--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They cannot make it say what they want it…" description: "\"They cannot make it say what they want it to say. And this is the beginning and the end of the case for retaining the old language: If the churches giv..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fac/clifford-longley-78269_church_they-cannot-make-it-say-what-they-want-i_2016409.jpg" --- # They cannot make it say what they want it to say. And this… ![“They cannot make it say what they want it to say. And this is the beginning and the end of the case for retaining the old language: If the churches give it up, who will remember how to say what is said?” quote by Clifford Longley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fac/clifford-longley-78269_church_they-cannot-make-it-say-what-they-want-i_2016409.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fac/clifford-longley-78269_church_they-cannot-make-it-say-what-they-want-i_2016409.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fac/clifford-longley-78269_church_they-cannot-make-it-say-what-they-want-i_2016409.jpg) > “They cannot make it say what they want it to say. And this is the beginning and the end of the case for retaining the old language: If the churches give it up, who will remember how to say what is said?” [Clifford Longley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifford-longley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He warns that losing old language erodes cultural memory and expression. **In simple terms:** Old language preserves cultural memory. Key Takeaway Protect linguistic heritage. Themes culture language heritage Mood reflective concerned Type cultural linguistic When to use this quote - education curricula - community workshops - archival projects Key Concepts semantic continuity historical linguistics Questions to Reflect On - What languages are at risk? - How can we balance change and preservation? A Different Perspective Language evolution is natural; preservation may resist progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Churches Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/churches-remember-3628027/) [Language Churches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language-churches-3628026/) [Old Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-language-718861/) [Remember Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember-say/) [Want Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-say/) ## Related quotes > [“In the Old Language, she hissed, "If any harm shall befall him, I will come after you, and find where you sleep. I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/in-the-old-language-she-hissed-if-any-harm-shall-befall-him-i-will-2/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [I don't remake any movie, whether old or of other language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahesh-babu/i-don-t-remake-any-movie-whether-old-or-of-other-language/) [Mahesh Babu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahesh-babu/) > [The necessity of poetry has to be stated over and over, but only to those who have reason to fear its power, or those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/the-necessity-of-poetry-has-to-be-stated-over-and-over-but-only-to/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [Even God had a Welsh name : He spoke to him in the old language; He was to have a peculiar care For the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-s-thomas/even-god-had-a-welsh-name-he-spoke-to-him-in-the-old-language-he-was/) [R. S. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-s-thomas/) > [“There is no better recreation for the mind than the study of the ancient classics. Take any one of them into your hand, be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/there-is-no-better-recreation-for-the-mind-than-the-study-of-the/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [Bilingualism lets you have your cake and eat it. The new language opens the doors to the best jobs in society; the old language…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crystal/bilingualism-lets-you-have-your-cake-and-eat-it-the-new-language/) [David Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crystal/) > [We're caught in the pace of modern living - this emphasis on the "quick take," on the magazine that says it will take you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-clarke-sayers/we-re-caught-in-the-pace-of-modern-living-this-emphasis-on-the-quick/) [Frances Clarke Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-clarke-sayers/) > [I think poetry is as old as language, and both come out of the same thing - an effort to try to express something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-merwin/i-think-poetry-is-as-old-as-language-and-both-come-out-of-the-same/) [W. S. Merwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-merwin/) > [Remember these, never say I love you if you dont care. Never talk about feelings if they arent really there, never touch a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/strawberry/remember-these-never-say-i-love-you-if-you-dont-care-never-talk-about/) [Strawberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/strawberry/) > [“You won’t remember, they say, when someone drifts away. One minute you are talking about life’s greatest adventures and listening to mixtapes on Monday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-peppernell/you-won-t-remember-they-say-when-someone-drifts-away-one-minute-you/) [Courtney Peppernell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-peppernell/) > [“Remember: If you see something, say nothing, and drink to forget. The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fink/remember-if-you-see-something-say-nothing-and-drink-to-forget-the/) [Joseph Fink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fink/) > [And remember this...never say I love you, if you don't really care...never talk about feelings, if they aren't really there...never touch a life, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-remember-this-never-say-i-love-you-if-you-don-t-really-care-never/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There's a fundamental difference between how often men remember to say 'I love you' and how often women want to hear 'I love you.