.jpg) > [In part because they had no choice, right? If you were a slave, you did what the master said. And they said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/in-part-because-they-had-no-choice-right-if-you-were-a-slave-you-did/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fe/michael-emerson-4622_choices_in-part-because-they-had-no-choice-right_2815550.jpg) > [Maybe there's even anger. But if they make it through that they come to a new agreement, and they start creating a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/maybe-there-s-even-anger-but-if-they-make-it-through-that-they-come/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/783/michael-emerson-4622_agreement_maybe-there-s-even-anger-but-if-they-mak_627351.jpg) > [There's always that sense of because we're so racially defined, if you're trying to cross the boundaries you don't fit into any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/there-s-always-that-sense-of-because-we-re-so-racially-defined-if-you/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/michael-emerson-4622_boundaries_there-s-always-that-sense-of-because-we_1828138.jpg) > [So there was great clashes when, you know, if you believe you shouldn't remove your shoes and someone's taking their shoes off,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/so-there-was-great-clashes-when-you-know-if-you-believe-you-shouldn-t/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f3/michael-emerson-4622_believe_so-there-was-great-clashes-when-you-know_1366872.jpg) > [If we go into white congregations, non-whites will sometimes say it felt like worship never started. It was sort of dead and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/if-we-go-into-white-congregations-non-whites-will-sometimes-say-it/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/519/michael-emerson-4622_boundaries_if-we-go-into-white-congregations-non-wh_968436.jpg) > [We go where our family goes. We go where our friends are, and because our social networks are so segregated by race,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/we-go-where-our-family-goes-we-go-where-our-friends-are-and-because/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18a/michael-emerson-4622_ends_we-go-where-our-family-goes-we-go-where_324391.jpg) > [That's a big fear, right, and when I talk with black pastors, the same thing: If we try to have this move…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/that-s-a-big-fear-right-and-when-i-talk-with-black-pastors-the-same/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/782/michael-emerson-4622_bigs_that-s-a-big-fear-right-and-when-i-talk_1017806.jpg) > [You find the most in not any particular denomination specifically. It's the style of worship. So if we have what we call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/you-find-the-most-in-not-any-particular-denomination-specifically-it/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01f/michael-emerson-4622_amen_you-find-the-most-in-not-any-particular_1534923.jpg) > [I certainly think so, and I argue so, and I give talks on that. Are there risks by putting people together? Absolutely.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/i-certainly-think-so-and-i-argue-so-and-i-give-talks-on-that-are/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/148/michael-emerson-4622_arguing_i-certainly-think-so-and-i-argue-so-and_993758.jpg) > [If you move here from somewhere else, I often think if I move to Germany, for example, or if I move China…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/if-you-move-here-from-somewhere-else-i-often-think-if-i-move-to/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d63/michael-emerson-4622_china_if-you-move-here-from-somewhere-else-i-o_2932569.jpg) > [I mean, so if I've talked to whites in City of Refuge, sometimes they'll wonder, "Why do we do things a certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/i-mean-so-if-i-ve-talked-to-whites-in-city-of-refuge-sometimes-they/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc7/michael-emerson-4622_always-working_i-mean-so-if-i-ve-talked-to-whites-in-ci_2456114.jpg) > [Humor is so culturally based that when I try to tell a joke as me being a white American, if I tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/humor-is-so-culturally-based-that-when-i-try-to-tell-a-joke-as-me/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a6/michael-emerson-4622_african-american_humor-is-so-culturally-based-that-when-i_618810.jpg) > [So one of the profound things we found when studying these congregations, the mixed ones, is just how much overlap and interracial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/so-one-of-the-profound-things-we-found-when-studying-these/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24a/michael-emerson-4622_congregation_so-one-of-the-profound-things-we-found-w_2857668.jpg) ## Other authors on Ifs ## More by Michael Emerson > [It may be changing, but still it's the one place, that total control of an institution, that African Americans have. So sometimes, you know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/it-may-be-changing-but-still-it-s-the-one-place-that-total-control-of/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [Call-and-response style, yes, exactly. So whenever different groups get together then there has to be this long period of negotiation. How will we worship?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/call-and-response-style-yes-exactly-so-whenever-different-groups-get/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [I think people respond to villains because people in general are more villainous than heroic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/i-think-people-respond-to-villains-because-people-in-general-are-more/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [So you find a lot of these sixth Americans congregate in these interracial congregations. They hang out together at work, at school, wherever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/so-you-find-a-lot-of-these-sixth-americans-congregate-in-these/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [There are roles that are terrifying because they're large or you may feel that they're out of your line, but I'm never terrified once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/there-are-roles-that-are-terrifying-because-they-re-large-or-you-may/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [We do not have an American culture. We have a white American culture and a black American culture. So when those two groups try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/we-do-not-have-an-american-culture-we-have-a-white-american-culture/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [I think of myself as a problem-solver. I want to go in and help the director and the writer to get the best