--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are many, many discrepant views…" description: "\"There are many, many discrepant views within the Shia theology about what's the proper role of religion in society or in the State, should it rule now,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/519/christopher-hitchens-117_appropriate_there-are-many-many-discrepant-views-wit_3085030.jpg" --- # There are many, many discrepant views within the Shia… ![“There are many, many discrepant views within the Shia theology about what's the proper role of religion in society or in the State, should it rule now, should it claim to govern people in the here and now, or should it wait until the Messiah, the 12th Imam, comes back and would it only be then…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/519/christopher-hitchens-117_appropriate_there-are-many-many-discrepant-views-wit_3085030.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/519/christopher-hitchens-117_appropriate_there-are-many-many-discrepant-views-wit_3085030.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/519/christopher-hitchens-117_appropriate_there-are-many-many-discrepant-views-wit_3085030.jpg) > “There are many, many discrepant views within the Shia theology about what's the proper role of religion in society or in the State, should it rule now, should it claim to govern people in the here and now, or should it wait until the Messiah, the 12th Imam, comes back and would it only be then appropriate for religious rule to bring about a world of universal justice and vindication.” [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote outlines competing Shia perspectives on whether religious authority should govern now, wait for the Messiah, or never rule, highlighting internal theological debate. **In simple terms:** Shia Islam debates the timing and scope of religious governance. Key Takeaway Consider the impact of religious rule on justice. Themes theology politics authority justice messianism Mood thoughtful critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - Political leadership - legislative policy - community organizing - interfaith dialogue - academic research Key Concepts Shia doctrine political theory theology of law Questions to Reflect On - Should religious law be applied now or postponed? - How does messianic belief affect political decisions? A Different Perspective Religious authority may be contested and fragmented, limiting consensus. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appropriate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appropriate/) [Claims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/claims/) [Here and now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/here-and-now/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Messiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/messiah/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religion in society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-in-society/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Religious Rule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-rule-5278529/) [Role Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/role-religion-316375/) [Roles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roles/) [Shia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shia/) [Shia Theology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shia-theology-5278528/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Theology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theology/) [Universal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universal/) [Views](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/views/) [Views Shia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/views-shia-5278527/) [Vindication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vindication/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [For an academic to launch a public conversation about journalistic integrity, the role of religion in society, scholarship and faith is a dream come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reza-aslan/for-an-academic-to-launch-a-public-conversation-about-journalistic/) [Reza Aslan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reza-aslan/) > [In this work (peace building), the role of religion is fundamental. It is not possible to build bridges between people while forgetting God, ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/in-this-work-peace-building-the-role-of-religion-is-fundamental-it-is/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [In George W. Bush's case, the public paid far too little attention to the role of religion in his thinking. Many voters failed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/in-george-w-bush-s-case-the-public-paid-far-too-little-attention-to/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [What role should religion play in the American public school classroom? My own knee-jerk response would be, 'none whatsoever,' but the Constitution isn't quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-moser/what-role-should-religion-play-in-the-american-public-school/) [Laura Moser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-moser/) > [I think that we are at a point in our country where we're trying to decide what role should religion play in the political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-haley/i-think-that-we-are-at-a-point-in-our-country-where-we-re-trying-to/) [Nikki Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-haley/) > [What is especially important is addressing the question of how religion can be enforced through political means and what can be done to create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-campolo/what-is-especially-important-is-addressing-the-question-of-how/) [Tony Campolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-campolo/) > [Each of us in our own way can try to spread compassion into peoples hearts. Western civilizations these days place great importance on filling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/each-of-us-in-our-own-way-can-try-to-spread-compassion-into-peoples/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [I suspect that religion is a necessary evil in the childhood of our particular species. And that's one of the interesting things about contact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/i-suspect-that-religion-is-a-necessary-evil-in-the-childhood-of-our/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [“Doing what comes naturally was (and is) no longer the appropriate response in many circumstances that arose in what had become an unnatural environment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-s-mcelvaine/doing-what-comes-naturally-was-and-is-no-longer-the-appropriate/) [Robert S. McElvaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-s-mcelvaine/) > [People of faith should not invoke the power of the state to decide what everyone can believe or think or read or do. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-kennedy/people-of-faith-should-not-invoke-the-power-of-the-state-to-decide/) [Edward Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-kennedy/) > [The real transgression occurs when religion wants government to tell citizens how to live uniquely personal parts of their lives. The failure of Prohibition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-kennedy/the-real-transgression-occurs-when-religion-wants-government-to-tell/) [Edward Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-kennedy/) > [Popular religion since the time of Kant and Fichte has gone in a direction they tried to prevent and that has been disastrous for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/popular-religion-since-the-time-of-kant-and-fichte-has-gone-in-a/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [“The crucial historical role of religion has been to give superhuman legitimacy to these fragile structures. Religions assert that our laws are not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/the-crucial-historical-role-of-religion-has-been-to-give-superhuman/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“that increasing the role of religion in society would make things worse, not better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rysa-walker/that-increasing-the-role-of-religion-in-society-would-make-things/) [Rysa Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rysa-walker/) > [With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weinberg/with-or-without-religion-you-would-have-good-people-doing-good-things/) [Steven Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weinberg/) ## More by Christopher Hitchens > [“The spirit of our accurate and exact philosophy is outraged by conclusions that contradict each other so glaringly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-spirit-of-our-accurate-and-exact-philosophy-is-outraged-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Many governments employ torture but this was the first time that the element of Saturnalia and pornography in the process had been made so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/many-governments-employ-torture-but-this-was-the-first-time-that-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ 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… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense-and-delusion-and-egomania/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [To be against rationalization is not the same as to be opposed to reasoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/to-be-against-rationalization-is-not-the-same-as-to-be-opposed-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ \[Religion\] attacks us in our deepest integrity - the core of our self-respect. Religion says that we would not know right from wrong, we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/religion-attacks-us-in-our-deepest-integrity-the-core-of-our-self/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“In the very recent past, we have seen the Church of Rome befouled by its complicity with the unpardonable sin of child rape, or,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/in-the-very-recent-past-we-have-seen-the-church-of-rome-befouled-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's surprising to me how many of my friends send Christmas cards, or holiday cards, including my atheist and secular friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-surprising-to-me-how-many-of-my-friends-send-christmas-cards-or/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Suppose there were groups of secularists at hospitals who went round the terminally ill and urged them to adopt atheism: 'Don't be a mug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/suppose-there-were-groups-of-secularists-at-hospitals-who-went-round/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [There are, after all, atheists who say they wish the fable were true but are unable to suspend the requisite disbelief, or who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-are-after-all-atheists-who-say-they-wish-the-fable-were-true/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“It isn’t so long since a test of Anglican orthodoxy was applied to anyone seeking to study or teach at Oxford and Cambridge universities.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-isn-t-so-long-since-a-test-of-anglican-orthodoxy-was-applied-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Gullibility and credulity are considered undesireable qualities in every department of human life - except religion ... Why are we praised by godly men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/gullibility-and-credulity-are-considered-undesireable-qualities-in/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's much worse to see a woman drunk than a man: I don't know quite why this is true but it just is. Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-much-worse-to-see-a-woman-drunk-than-a-man-i-don-t-know-quite/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's true that obscenity is a matter of taste and in the eye of the beholder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-true-that-obscenity-is-a-matter-of-taste-and-in-the-eye-of-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [I worked out early on to give up things I couldn't do well at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-worked-out-early-on-to-give-up-things-i-couldn-t-do-well-at-all/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Writing is what's important to me, and anything that helps me do that - or enhances and prolongs and deepens and sometimes intensifies argument…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/writing-is-what-s-important-to-me-and-anything-that-helps-me-do-that/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) [Explore all 1,241 Christopher Hitchens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## More Appropriate quotes > [“Appropriate is overrated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-w-kohlhagen/appropriate-is-overrated/) [Steven W. Kohlhagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-w-kohlhagen/) > [I was for many years myself a journalist and it is not appropriate to say a programme should not be broadcast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-monckton/i-was-for-many-years-myself-a-journalist-and-it-is-not-appropriate-to/) [Christopher Monckton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-monckton/) > [I don't think 'This Means War' is an appropriate picture to do in 3-D.