Abraham Quote by Jenkin Lloyd Jones
“Are there not thousands who have loved virtue who did not accept Jesus Christ in any supernatural or miraculous fashion, who, if they knew of him at all, knew of him only as the Nazarene peasant - the man Jesus. Such was Abraham Lincoln, the tender prophet of the gospel of good will upon earth.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Sermon on Virtue, 1912
The quote suggests that many virtuous people lived without recognizing Jesus as a supernatural figure, yet they embodied moral goodness similar to that of Abraham Lincoln, a compassionate leader.
In simple terms: Virtuous people can exist without supernatural belief.
Key Takeaway
Recognize moral goodness regardless of religious belief.
Themes
morality
religion
leadership
historical figures
Mood
reflective
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- community building
- interfaith dialogue
- teaching ethics
- public speaking
Key Concepts
virtue
secular ethics
humanism
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we honor moral virtue across different belief systems?
- Can secular ethics inspire similar societal impact as religious teachings?
A Different Perspective
Religious perspectives may view the claim as dismissive of faith.
![“From these Christians who came to [Avalon] to escape the bigotry of their own kind I learned something, at last, of the Nazarene, the carpenter's son who had attained Godhead in his own life and preached a rule of tolerance; and so I came to see that my quarrel was never with the Christ, but with…” quote by Marion Zimmer Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3e0/marion-zimmer-bradley-2906_avalon_from-these-christians-who-came-to-avalon_1253249.jpg)
![“Donald Trump is not going to be the nominee, because we are not going to allow - people will wake up and we're not going to allow a con artist to take over the party of [Abraham] Lincoln and [Ronald] Reagan.” quote by Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c6a/marco-rubio-355_abraham_donald-trump-is-not-going-to-be-the-nomi_14750.jpg)
