---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes I talk to religious people…"
description: "\"Sometimes I talk to religious people about my column or what I do, and I ask them to, you know, read 20 or 30 of them and then come tell me that the me..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac5/dan-savage-2880_columns_sometimes-i-talk-to-religious-people-abo_1300952.jpg"
---

#  Sometimes I talk to religious people about my column or…

![“Sometimes I talk to religious people about my column or what I do, and I ask them to, you know, read 20 or 30 of them and then come tell me that the message at the heart of every column isn't, 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' In every possible sense.” quote by Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac5/dan-savage-2880_columns_sometimes-i-talk-to-religious-people-abo_1300952.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac5/dan-savage-2880_columns_sometimes-i-talk-to-religious-people-abo_1300952.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac5/dan-savage-2880_columns_sometimes-i-talk-to-religious-people-abo_1300952.jpg)

> “Sometimes I talk to religious people about my column or what I do, and I ask them to, you know, read 20 or 30 of them and then come tell me that the message at the heart of every column isn't, 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' In every possible sense.”

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He challenges people to recognize that the core moral teaching is the Golden Rule, even if they claim otherwise.

**In simple terms:** The main message is treating others as you want to be treated.

Key Takeaway

Check if your actions reflect the Golden Rule.

Themes

ethics communication religion media selfreflection

Mood

thoughtful critical inquisitive

Type

philosophical analytical

When to use this quote

- column writing
- religious dialogue
- media interviews

Key Concepts

moral philosophy interpersonal dynamics public discourse

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you practice the Golden Rule in daily life?
- How do you address contradictions in moral teachings?

A Different Perspective

Some may argue moral teachings are more nuanced than a single rule.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Column Ask](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/column-ask-4271629/) [Columns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/columns/) [Do unto others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/do-unto-others/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Message Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/message-heart-577324/) [Messages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/messages/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Column](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-column-4271630/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Religious people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-people/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Talk Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talk-religious-606109/)

## Related quotes

> [We do not credit to the ideal of religious freedom when we talk as though religious belief is something of which public-spirited adults should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-l-carter/we-do-not-credit-to-the-ideal-of-religious-freedom-when-we-talk-as/)

[Stephen L. Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-l-carter/)

> [I don't talk about my religious or political beliefs on twitter because it doesn't matter. What I believe isn't going to affect any of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-talk-about-my-religious-or-political-beliefs-on-twitter/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I am not going to talk about religious beliefs, but about matters so obvious that it has gone out of style to mention them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/i-am-not-going-to-talk-about-religious-beliefs-but-about-matters-so/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [My HANDS never feelPAIN while typing message for you. . But My HEART alwayz feel PAIN when there is no reply from you..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akbar-mansuri/my-hands-never-feelpain-while-typing-message-for-you-but-my-heart/)

[Akbar Mansuri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akbar-mansuri/)

> [“This is a message from your heart Your most devoted body part Taking blood and making art This is a message from your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kina-grannis/this-is-a-message-from-your-heart-your-most-devoted-body-part-taking/)

[Kina Grannis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kina-grannis/)

> [You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ford/you-can-speak-well-if-your-tongue-can-deliver-the-message-of-your/)

[John Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ford/)

> […I was searching for you. I knew I would meet you around the corner. My blessings were drawing me in a straight line to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/i-was-searching-for-you-i-knew-i-would-meet-you-around-the-corner-my/)

[Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/)

> [“O mere mercy… message: My heart longs to hear... Through all these Wind whispers Rain recalls Crickets cry Damp and dark I sit here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akram/o-mere-mercy-message-my-heart-longs-to-hear-through-all-these-wind/)

[Akram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akram/)

> [Behind every open heart is a story. Tell yours with my Open Heart collection. There are millions of reasons to give one, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-seymour/behind-every-open-heart-is-a-story-tell-yours-with-my-open-heart/)

[Jane Seymour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-seymour/)

> [My hands never pain when typing message for you.. But my heart always pain when there is no reply from you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/green-monk/my-hands-never-pain-when-typing-message-for-you-but-my-heart-always/)