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mcg/i-don-t-think-this-means-war-is-an-appropriate-picture-to-do-in-3-d/) [McG](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mcg/) > [There is no single best kind of death. A good death is one that is "appropriate" for that person. It is a death in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-s-shneidman/there-is-no-single-best-kind-of-death-a-good-death-is-one-that-is/) [Edwin S. Shneidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-s-shneidman/) > [Persons who have cleansed themselves of any transgression and who have shown their ability to deal with homosexual inclinations and put them in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/persons-who-have-cleansed-themselves-of-any-transgression-and-who/) [Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/) > [ \[T\]he appropriate form of address between man and man ought to be, not monsieur, sir, but fellow sufferer, compagnon de miseres. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/t-he-appropriate-form-of-address-between-man-and-man-ought-to-be-not/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [I would not, under any circumstances, try to impose my personal faith and belief on the rest of the country. I don't think that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edwards/i-would-not-under-any-circumstances-try-to-impose-my-personal-faith/) [John Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edwards/) > [I have no policy, for or against: only a personal style. Which is to say, I use them when I think it's appropriate to;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/i-have-no-policy-for-or-against-only-a-personal-style-which-is-to-say/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [While the intelligence profession oftentimes demands secrecy, it is critically important that there be a full and open discourse on intelligence matters with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/while-the-intelligence-profession-oftentimes-demands-secrecy-it-is/) [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) > [Computer Science is a science of abstraction -creating the right model for a problem and devising the appropriate mechanizable techniques to solve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-aho/computer-science-is-a-science-of-abstraction-creating-the-right-model/) [Alfred Aho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-aho/) > [For Father's Day, my kids always give me a bottle of cologne called English Leather. It's appropriate! To them I always smell like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/for-father-s-day-my-kids-always-give-me-a-bottle-of-cologne-called/) [Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/) > [As Mayor, I will fully support my Arts Commission and its professional selection committees so that they can commission a full range of public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-newsom/as-mayor-i-will-fully-support-my-arts-commission-and-its-professional/) [Gavin Newsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-newsom/) > [I'm very sensitive in real life. I cannot not cry if someone around me is crying. I will start to cry if someone is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-chastain/i-m-very-sensitive-in-real-life-i-cannot-not-cry-if-someone-around-me/) [Jessica Chastain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-chastain/) > [Hate demands existence, and he who hates has to show his hate in appropriate actions and behaviors; in a sense, he has to become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frantz-fanon/hate-demands-existence-and-he-who-hates-has-to-show-his-hate-in/) [Frantz Fanon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frantz-fanon/) > [A reader does not suddenly comprehend what is being read or studied, in a snap, miraculously. Comprehension needs to be worked forged, by those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/a-reader-does-not-suddenly-comprehend-what-is-being-read-or-studied/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) [Browse all 1,130 Appropriate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appropriate/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are many, many discrepant views within the Shia theology about what's the proper role of religion in society or in the State, should it rule now, should it claim to govern people in the here and now, or should it wait until the Messiah, the 12th Imam, comes back and would it only be then appropriate for religious rule to bring about a world of universal justice and vindication.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Christopher Hitchens" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-are-many-many-discrepant-views-within-the-shia-theology-about/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Appropriate" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-are-many-many-discrepant-views-within-the-shia-theology-about/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/519/christopher-hitchens-117_appropriate_there-are-many-many-discrepant-views-wit_3085030.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/519/christopher-hitchens-117_appropriate_there-are-many-many-discrepant-views-wit_3085030.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/519/christopher-hitchens-117_appropriate_there-are-many-many-discrepant-views-wit_3085030.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There are many, many discrepant views within the Shia theology about what's the proper role of religion in…” — Christopher Hitchens", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Christopher Hitchens", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There are many, many discrepant views...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-are-many-many-discrepant-views-within-the-shia-theology-about/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-are-many-many-discrepant-views-within-the-shia-theology-about/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```