May Quote by Christopher Hitchens
“When Maimonides says that the Messiah will come but that 'he may tarry,' we see the origin of every Jewish shrug from Spinoza to Woody Allen.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Messiah and the Jewish Shrug,” 2002
Jewish hesitation about the Messiah reflects a historical pattern of skeptical humor.
In simple terms: Jewish shrug stems from historical skepticism.
Key Takeaway
Recognize humor in theological debates.
Themes
theology
skepticism
culture
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
philosophical
scholarly
When to use this quote
- interfaith dialogues
- academic lectures
- literary analysis
Key Concepts
historical criticism
philosophy of religion
humor studies
Questions to Reflect On
- Why does humor persist in religious discourse?
- How does skepticism shape belief?
A Different Perspective
Humor may downplay serious theological concerns.
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![“It's [Los Angeles] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them aren't even young and beautiful now.” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a86/christopher-hitchens-117_beautiful_it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense_10462.jpg)
![“[Religion] attacks us in our deepest integrity - the core of our self-respect. Religion says that we would not know right from wrong, we would not know an evil, wicked act from a decent human act without divine permission, without divine authority or without, even worse, either the fear of a…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ab6/christopher-hitchens-117_action_religion-attacks-us-in-our-deepest-integ_23299.jpg)
