Air Quote by Henry David Thoreau
“The New Testament is an invaluable book, though I confess to having been slightly prejudiced against it in my very early days by the church and the Sabbath school, so that it seemed, before I read it, to be the yellowest book in the catalogue. Yet I early escaped from their meshes. It was hard to get the commentaries out of one's head and taste its true flavor. [...] It would be a poor story to be prejudiced against the Life of Christ because the book has been edited by Christians.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Walden, Henry David Thoreau, 1854
Recognizing that personal bias can cloud our judgment of sacred texts, but open reading reveals deeper truth.
In simple terms: Bias can hide a book’s value; reading openly uncovers it.
Key Takeaway
Read beyond preconceptions.
Themes
bias
faith
interpretation
growth
Mood
thoughtful
reflective
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- religious study
- personal reflection
- academic research
Key Concepts
prejudice
spiritual insight
critical reading
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you confront your own biases?
- What steps help you see a text’s true value?
A Different Perspective
Bias may persist despite effort to overcome it.
![“Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs [Less Developed Countries]?... I think the economic logic behind dumping a load of toxic waste in the lowest wage country is impeccable and we should face up to that... I’ve always…” quote by Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ac4/lawrence-summers-16940_air_just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-wo_4703.jpg)
![“[A]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air. And be careful what you swallow.” quote by Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/da8/dr-seuss-1224_advice_a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-f_6806.jpg)