--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For what, in actual practice, should the…" description: "\"“For what, in actual practice, should the critical, mature modernist Christian do when, for instance, he gathers his children around him to celebrate C..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/anne-roche-muggeridge-196660_christianity_for-what-in-actual-practice-should-the-c_475112.jpg" --- # For what, in actual practice, should the critical, mature… ![“For what, in actual practice, should the critical, mature modernist Christian do when, for instance, he gathers his children around him to celebrate Christmas? Should he read Luke's Christmas Gospel and sing the Christmas carols as if they were true, even though he believes them to be crude and…” quote by Anne Roche Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/anne-roche-muggeridge-196660_christianity_for-what-in-actual-practice-should-the-c_475112.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/anne-roche-muggeridge-196660_christianity_for-what-in-actual-practice-should-the-c_475112.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/anne-roche-muggeridge-196660_christianity_for-what-in-actual-practice-should-the-c_475112.jpg) > ““For what, in actual practice, should the critical, mature modernist Christian do when, for instance, he gathers his children around him to celebrate Christmas? Should he read Luke's Christmas Gospel and sing the Christmas carols as if they were true, even though he believes them to be crude and primitive theology? After all, the rest of his society has no scruples about doing this, the pagans and the department stores. Or if this seems too cynical, too dishonest, ought he rather, in the manner of early socialist Sunday schools, to devise a passionately rationalist catechesis, swap German for German, chant a passage from Bultmann instead of 'Joy to the World!'; ought he rather to gather his little ones about the Crib, light the candles, and read Raymond Brown instead of St. Luke on the virginal conception of Jesus: 'My judgment in conclusion is that the totality of the scientifically controllable evidence leaves an unresolved problem.' How their eyes will shine, how their little hearts will burn within them as they hear these holy words! How touched they will all be as the littlest child reverently places a shining question mark in the empty manger. And how they will rejoice when they find their stockings, which they have hung up to a Protestant parody of a Catholic bishop, stuffed with subscriptions to 'Concilium,' 'Catholic Update,' 'National Catholic Reporter,' and 'The Tablet.”” Anne Roche Muggeridge ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern Christians must reconcile faith traditions with contemporary honesty, balancing ritual with sincere belief. **In simple terms:** Faith and honesty must coexist. Key Takeaway Find authentic ways to practice belief. Themes faith honesty tradition Mood thoughtful conflicted Type Christianity:1 Joy to the world:0 Question mark:0 Protestant Parody:0 Modernist Christian:0 Parody Catholic:0 Rationalist Catechesis:0 Read Luke:0 When to use this quote - church services - family holidays - personal study Key Concepts theology modernity integrity Questions to Reflect On - How can you honor tradition sincerely? - What honest expressions of faith work for you? A Different Perspective Ritual may feel superficial without belief. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Joy to the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy-to-the-world/) ## Related quotes > [Joy is a sustained sense of well-being and internal peace - a connection to what matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/joy-is-a-sustained-sense-of-well-being-and-internal-peace-a/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [“Walter Issacson biographer of Steve Jobs: I remember sitting in his backyard in his garden, one day, and he started talking about God. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/walter-issacson-biographer-of-steve-jobs-i-remember-sitting-in-his/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [I don't have much time for the 'sad clown' thing. 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Keep your nose to the joy trail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buffy-sainte-marie/you-have-to-sniff-out-joy-keep-your-nose-to-the-joy-trail/) [Buffy Sainte-Marie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buffy-sainte-marie/) > [“let's do something cheerful all your designs are about captivity, it depresses me. 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Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) [Browse all 14,385 Christianity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“For what, in actual practice, should the critical, mature modernist Christian do when, for instance, he gathers his children around him to celebrate Christmas? Should he read Luke's Christmas Gospel and sing the Christmas carols as if they were true, even though he believes them to be crude and primitive theology? After all, the rest of his society has no scruples about doing this, the pagans and the department stores. Or if this seems too cynical, too dishonest, ought he rather, in the manner of early socialist Sunday schools, to devise a passionately rationalist catechesis, swap German for German, chant a passage from Bultmann instead of 'Joy to the World!'; ought he rather to gather his little ones about the Crib, light the candles, and read Raymond Brown instead of St. Luke on the virginal conception of Jesus: 'My judgment in conclusion is that the totality of the scientifically controllable evidence leaves an unresolved problem.' How their eyes will shine, how their little hearts will burn within them as they hear these holy words! How touched they will all be as the littlest child reverently places a shining question mark in the empty manger. 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