--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Church must be all-powerful. You…" description: "\"The Church must be all-powerful. You discover these horrors within institutions because predators find ways of hiding in plain sight.\" — Alex Gibney" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/742/alex-gibney-7495_church_the-church-must-be-all-powerful-you-disc_2333760.jpg" --- # The Church must be all-powerful. You discover these… ![“The Church must be all-powerful. You discover these horrors within institutions because predators find ways of hiding in plain sight.” quote by Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/742/alex-gibney-7495_church_the-church-must-be-all-powerful-you-disc_2333760.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/742/alex-gibney-7495_church_the-church-must-be-all-powerful-you-disc_2333760.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/742/alex-gibney-7495_church_the-church-must-be-all-powerful-you-disc_2333760.jpg) > “The Church must be all-powerful. You discover these horrors within institutions because predators find ways of hiding in plain sight.” [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Institutions can hide horrors because powerful predators exploit their authority and secrecy. **In simple terms:** Powerful institutions can conceal abuse, allowing predators to hide. Key Takeaway Demand transparency and accountability in institutions. Themes power abuse institutional failure Mood urgent concerned Type activist investigative When to use this quote - corporate governance - church leadership - law enforcement - community safety Key Concepts sociology ethics Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms can expose hidden abuses? - How can individuals safely report misconduct? A Different Perspective Change may be slow due to entrenched interests. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Hiding in plain sight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hiding-in-plain-sight/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/) [Institutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutions/) [Predator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/predator/) [Predators](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/predators/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [The state within a state is hiding mostly in plain sight,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-lofgren/the-state-within-a-state-is-hiding-mostly-in-plain-sight/) [Mike Lofgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-lofgren/) > [Metaphors hide in plain sight, and their influence is largely unconscious. We should mind our metaphors, though, because metaphors make up our minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-geary/metaphors-hide-in-plain-sight-and-their-influence-is-largely/) [James Geary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-geary/) > [“There is an old phrase, ‘hiding in plain sight.’ This is where we find the loved one we miss so much. All we need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-barbara-apollon/there-is-an-old-phrase-hiding-in-plain-sight-this-is-where-we-find/) [Susan Barbara Apollon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-barbara-apollon/) > [There are rules for hiding in plain sight. The first rule, or at least the one that Sandor repeats most often, is “Don’t be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittacus-lore/there-are-rules-for-hiding-in-plain-sight-the-first-rule-or-at-least/) [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) > [There is no immortality that is not built on friendship and work done with care. All the secrets in the world worth knowing are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/there-is-no-immortality-that-is-not-built-on-friendship-and-work-done-2/) [Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) > [There is an old saying: If you want to hide the treasure, put it in plain sight. Then no one will see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-dossey/there-is-an-old-saying-if-you-want-to-hide-the-treasure-put-it-in/) [Larry Dossey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-dossey/) > [“All the secrets of the world worth knowing are hiding in plain sight.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/all-the-secrets-of-the-world-worth-knowing-are-hiding-in-plain-sight/) [Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) > [“I’m hiding in plain sight. I’m right behind my clone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-m-hiding-in-plain-sight-i-m-right-behind-my-clone/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [This is an occupation known as painting, which calls for imagination, and skill of hand, in order to discover things not seen, hiding themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cennino-cennini/this-is-an-occupation-known-as-painting-which-calls-for-imagination/) [Cennino Cennini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cennino-cennini/) > [There is no immortality that is not built on friendship and work done with care. All the secrets in the world worth knowing are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/there-is-no-immortality-that-is-not-built-on-friendship-and-work-done/) [Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) > [That's another one of Sandor's rules for hiding in plain sight: always appear to be weaker than I actually am. Never push it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittacus-lore/that-s-another-one-of-sandor-s-rules-for-hiding-in-plain-sight-always/) [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) > [Christian Science has been enormously influential in our religious history, and the church is very powerful. It has won an extraordinary number of legal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-fraser/christian-science-has-been-enormously-influential-in-our-religious/) [Caroline Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-fraser/) > [“This is a time of intense divine activity, as we are entering an age of escalating confrontation between the kingdom of God and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-mendez-ferrell/this-is-a-time-of-intense-divine-activity-as-we-are-entering-an-age/) [Ana Mendez Ferrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-mendez-ferrell/) > [The church persecuted is the church pure, and the church pure is the church powerful. I believe that Americans by and large have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/the-church-persecuted-is-the-church-pure-and-the-church-pure-is-the/) [Adrian Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/) > [“In America, we are entitled to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." There is no such expression in France. In fact, in France,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-cat-callan/in-america-we-are-entitled-to-life-liberty-and-the-pursuit-of/) [Jamie Cat Callan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-cat-callan/) ## More by Alex Gibney > [Many people, including myself, thought of Jobs as an inventor, an Edison-like figure, but he wasn't. I did a documentary on James Brown