[Green Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/green-monk/)

> [There's a big mistake the left has made with talking to religious people, which is attempting to talk them out of their interpretations of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/there-s-a-big-mistake-the-left-has-made-with-talking-to-religious/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [If we can manage to refrain from harming others in our everyday actions and words, we can start to give more serious attention to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/if-we-can-manage-to-refrain-from-harming-others-in-our-everyday/)

[Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/)

> [You can have the 'golden rule' - do unto others as you would have others do unto you. But then you take it one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-beals/you-can-have-the-golden-rule-do-unto-others-as-you-would-have-others/)

[Jennifer Beals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-beals/)

> [That which you do not wish for yourself, do not impose on others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umar/that-which-you-do-not-wish-for-yourself-do-not-impose-on-others/)

[Umar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umar/)

> [The fact is, society is made more hospitable by every individual who acts as if 'do unto others' really was a rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/the-fact-is-society-is-made-more-hospitable-by-every-individual-who/)

[Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/)

## More by Dan Savage

> [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [Bisexuals need to recognize that their being closeted is a huge contributing factor to the hostility they face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/bisexuals-need-to-recognize-that-their-being-closeted-is-a-huge/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [Really, when it comes to gay rights, there's two wars going on. The first war is political. But the culture war is over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/really-when-it-comes-to-gay-rights-there-s-two-wars-going-on-the/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [I get letters every year from women who think Valentine's Day is an empty exercise, but are ironically pretty exercised when their boyfriends neglect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/i-get-letters-every-year-from-women-who-think-valentine-s-day-is-an/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [I'm allergic to dogs, so I couldn't even adopt what gay men typically adopt when they have that maternal gene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/i-m-allergic-to-dogs-so-i-couldn-t-even-adopt-what-gay-men-typically/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [And that really captures the difference for the bullied straight kid versus the bullied gay kid, is that the bullied straight kid goes home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/and-that-really-captures-the-difference-for-the-bullied-straight-kid/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [I'm one of those gay people who's constantly reminded of how fortunate I am to live now and not to be Ennis and Jack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/i-m-one-of-those-gay-people-who-s-constantly-reminded-of-how/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [I think the best thing for you to do is just live your life. Live a life that's worth living, one where you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/i-think-the-best-thing-for-you-to-do-is-just-live-your-life-live-a/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [the Bible is only as good and decent as the person reading it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/the-bible-is-only-as-good-and-decent-as-the-person-reading-it/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [There's a big mistake the left has made with talking to religious people, which is attempting to talk them out of their interpretations of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/there-s-a-big-mistake-the-left-has-made-with-talking-to-religious/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [The mistake that straight people made was imposing the monogamous expectation on men. Men were never expected to be monogamous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/the-mistake-that-straight-people-made-was-imposing-the-monogamous/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [I got picked on a lot, even by teachers too. I liked to listen to musicals and bake, and my homeroom teacher found out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/i-got-picked-on-a-lot-even-by-teachers-too-i-liked-to-listen-to/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [“Either way... you've got to tell him--in no uncertain terms--to knock it the fuck off already. Don't be measured, don't wrap it up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/either-way-you-ve-got-to-tell-him-in-no-uncertain-terms-to-knock-it/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [I wanted to be a priest when I was a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/i-wanted-to-be-a-priest-when-i-was-a-kid/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [When you're young and queer and closeted, you can end up in this place where you regard your straight peers as the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/when-you-re-young-and-queer-and-closeted-you-can-end-up-in-this-place/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

[Explore all 147 Dan Savage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

## More Columns quotes

> [I think the most important way to understand play is that it's this property that's in things. Like there's play in a mechanism. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-bogost/i-think-the-most-important-way-to-understand-play-is-that-it-s-this/)

[Ian Bogost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-bogost/)

> [This hype word bothers me though It always sounds like an accusation, what does it mean, advertising, column inches in the press? Bands themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-johnson/this-hype-word-bothers-me-though-it-always-sounds-like-an-accusation/)

[Holly Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-johnson/)

