--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In America most orthodox Christians…" description: "\"In America most orthodox Christians become defensive or testy when they are asked even to break into a sweat. Most of our efforts up until now have bee..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e5/cal-thomas-9453_america_in-america-most-orthodox-christians-beco_2507363.png" --- # In America most orthodox Christians become defensive or… ![“In America most orthodox Christians become defensive or testy when they are asked even to break into a sweat. Most of our efforts up until now have been more symbolic than anything else. We are great at holding conventions, gathering for strategy meetings and seminars, holding congresses on…” quote by Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e5/cal-thomas-9453_america_in-america-most-orthodox-christians-beco_2507363.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e5/cal-thomas-9453_america_in-america-most-orthodox-christians-beco_2507363.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e5/cal-thomas-9453_america_in-america-most-orthodox-christians-beco_2507363.png) > “In America most orthodox Christians become defensive or testy when they are asked even to break into a sweat. Most of our efforts up until now have been more symbolic than anything else. We are great at holding conventions, gathering for strategy meetings and seminars, holding congresses on evangelism. But where are the people to run our own antidefamation league?” [Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage criticizes the superficial, event‑focused nature of many Christian groups, urging a shift toward active, practical defense against criticism. **In simple terms:** Christians often focus on symbols rather than confronting attacks. Key Takeaway Move from symbolism to concrete action against defamation. Themes religion activism defense community strategy Mood concerned motivated critical Type practical motivational When to use this quote - church leadership - grassroots campaigns - media training - public speaking Key Concepts social engagement public witness media literacy Questions to Reflect On - What concrete steps can your community take to protect its reputation? - How can you balance worship with advocacy? A Different Perspective Symbolic actions can still have value; not all groups need a formal league. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [America Orthodox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america-orthodox-1122760/) [Antidefamation League](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antidefamation-league-1122758/) [Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Christians Defensive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christians-defensive-1122761/) [Congress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congress/) [Conventions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conventions/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Evangelism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evangelism/) [Gathering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gathering/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [League](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/league/) [Meetings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meetings/) [Orthodox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orthodox/) [Orthodox christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orthodox-christian/) [Orthodox Christians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orthodox-christians-1122759/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Seminars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seminars/) [Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy/) [Sweat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sweat/) [Symbolic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/symbolic/) ## Related quotes > [The problem with liberal Protestantism in America is not that it has not been orthodox enough, but that it has lost a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-berger/the-problem-with-liberal-protestantism-in-america-is-not-that-it-has/) [Peter L. 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The concepts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-believe-that-we-can-still-have-a-genre-of-scientific-books-suitable/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [Political journalists love graduate student intelligence, the ability to make clever allusions in seminars, and in 1999-2000 they hassled George W. Bush for not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/political-journalists-love-graduate-student-intelligence-the-ability/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [My seminars are for you. They are moments, hours and evenings outside of time. A chance, in a highly charged environment, to meditate, find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/my-seminars-are-for-you-they-are-moments-hours-and-evenings-outside/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I am devoting my lecture in this seminar to a discussion of the possibility that we are now entering a Jewish century, a time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-a-siegel/i-am-devoting-my-lecture-in-this-seminar-to-a-discussion-of-the/) [Martin A. Siegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-a-siegel/) > [If you could distill this down to a single principle its that the best marketers in the world know MARKETS first and foremost, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-marshall/if-you-could-distill-this-down-to-a-single-principle-its-that-the/) [Perry Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-marshall/) ## More by Cal Thomas > [One of the reasons people hate politics is that truth is rarely a politician's objective. Election and power are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/one-of-the-reasons-people-hate-politics-is-that-truth-is-rarely-a/) [Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/) > [The measure of a great writer is not how many weeks his books spend on the best-seller lists, but how many years his books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/the-measure-of-a-great-writer-is-not-how-many-weeks-his-books-spend/) [Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/) > [The worst thing the federal government could do is to increase the size, reach and cost of government. If government failed in its response…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/the-worst-thing-the-federal-government-could-do-is-to-increase-the/) [Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/) > [No nation can survive without passing its heritage, language and, yes, faith to the next generation. A country must be built on something substantial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/no-nation-can-survive-without-passing-its-heritage-language-and-yes/) [Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/) > [It is now possible to live a "christian life" without doing the things that Jesus commanded us to do. 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Can that founding document, which is supposed to restrain the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/does-the-u-s-constitution-stand-for-anything-in-an-era-of-government/) [Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/) > [Republicans should save the clip of Jonathan Gruber and run it over and over again in the run-up to the 2016 election. This attitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/republicans-should-save-the-clip-of-jonathan-gruber-and-run-it-over/) [Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/) > [In a free society, government reflects the soul of its people. If people want change at the top, they will have to live in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/in-a-free-society-government-reflects-the-soul-of-its-people-if/) [Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/) > [As with most things governmental, failure does not mean having to try something else. It means spending more money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/as-with-most-things-governmental-failure-does-not-mean-having-to-try/) [Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/) > [All we are asking for is balance. I would like to think that I could walk into a public library and find not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/all-we-are-asking-for-is-balance-i-would-like-to-think-that-i-could/) [Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/) > [The Obama 'stimulus' plan is a $1 trillion dollar gamble more suited to Las Vegas than Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/the-obama-stimulus-plan-is-a-1-trillion-dollar-gamble-more-suited-to/) [Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/) > [The difference between the more traditional sports clubs and Congress is that Congress doesn't really compete against another team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/the-difference-between-the-more-traditional-sports-clubs-and-congress/) [Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/) > [The courts demand that every religious person must accommodate a single atheist who might be 'offended' at the favorable mention of God's name. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/the-courts-demand-that-every-religious-person-must-accommodate-a/) [Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/) [Explore all 72 Cal Thomas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. 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