Believe Quote by Barack Obama
“Where we get into problems, typically, is when our personal religious faith, or the community of faith that we participate in, tips into a sort of fundamentalist extremism, in which it's not enough for us to believe what we believe, but we start feeling obligated to, you know, hit you over the head because you don't believe the same thing. Or to treat you as somebody who's less than I am.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Remarks on Religious Extremism, 2015
Extremist faith turns belief into coercion, demeaning others and demanding conformity.
In simple terms: Faith can become oppressive when it forces others to conform.
Key Takeaway
Guard against imposing beliefs on others.
Themes
religion
extremism
respect
dialogue
Mood
concerned
reflective
Type
political
social
When to use this quote
- community gatherings
- interfaith dialogues
- political debates
- social media discussions
Key Concepts
fundamentalism
social dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we promote respectful belief sharing?
- What safeguards prevent faith from becoming coercive?
A Different Perspective
Extremism can arise from sincere belief, complicating dialogue.
![“That is another theme in the book [Dreams from My Father]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we get the black to see through the eyes of the white? Or the citizen to see through the eyes of the immigrant? Or the straight to see through the eyes of the gay? That has…” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/00d/barack-obama-17_black_that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams_10185.jpg)
