Atheist Quote by J.D. Salinger
““In the first place, I'm sort of an atheist. I like Jesus and all, but I don't care too much for most of the other stuff in the Bible. Take the Disciples, for instance. They annoy the hell out of me, if you want to know the truth. They were all right after Jesus was dead and all, but while He was alive, they were about as much use to Him as a hole in the head. All they did was keep letting Him down. I like almost anybody in the Bible better than the Disciples. If you want to know the truth, the guy I like best in the Bible, next to Jesus, was that lunatic and all, that lived in the tombs and kept cutting himself with stones. I like him ten times as much as the Disciples, that poor bastard.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Unpublished manuscript notes, 1960s
The speaker expresses admiration for Jesus but criticizes the disciples for perceived uselessness, preferring a marginal biblical figure.
In simple terms: Jesus liked, disciples disliked, prefers outcast.
Key Takeaway
Question the value of loyalty versus authenticity.
Themes
faith
disillusionment
individualism
Mood
skeptical
reflective
Type
critical
conversational
When to use this quote
- personal belief
- religious study
- literary analysis
Key Concepts
apostle critique
marginal figure
biblical interpretation
Questions to Reflect On
- What makes a follower valuable?
- How do we judge historical figures?
A Different Perspective
The disciples may have had roles not apparent to the speaker.
![“[Y]ou’re someone who took up birds in the first place because they fired your imagination; they fascinated you because ‘they seemed of all created beings the nearest to pure spirit- those little creatures with a normal temperature of 125°.” quote by J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1c6/j-d-salinger-560_animals_y-ou-re-someone-who-took-up-birds-in-the_86030.jpg)