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-young/there-s-a-fundamental-difference-between-how-often-men-remember-to/) [Brett Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-young/) > [“Remember this-- say it & know it is true: Alice loves me Alice loves me and I am not blamed for this. ... she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/remember-this-say-it-know-it-is-true-alice-loves-me-alice-loves-me/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [The world will not remember what you say, but it will certainly not forget what you have done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/the-world-will-not-remember-what-you-say-but-it-will-certainly-not/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) ## More by Clifford Longley > [John Henry Newman was as English as roast beef, even if he lacked a passion for cricket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifford-longley/john-henry-newman-was-as-english-as-roast-beef-even-if-he-lacked-a/) [Clifford Longley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifford-longley/) > [Its language is as bare as a monk's cell, and as uninviting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifford-longley/its-language-is-as-bare-as-a-monk-s-cell-and-as-uninviting/) [Clifford Longley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifford-longley/) [Explore all 3 Clifford Longley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifford-longley/) ## More Church quotes > [While the 1963 Birmingham church bombing is the most historic, there also was a series of church burnings in the 1990s. Recognition of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/while-the-1963-birmingham-church-bombing-is-the-most-historic-there/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [Turn over the pages of history and read the damning record of the church's opposition to every advance in every field of science. . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upton-sinclair/turn-over-the-pages-of-history-and-read-the-damning-record-of-the/) [Upton Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upton-sinclair/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [God is not calling us to go to church; he is calling us to be his church, the hope of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/god-is-not-calling-us-to-go-to-church-he-is-calling-us-to-be-his/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) > [The emerging church movement has come to believe that the ultimate context of the spiritual aspirations of a follower of Jesus Christ is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-selmanovic/the-emerging-church-movement-has-come-to-believe-that-the-ultimate/) [Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [Worship is not about personality, temperament, personal limitations, church background, or comfort. It is about God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wimber/worship-is-not-about-personality-temperament-personal-limitations/) [John Wimber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wimber/) > [A beggarly people, A church and no steeple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/a-beggarly-people-a-church-and-no-steeple/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The religion of art, like the religion of politics, was born from the ruins of Christianity. Art inherited from the old religion the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/the-religion-of-art-like-the-religion-of-politics-was-born-from-the/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [The minute you walk outside of your church on Sunday you're in mission territory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barron/the-minute-you-walk-outside-of-your-church-on-sunday-you-re-in/) [Robert Barron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barron/) > [I'm not ashamed of the things I believe and why I believe them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/i-m-not-ashamed-of-the-things-i-believe-and-why-i-believe-them/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) [Browse all 9,430 Church quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "They cannot make it say what they want it to say. And this is the beginning and the end of the case for retaining the old language: If the churches give it up, who will remember how to say what is said?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Clifford Longley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifford-longley/they-cannot-make-it-say-what-they-want-it-to-say-and-this-is-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Church" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifford-longley/they-cannot-make-it-say-what-they-want-it-to-say-and-this-is-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fac/clifford-longley-78269_church_they-cannot-make-it-say-what-they-want-i_2016409.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fac/clifford-longley-78269_church_they-cannot-make-it-say-what-they-want-i_2016409.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fac/clifford-longley-78269_church_they-cannot-make-it-say-what-they-want-i_2016409.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“They cannot make it say what they want it to say. And this is the beginning and the end of the case for…” — Clifford Longley", "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": "Clifford Longley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifford-longley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "They cannot make it say what...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifford-longley/they-cannot-make-it-say-what-they-want-it-to-say-and-this-is-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifford-longley/they-cannot-make-it-say-what-they-want-it-to-say-and-this-is-the/#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 } } ] } ```