they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/i-think-of-myself-as-a-problem-solver-i-want-to-go-in-and-help-the/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [But what we found in the study is that churches are ten times less diverse than the neighborhoods they sit in. So there's something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/but-what-we-found-in-the-study-is-that-churches-are-ten-times-less/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [And different traditions stress different - so then there's that. I talked to an African American who says before she goes into an interracial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/and-different-traditions-stress-different-so-then-there-s-that-i/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [I think it's easier, I really do, because of not having that similar history, so that's why I think two-thirds of these mixed congregations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/i-think-it-s-easier-i-really-do-because-of-not-having-that-similar/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [There are three things, and it depends on the group that we're talking about, but there's history, there's culture, and then there's social networks.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/there-are-three-things-and-it-depends-on-the-group-that-we-re-talking/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [I ask the clergy why don't I see myself represented in leadership? And I'm told, and this happens quite a bit, "We don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/i-ask-the-clergy-why-don-t-i-see-myself-represented-in-leadership-and/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [I was a magazine illustrator for many years before I became an actor, and I used to think, 'Oh, God, all those wasted years!'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/i-was-a-magazine-illustrator-for-many-years-before-i-became-an-actor/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [We go where our family goes. We go where our friends are, and because our social networks are so segregated by race, we end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/we-go-where-our-family-goes-we-go-where-our-friends-are-and-because/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [This is this thing I harp on: Sometimes acting can be a self-defeating psychological enterprise if we feel like we're desperate, if we feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/this-is-this-thing-i-harp-on-sometimes-acting-can-be-a-self-defeating/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/michael-emerson/#itemlist", "name": "15 Ifs Quotes By Michael Emerson", "numberOfItems": 15, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Every pastor I talk to says, and particularly if they're African American they'll say, \"I'm not black enough for African Americans. I'm not white enough for the whites. I'm not Hispanic enough.\"", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Emerson" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/every-pastor-i-talk-to-says-and-particularly-if-they-re-african/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e6/michael-emerson-4622_african-american_every-pastor-i-talk-to-says-and-particul_2021361.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e6/michael-emerson-4622_african-american_every-pastor-i-talk-to-says-and-particul_2021361.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e6/michael-emerson-4622_african-american_every-pastor-i-talk-to-says-and-particul_2021361.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Every pastor I talk to says, and particularly if they're African American they'll say, \"I'm not black enough…” — Michael Emerson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Call-and-response style, yes, exactly. So whenever different groups get together then there has to be this long period of negotiation. How will we worship? What's acceptable? What's not? If I want to say \"Amen\" can I?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Emerson" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/call-and-response-style-yes-exactly-so-whenever-different-groups-get/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/435/michael-emerson-4622_acceptable_call-and-response-style-yes-exactly-so-w_72452.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/435/michael-emerson-4622_acceptable_call-and-response-style-yes-exactly-so-w_72452.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/435/michael-emerson-4622_acceptable_call-and-response-style-yes-exactly-so-w_72452.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Call-and-response style, yes, exactly. So whenever different groups get together then there has to be this…” — Michael Emerson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In part because they had no choice, right? If you were a slave, you did what the master said. And they said to worship: \"You're going to worship with us.\"", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Emerson" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/in-part-because-they-had-no-choice-right-if-you-were-a-slave-you-did/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fe/michael-emerson-4622_choices_in-part-because-they-had-no-choice-right_2815550.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fe/michael-emerson-4622_choices_in-part-because-they-had-no-choice-right_2815550.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fe/michael-emerson-4622_choices_in-part-because-they-had-no-choice-right_2815550.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In part because they had no choice, right? If you were a slave, you did what the master said. And they said…” — Michael Emerson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Maybe there's even anger. But if they make it through that they come to a new agreement, and they start creating a new culture, and it becomes something that people just - a lot of times they'll say, \"I couldn't live without it. I just have to be there.\"", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Emerson" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/maybe-there-s-even-anger-but-if-they-make-it-through-that-they-come/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/783/michael-emerson-4622_agreement_maybe-there-s-even-anger-but-if-they-mak_627351.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/783/michael-emerson-4622_agreement_maybe-there-s-even-anger-but-if-they-mak_627351.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/783/michael-emerson-4622_agreement_maybe-there-s-even-anger-but-if-they-mak_627351.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Maybe there's even anger. But if they make it through that they come to a new agreement, and they start…” — Michael Emerson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's always that sense of because we're so racially defined, if you're trying to cross the boundaries you don't fit into any particular space.