---
title: "1 Religious Means Quotes By William Stringfellow"
description: "1 Religious Means quotes by William Stringfellow. Plus more from William Stringfellow and more Religious Means sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be6/william-stringfellow-33326_doe_being-holy-does-not-mean-being-perfect-b_2420167.jpg"
---

> [Being holy . . . does not mean being perfect but being whole; it does not mean being exceptionally religious or being religious at all; it means being liberated from religiosity and religious pietism of any sort; it does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stringfellow/being-holy-does-not-mean-being-perfect-but-being-whole-it-does-not/)

[William Stringfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stringfellow/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be6/william-stringfellow-33326_doe_being-holy-does-not-mean-being-perfect-b_2420167.jpg)

## More by William Stringfellow

> [“When I write that my own situation in those months of pain and decision can be described as prayer, I do not only recall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stringfellow/when-i-write-that-my-own-situation-in-those-months-of-pain-and/)

[William Stringfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stringfellow/)

> [“Thus the vocation of the baptized person is a simple thing: it is to live from day to day, whatever the day brings, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stringfellow/thus-the-vocation-of-the-baptized-person-is-a-simple-thing-it-is-to/)

[William Stringfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stringfellow/)

> [Listening is a rare happening among human beings. You cannot listen to the word another is speaking if you are preoccupied with your appearance,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stringfellow/listening-is-a-rare-happening-among-human-beings-you-cannot-listen-to/)

[William Stringfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stringfellow/)

> [Where money is an idol, to be poor is a sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stringfellow/where-money-is-an-idol-to-be-poor-is-a-sin/)

[William Stringfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stringfellow/)

> [Dorothy Day, of blessed memory, did not like to be called (as she often was, for good reason) a saint, because it usually meant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stringfellow/dorothy-day-of-blessed-memory-did-not-like-to-be-called-as-she-often/)

[William Stringfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stringfellow/)

> [The Fall is where the nation is. The Fall is the locus of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stringfellow/the-fall-is-where-the-nation-is-the-fall-is-the-locus-of-america/)

[William Stringfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stringfellow/)

> [“Hence the vocation of the Church of Christ in the world, in political conflict and social strife, is inherently eschatological. The Church is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stringfellow/hence-the-vocation-of-the-church-of-christ-in-the-world-in-political/)

[William Stringfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stringfellow/)

> [Perhaps the moral ambiguity of money is most plainly evidenced in the popular belief that money itself has value and that the worth of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stringfellow/perhaps-the-moral-ambiguity-of-money-is-most-plainly-evidenced-in-the/)

[William Stringfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stringfellow/)

> [Biocides, for example, are designed to kill bacteria—it's not a benign material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stringfellow/biocides-for-example-are-designed-to-kill-bacteria-it-s-not-a-benign/)

[William Stringfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stringfellow/)

> [Being holy . . . does not mean being perfect but being whole; it does not mean being exceptionally religious or being religious at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stringfellow/being-holy-does-not-mean-being-perfect-but-being-whole-it-does-not/)

[William Stringfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stringfellow/)

> [“The separation of religion from the practical affairs of society is a convenient doctrine for those who fear that social change would threaten of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stringfellow/the-separation-of-religion-from-the-practical-affairs-of-society-is-a/)

[William Stringfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stringfellow/)

> [“Listening is a rare happening among human beings. You cannot listen to the word another is speaking if you are preoccupied with your appearance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stringfellow/listening-is-a-rare-happening-among-human-beings-you-cannot-listen-to-2/)

[William Stringfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stringfellow/)

> [The practice of the Christian life consists of the discernment of (the seeing and hearing), and the reliance upon (the reckless and uncalculating dependence),…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stringfellow/the-practice-of-the-christian-life-consists-of-the-discernment-of-the/)

[William Stringfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stringfellow/)

> [The biblical lifestyle is always a witness of resistance to the status quo in politics, economics, and all society. It is a witness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stringfellow/the-biblical-lifestyle-is-always-a-witness-of-resistance-to-the/)

[William Stringfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stringfellow/)

> [The characteristic place to find Christians is among their enemies. The first place to look for Christ is in Hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stringfellow/the-characteristic-place-to-find-christians-is-among-their-enemies/)

[William Stringfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stringfellow/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "ItemList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-means/william-stringfellow/#itemlist",
            "name": "1 Religious Means Quotes By William Stringfellow",
            "numberOfItems": 1,
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "Being holy . . . does not mean being perfect but being whole; it does not mean being exceptionally religious or being religious at all; it means being liberated from religiosity and religious pietism of any sort; it does not mean being morally better, it meas being exemplary; it does not mean being godly, but rather being truly human.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "William Stringfellow"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stringfellow/being-holy-does-not-mean-being-perfect-but-being-whole-it-does-not/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be6/william-stringfellow-33326_doe_being-holy-does-not-mean-being-perfect-b_2420167.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be6/william-stringfellow-33326_doe_being-holy-does-not-mean-being-perfect-b_2420167.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be6/william-stringfellow-33326_doe_being-holy-does-not-mean-being-perfect-b_2420167.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“Being holy . . . does not mean being perfect but being whole; it does not mean being exceptionally religious…” — William Stringfellow",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "CollectionPage",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-means/william-stringfellow/#webpage",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-means/william-stringfellow/",
            "name": "Religious Means Quotes by William Stringfellow",
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "mainEntity": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-means/william-stringfellow/#itemlist"
            },
            "primaryImageOfPage": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be6/william-stringfellow-33326_doe_being-holy-does-not-mean-being-perfect-b_2420167.jpg"
            },
            "description": "1 Religious Means quotes by William Stringfellow. Plus more from William Stringfellow and more Religious Means sayings from other authors.",
            "breadcrumb": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-means/william-stringfellow/#breadcrumb"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-means/william-stringfellow/#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": "Religious Means",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-means/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "name": "William Stringfellow",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-means/william-stringfellow/"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```