recently;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/many-people-including-myself-thought-of-jobs-as-an-inventor-an-edison/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) > [Jobs' incredible skill was as a storyteller, a salesman. He could captivate our imaginations and reel us in. He was more P.T. Barnum than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/jobs-incredible-skill-was-as-a-storyteller-a-salesman-he-could/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) > [The internet connects us all and provides this fabulous fact-checking mechanism, and yet at the same time, the power of lies is conveyed much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/the-internet-connects-us-all-and-provides-this-fabulous-fact-checking/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) > [With every project I start out on, there's no footage. It's always a big slog to find the footage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/with-every-project-i-start-out-on-there-s-no-footage-it-s-always-a/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) > [Bill Gates, who is the classic computer nerd, as opposed to Steve who is, like the coolest guy in the world. And who is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/bill-gates-who-is-the-classic-computer-nerd-as-opposed-to-steve-who/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) > [If people are portrayed as monsters, we become disconnected from them, and to me that is not remotely interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/if-people-are-portrayed-as-monsters-we-become-disconnected-from-them/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) > [Even with a villain, you don't want him just to be some pockmarked punchbag.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/even-with-a-villain-you-don-t-want-him-just-to-be-some-pockmarked/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) > [You see the natural progression of what happens when the executive gets power and then a new executive comes in. The new executive doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/you-see-the-natural-progression-of-what-happens-when-the-executive/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) > [The Barack Obama Administration has prosecuted more whistleblowers than all previous administrations combined. That's a staggering record. And it comes from a president who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/the-barack-obama-administration-has-prosecuted-more-whistleblowers/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) > [In the case of the Catholic Church, it's hard to understand how they so willfully sacrifice the children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/in-the-case-of-the-catholic-church-it-s-hard-to-understand-how-they/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) > [I feel that Julian Assange came to be both paranoid and self-regarding in ways that ultimately undermined his own mission. And so, the transparency…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/i-feel-that-julian-assange-came-to-be-both-paranoid-and-self/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) > [It's hard to make a living doing documentaries. Frankly, if it takes you five years to do a film, and that's the only film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/it-s-hard-to-make-a-living-doing-documentaries-frankly-if-it-takes/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) > [I'm a sports junkie, and I am interested in athletic will - how you exceed the expectations of your own performance when it counts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/i-m-a-sports-junkie-and-i-am-interested-in-athletic-will-how-you/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) > [To get discounts on some drugs, private insurers are willing to pay top prices for blockbuster pharmaceuticals like Vioxx, despite the fact that Vioxx…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/to-get-discounts-on-some-drugs-private-insurers-are-willing-to-pay/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) > [The sex abuse crisis in the Catholic Church is the result of what police call "noble cause corruption," the belief that because you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/the-sex-abuse-crisis-in-the-catholic-church-is-the-result-of-what/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) [Explore all 90 Alex Gibney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) ## More Church quotes > [While the 1963 Birmingham church bombing is the most historic, there also was a series of church burnings in the 1990s. Recognition of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/while-the-1963-birmingham-church-bombing-is-the-most-historic-there/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [Turn over the pages of history and read the damning record of the church's opposition to every advance in every field of science. . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upton-sinclair/turn-over-the-pages-of-history-and-read-the-damning-record-of-the/) [Upton Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upton-sinclair/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [God is not calling us to go to church; he is calling us to be his church, the hope of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/god-is-not-calling-us-to-go-to-church-he-is-calling-us-to-be-his/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) > [The emerging church movement has come to believe that the ultimate context of the spiritual aspirations of a follower of Jesus Christ is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-selmanovic/the-emerging-church-movement-has-come-to-believe-that-the-ultimate/) [Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [Worship is not about personality, temperament, personal limitations, church background, or comfort. It is about God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wimber/worship-is-not-about-personality-temperament-personal-limitations/) [John Wimber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wimber/) > [A beggarly people, A church and no steeple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/a-beggarly-people-a-church-and-no-steeple/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The religion of art, like the religion of politics, was born from the ruins of Christianity. Art inherited from the old religion the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/the-religion-of-art-like-the-religion-of-politics-was-born-from-the/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [The minute you walk outside of your church on Sunday you're in mission territory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barron/the-minute-you-walk-outside-of-your-church-on-sunday-you-re-in/) [Robert Barron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barron/) > [I'm not ashamed of the things I believe and why I believe them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/i-m-not-ashamed-of-the-things-i-believe-and-why-i-believe-them/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) [Browse all 9,430 Church quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Church must be all-powerful. 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