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Emerson" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/there-s-always-that-sense-of-because-we-re-so-racially-defined-if-you/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/michael-emerson-4622_boundaries_there-s-always-that-sense-of-because-we_1828138.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/michael-emerson-4622_boundaries_there-s-always-that-sense-of-because-we_1828138.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/michael-emerson-4622_boundaries_there-s-always-that-sense-of-because-we_1828138.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There's always that sense of because we're so racially defined, if you're trying to cross the boundaries you…” — Michael Emerson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 6, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "So there was great clashes when, you know, if you believe you shouldn't remove your shoes and someone's taking their shoes off, how can they do this? That actually was such a big clash in this case that they had to put a curtain down the middle of where they would worship.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Emerson" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/so-there-was-great-clashes-when-you-know-if-you-believe-you-shouldn-t/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f3/michael-emerson-4622_believe_so-there-was-great-clashes-when-you-know_1366872.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f3/michael-emerson-4622_believe_so-there-was-great-clashes-when-you-know_1366872.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f3/michael-emerson-4622_believe_so-there-was-great-clashes-when-you-know_1366872.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“So there was great clashes when, you know, if you believe you shouldn't remove your shoes and someone's…” — Michael Emerson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 7, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If we go into white congregations, non-whites will sometimes say it felt like worship never started. It was sort of dead and didn't feel that warmly received. But so - and there are different realities either way, and it makes it difficult for all groups to try and cross boundaries.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Emerson" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/if-we-go-into-white-congregations-non-whites-will-sometimes-say-it/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/519/michael-emerson-4622_boundaries_if-we-go-into-white-congregations-non-wh_968436.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/519/michael-emerson-4622_boundaries_if-we-go-into-white-congregations-non-wh_968436.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/519/michael-emerson-4622_boundaries_if-we-go-into-white-congregations-non-wh_968436.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If we go into white congregations, non-whites will sometimes say it felt like worship never started. It was…” — Michael Emerson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We go where our family goes. We go where our friends are, and because our social networks are so segregated by race, we end up with what we have. We also find that, you know, if you're immigrants, you're not part of that history.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Emerson" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/we-go-where-our-family-goes-we-go-where-our-friends-are-and-because/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18a/michael-emerson-4622_ends_we-go-where-our-family-goes-we-go-where_324391.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18a/michael-emerson-4622_ends_we-go-where-our-family-goes-we-go-where_324391.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18a/michael-emerson-4622_ends_we-go-where-our-family-goes-we-go-where_324391.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We go where our family goes. We go where our friends are, and because our social networks are so segregated…” — Michael Emerson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That's a big fear, right, and when I talk with black pastors, the same thing: If we try to have this move towards interracial congregations, whites will just dominate then. There are so many more of them, and they're used to being in the position of power. So they'll just take over, and we'll lose the one thing we do have.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Emerson" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/that-s-a-big-fear-right-and-when-i-talk-with-black-pastors-the-same/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/782/michael-emerson-4622_bigs_that-s-a-big-fear-right-and-when-i-talk_1017806.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/782/michael-emerson-4622_bigs_that-s-a-big-fear-right-and-when-i-talk_1017806.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/782/michael-emerson-4622_bigs_that-s-a-big-fear-right-and-when-i-talk_1017806.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That's a big fear, right, and when I talk with black pastors, the same thing: If we try to have this move…” — Michael Emerson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 10, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You find the most in not any particular denomination specifically. It's the style of worship. So if we have what we call a charismatic worship style, that means upbeat music and a more lively style of preaching usually, people are allowed to clap, say \"Amen,\" whether they're mainline Protestant, conservative Protestant, and Catholics, whatever, they're much more likely to be integrated.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Emerson" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/you-find-the-most-in-not-any-particular-denomination-specifically-it/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01f/michael-emerson-4622_amen_you-find-the-most-in-not-any-particular_1534923.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01f/michael-emerson-4622_amen_you-find-the-most-in-not-any-particular_1534923.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01f/michael-emerson-4622_amen_you-find-the-most-in-not-any-particular_1534923.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You find the most in not any particular denomination specifically. It's the style of worship. So if we have…” — Michael Emerson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 11, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I certainly think so, and I argue so, and I give talks on that. Are there risks by putting people together? Absolutely. Is there value in the black church? Absolutely. Is there value in having immigrant churches? Absolutely. But if we don't have congregations gathering with people of different races, what we're doing is we are redefining racial division, a racial inequality.