--- title: "13 Want Quotes By John Shelby Spong" description: "13 Want quotes by John Shelby Spong. Plus more from John Shelby Spong and more Want sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/319/john-shelby-spong-1488_dieting_you-can-t-have-a-world-where-50-percent_2147801.png" --- > [You can't have a world where 50 percent of the people are dieting and 50 percent of the people are starving if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/you-can-t-have-a-world-where-50-percent-of-the-people-are-dieting-and/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/319/john-shelby-spong-1488_dieting_you-can-t-have-a-world-where-50-percent_2147801.png) > [I don't want a God that would go around killing people's little girls. Neither do I want a God who would kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-don-t-want-a-god-that-would-go-around-killing-people-s-little-girls/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df5/john-shelby-spong-1488_girl_i-don-t-want-a-god-that-would-go-around_3165737.png) > [My sense is if the Episcopal Church can't stand challenge within its own ranks, then it is not a church I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/my-sense-is-if-the-episcopal-church-can-t-stand-challenge-within-its/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d7/john-shelby-spong-1488_challenges_my-sense-is-if-the-episcopal-church-can_1232265.png) > [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/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2d/john-shelby-spong-1488_family_i-want-the-traditional-family-upheld-but_63541.png) > [The Christ path is the path I've walked all my life, so it's normal and natural. And I have no reason to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-christ-path-is-the-path-i-ve-walked-all-my-life-so-it-s-normal/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d06/john-shelby-spong-1488_abandon_the-christ-path-is-the-path-i-ve-walked_1922470.png) > [If you want to be a Roman Catholic scholar and write, you've got to write in such a way that nobody understands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/if-you-want-to-be-a-roman-catholic-scholar-and-write-you-ve-got-to/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/john-shelby-spong-1488_catholic_if-you-want-to-be-a-roman-catholic-schol_655676.png) > [I look at American Christianity and I'm almost in despair. I don't want to be identified with it. The Christian vote in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-look-at-american-christianity-and-i-m-almost-in-despair-i-don-t/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a38/john-shelby-spong-1488_abortion_i-look-at-american-christianity-and-i-m_425324.png) > [The Hebrew scriptures say it's okay to enslave anybody except your fellow Jews. It says you should enslave only your neighbors. I…](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/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/275/john-shelby-spong-1488_bible_the-hebrew-scriptures-say-it-s-okay-to-e_85991.png) > [To have a great university library near you with plenty of archives of all the journals that you want to research in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/to-have-a-great-university-library-near-you-with-plenty-of-archives/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c7/john-shelby-spong-1488_archives_to-have-a-great-university-library-near_2226382.jpg) > [If I want to put a Christmas tree in my yard, or three crosses for the crucifixion story, that's fine. But if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/if-i-want-to-put-a-christmas-tree-in-my-yard-or-three-crosses-for-the/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77e/john-shelby-spong-1488_christmas-tree_if-i-want-to-put-a-christmas-tree-in-my_2573677.png) > [I have no problem with anybody who wants to bear public witness to their religion, but I don't think they can do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-have-no-problem-with-anybody-who-wants-to-bear-public-witness-to/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9af/john-shelby-spong-1488_bears_i-have-no-problem-with-anybody-who-wants_2841769.jpg) > [I was raised pretty much a fundamentalist, but the one thing that fundamentalism gave to me was the love for that book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-was-raised-pretty-much-a-fundamentalist-but-the-one-thing-that/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a39/john-shelby-spong-1488_blame_i-was-raised-pretty-much-a-fundamentalis_1327561.png) > [I want to see Christianity enhance our humanity instead of rescue us from some fall. I don't want us to be depending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-want-to-see-christianity-enhance-our-humanity-instead-of-rescue-us/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8f/john-shelby-spong-1488_body_i-want-to-see-christianity-enhance-our-h_1104000.png) ## Other authors on Want ## 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/want/john-shelby-spong/#itemlist", "name": "13 Want Quotes By John Shelby Spong", "numberOfItems": 13, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You can't have a world where 50 percent of the people are dieting and 50 percent of the people are starving if you want stability.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Shelby Spong" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/you-can-t-have-a-world-where-50-percent-of-the-people-are-dieting-and/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/319/john-shelby-spong-1488_dieting_you-can-t-have-a-world-where-50-percent_2147801.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/319/john-shelby-spong-1488_dieting_you-can-t-have-a-world-where-50-percent_2147801.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/319/john-shelby-spong-1488_dieting_you-can-t-have-a-world-where-50-percent_2147801.