Bible Quote by Alan Wilson Watts
““Irrevocable commitment to any religion is not only intellectual suicide; it is positive unfaith because it closes the mind to any new vision of the world. Faith is, above all, open-ness—an act of trust in the unknown. An ardent Jehovah’s Witness once tried to convince me that if there were a God of love, he would certainly provide mankind with a reliable and infallible textbook for the guidance of conduct. I replied that no considerate God would destroy the human mind by making it so rigid and unadaptable as to depend upon one book, the Bible, for all the answers. For the use of words, and thus of a book, is to point beyond themselves to a world of life and experience that is not mere words or even ideas. Just as money is not real, consumable wealth, books are not life. To idolize scriptures is like eating paper currency.””
About This Quote
Source Lecture: The Nature of Faith, Alan Watts, 1975
Rigid adherence to a single scripture limits openness; true faith is trust in the unknown and adaptability.
In simple terms: Faith is openness, not dogma.
Key Takeaway
Embrace flexible belief.
Themes
religion
open‑mindedness
faith
Mood
contemplative
critical
Type
philosophical
spiritual
When to use this quote
- personal growth
- interfaith dialogue
- education
- spiritual practice
Key Concepts
existentialism
philosophy
Questions to Reflect On
- What does openness in faith look like?
- How can we balance tradition with new ideas?
A Different Perspective
Dogmatic belief can hinder critical thinking.