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Emerson" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/i-certainly-think-so-and-i-argue-so-and-i-give-talks-on-that-are/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/148/michael-emerson-4622_arguing_i-certainly-think-so-and-i-argue-so-and_993758.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/148/michael-emerson-4622_arguing_i-certainly-think-so-and-i-argue-so-and_993758.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/148/michael-emerson-4622_arguing_i-certainly-think-so-and-i-argue-so-and_993758.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I certainly think so, and I argue so, and I give talks on that. Are there risks by putting people together?…” — Michael Emerson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 12, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you move here from somewhere else, I often think if I move to Germany, for example, or if I move China and I go worship there I will understand and I'll be willing to give up a lot of my culture because I'm in somebody else's homeland. So I'm going to have to act German or Chinese, whatever that might mean.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Emerson" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/if-you-move-here-from-somewhere-else-i-often-think-if-i-move-to/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d63/michael-emerson-4622_china_if-you-move-here-from-somewhere-else-i-o_2932569.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d63/michael-emerson-4622_china_if-you-move-here-from-somewhere-else-i-o_2932569.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d63/michael-emerson-4622_china_if-you-move-here-from-somewhere-else-i-o_2932569.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you move here from somewhere else, I often think if I move to Germany, for example, or if I move China…” — Michael Emerson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 13, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I mean, so if I've talked to whites in City of Refuge, sometimes they'll wonder, \"Why do we do things a certain way, and why do we make a big deal out of events?\" And what's happening is they're falling back on their understanding of the way that church should work. It's not always working exactly like that, and they feel frustration or confusion. Sometimes people leave. That's certainly common in mixed churches.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Emerson" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/i-mean-so-if-i-ve-talked-to-whites-in-city-of-refuge-sometimes-they/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc7/michael-emerson-4622_always-working_i-mean-so-if-i-ve-talked-to-whites-in-ci_2456114.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc7/michael-emerson-4622_always-working_i-mean-so-if-i-ve-talked-to-whites-in-ci_2456114.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc7/michael-emerson-4622_always-working_i-mean-so-if-i-ve-talked-to-whites-in-ci_2456114.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I mean, so if I've talked to whites in City of Refuge, sometimes they'll wonder, \"Why do we do things a…” — Michael Emerson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 14, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Humor is so culturally based that when I try to tell a joke as me being a white American, if I tell other white Americans, they'll laugh. If I tell an African American, they might not laugh. In fact, they either might not find it funny, or they might find it offensive, and I didn't mean it to be offensive. So these are the sort of little things that build up over time, just like in a marriage. You know, the little things can build up over time.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Emerson" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/humor-is-so-culturally-based-that-when-i-try-to-tell-a-joke-as-me/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a6/michael-emerson-4622_african-american_humor-is-so-culturally-based-that-when-i_618810.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a6/michael-emerson-4622_african-american_humor-is-so-culturally-based-that-when-i_618810.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a6/michael-emerson-4622_african-american_humor-is-so-culturally-based-that-when-i_618810.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Humor is so culturally based that when I try to tell a joke as me being a white American, if I tell other…” — Michael Emerson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 15, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "So one of the profound things we found when studying these congregations, the mixed ones, is just how much overlap and interracial ties that develop not only with the people in the congregation, but they start meeting each other's families, and their friends, and they go to each other's neighborhoods if they live in different neighborhoods, and at work they meet people they wouldn't otherwise met, and so it creates a whole new definition of what the group is.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Emerson" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/so-one-of-the-profound-things-we-found-when-studying-these/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24a/michael-emerson-4622_congregation_so-one-of-the-profound-things-we-found-w_2857668.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24a/michael-emerson-4622_congregation_so-one-of-the-profound-things-we-found-w_2857668.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24a/michael-emerson-4622_congregation_so-one-of-the-profound-things-we-found-w_2857668.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“So one of the profound things we found when studying these congregations, the mixed ones, is just how much…” — Michael Emerson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/michael-emerson/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/michael-emerson/", "name": "Ifs Quotes by Michael Emerson", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/michael-emerson/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e6/michael-emerson-4622_african-american_every-pastor-i-talk-to-says-and-particul_2021361.jpg" }, "description": "15 Ifs quotes by Michael Emerson. Plus more from Michael Emerson and more Ifs sayings from other authors.", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/michael-emerson/#breadcrumb" } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/michael-emerson/#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": "Ifs", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "name": "Michael Emerson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/michael-emerson/" } ] }, { "@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 } } ] } ```