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can't have a world where 50 percent of the people are dieting and 50 percent of the people are starving…” — John Shelby Spong", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't want a God that would go around killing people's little girls. 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I don't want to be identified with it. The Christian vote in America is an anti-abortion, anti-homosexual vote. I consider that to be anti-female and anti-gay, and I don't want to be identified with a God who is anti-anything.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Shelby Spong" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-look-at-american-christianity-and-i-m-almost-in-despair-i-don-t/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a38/john-shelby-spong-1488_abortion_i-look-at-american-christianity-and-i-m_425324.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a38/john-shelby-spong-1488_abortion_i-look-at-american-christianity-and-i-m_425324.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a38/john-shelby-spong-1488_abortion_i-look-at-american-christianity-and-i-m_425324.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I look at American Christianity and I'm almost in despair. I don't want to be identified with it. The…” — John Shelby Spong", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "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 people that means Mexicans and Canadians are a bit at risk if we want to be literal about the Bible.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Shelby Spong" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-hebrew-scriptures-say-it-s-okay-to-enslave-anybody-except-your/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/275/john-shelby-spong-1488_bible_the-hebrew-scriptures-say-it-s-okay-to-e_85991.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/275/john-shelby-spong-1488_bible_the-hebrew-scriptures-say-it-s-okay-to-e_85991.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/275/john-shelby-spong-1488_bible_the-hebrew-scriptures-say-it-s-okay-to-e_85991.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The Hebrew scriptures say it's okay to enslave anybody except your fellow Jews. It says you should enslave…” — John Shelby Spong", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To have a great university library near you with plenty of archives of all the journals that you want to research in the twentieth century is a remarkable asset, and I spend a day, maybe two days a week in that library. I just plain love it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Shelby Spong" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/to-have-a-great-university-library-near-you-with-plenty-of-archives/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c7/john-shelby-spong-1488_archives_to-have-a-great-university-library-near_2226382.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c7/john-shelby-spong-1488_archives_to-have-a-great-university-library-near_2226382.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c7/john-shelby-spong-1488_archives_to-have-a-great-university-library-near_2226382.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To have a great university library near you with plenty of archives of all the journals that you want to…” — John Shelby Spong", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 10, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I want to put a Christmas tree in my yard, or three crosses for the crucifixion story, that's fine. But if I try to use public property or a public school as a way to impress my religion on other people, I think that violates the constitution.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Shelby Spong" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/if-i-want-to-put-a-christmas-tree-in-my-yard-or-three-crosses-for-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77e/john-shelby-spong-1488_christmas-tree_if-i-want-to-put-a-christmas-tree-in-my_2573677.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77e/john-shelby-spong-1488_christmas-tree_if-i-want-to-put-a-christmas-tree-in-my_2573677.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77e/john-shelby-spong-1488_christmas-tree_if-i-want-to-put-a-christmas-tree-in-my_2573677.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If I want to put a Christmas tree in my yard, or three crosses for the crucifixion story, that's fine. 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The difficulty is that I've read it all, I didn't skip around, I read it all, and when you read it all, you can't take it literally because you don't want to blame God for a lot of stuff that occurs in that book. 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I don't want us to be depending on this supernatural God up in the sky; I want us to recognize that God is part of who we are and that we have to live out the meaning of God with other people. That means we must live in mutual respect and interdependence; it means we have to limit our own desires in order for the body politic to survive.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Shelby Spong" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-want-to-see-christianity-enhance-our-humanity-instead-of-rescue-us/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8f/john-shelby-spong-1488_body_i-want-to-see-christianity-enhance-our-h_1104000.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8f/john-shelby-spong-1488_body_i-want-to-see-christianity-enhance-our-h_1104000.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8f/john-shelby-spong-1488_body_i-want-to-see-christianity-enhance-our-h_1104000.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I want to see Christianity enhance our humanity instead of rescue us from some fall. 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