> [Now I'm instantly nervous about the demands of doing a weekly column.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-bremner/now-i-m-instantly-nervous-about-the-demands-of-doing-a-weekly-column/)

[Rory Bremner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-bremner/)

> [The young man shivered. He rolled the stock themes of fantasy over in his mind: cars and stockbrokers and commuters, housewives and police, agony…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-young-man-shivered-he-rolled-the-stock-themes-of-fantasy-over-in/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [Equal and united people can above all become a part of the civilization toward which mankind is moving. If we cannot be at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slobodan-milosevi/equal-and-united-people-can-above-all-become-a-part-of-the/)

[Slobodan Milosević](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slobodan-milosevi/)

> [The sadness from reading letters that you know you can't help because it's a person who's in extremis and their problems are not soluble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-yoffe/the-sadness-from-reading-letters-that-you-know-you-can-t-help-because/)

[Emily Yoffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-yoffe/)

> [History fades into fable; fact becomes clouded with doubt and controversy; the inscription molders from the tablet: the statue falls from the pedestal. Columns,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/history-fades-into-fable-fact-becomes-clouded-with-doubt-and/)

[Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/)

> [When the landscape buckles and jerks around, when a dust column of debris rises from the collapse of a block of buildings on bodies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/when-the-landscape-buckles-and-jerks-around-when-a-dust-column-of/)

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

> [It's nice to know that if you've worked really hard at something, it gets recognised with a tick in the success column - however…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-fraser/it-s-nice-to-know-that-if-you-ve-worked-really-hard-at-something-it/)

[Brendan Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-fraser/)

> [I find interesting characters or lessons that resonate with people and sometimes I write about them in the sports pages, sometimes I write them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/i-find-interesting-characters-or-lessons-that-resonate-with-people/)

[Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/)

> [Probably also due to the political situation getting just worse and more extreme, but also this distance and this sadness of this feeling that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sayed-kashua/probably-also-due-to-the-political-situation-getting-just-worse-and/)

[Sayed Kashua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sayed-kashua/)

> [Public life, politics and industry should all of them be within our sphere of influence… If we are to infiltrate the professional and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawlings-rees/public-life-politics-and-industry-should-all-of-them-be-within-our/)

[John Rawlings Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawlings-rees/)

> [What a fantastic honour to be given the opportunity to write a column in the first ever 'Sunday Sun.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sentamu/what-a-fantastic-honour-to-be-given-the-opportunity-to-write-a-column/)

[John Sentamu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sentamu/)

> [Often, the truly great and valuable lessons we learn in life are learned through pain. That's why they call it "growing pains." It's all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-drescher/often-the-truly-great-and-valuable-lessons-we-learn-in-life-are/)

[Fran Drescher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-drescher/)

> [Donald Trump announced his no Muslims are allowed to come to the United States plan and that led to one of the greatest tweets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/donald-trump-announced-his-no-muslims-are-allowed-to-come-to-the/)

[Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/)

[Browse all 380 Columns quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/columns/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Sometimes I talk to religious people about my column or what I do, and I ask them to, you know, read 20 or 30 of them and then come tell me that the message at the heart of every column isn't, 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' In every possible sense.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Dan Savage"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/sometimes-i-talk-to-religious-people-about-my-column-or-what-i-do-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Columns"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/sometimes-i-talk-to-religious-people-about-my-column-or-what-i-do-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac5/dan-savage-2880_columns_sometimes-i-talk-to-religious-people-abo_1300952.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac5/dan-savage-2880_columns_sometimes-i-talk-to-religious-people-abo_1300952.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac5/dan-savage-2880_columns_sometimes-i-talk-to-religious-people-abo_1300952.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Sometimes I talk to religious people about my column or what I do, and I ask them to, you know, read 20 or…” — Dan Savage",
                "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": "Dan Savage",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Sometimes I talk to religious people...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/sometimes-i-talk-to-religious-people-about-my-column-or-what-i-do-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/sometimes-i-talk-to-religious-people-about-my-column-or-what-i-do-and/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
