--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I can't really sit around and talk with…" description: "\"I can't really sit around and talk with people who believe that the Bible is the way it happened, because that's man-made. I'm a writer, too; that's ho..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/610/john-prine-3521_believe_i-can-t-really-sit-around-and-talk-with_345089.jpg" --- # I can't really sit around and talk with people who believe… ![“I can't really sit around and talk with people who believe that the Bible is the way it happened, because that's man-made. I'm a writer, too; that's how I look at the Bible. Like, 'I could've written a better version than that,' you know? At least a more interesting one, and then maybe more people…” quote by John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/610/john-prine-3521_believe_i-can-t-really-sit-around-and-talk-with_345089.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/610/john-prine-3521_believe_i-can-t-really-sit-around-and-talk-with_345089.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/610/john-prine-3521_believe_i-can-t-really-sit-around-and-talk-with_345089.jpg) > “I can't really sit around and talk with people who believe that the Bible is the way it happened, because that's man-made. I'm a writer, too; that's how I look at the Bible. Like, 'I could've written a better version than that,' you know? At least a more interesting one, and then maybe more people would go to church. I could definitely do a revamp.” [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker sees the Bible as a human construct, suggesting a rewritten version could be more engaging and attract more worshippers. **In simple terms:** The Bible is seen as man‑made; a new version might be better. Key Takeaway Consider how narratives shape belief. Themes religion creativity critique Mood skeptical reflective Type satirical critical When to use this quote - writing a new scripture - public speaking - religious reform - literary satire Key Concepts humanism narrative authority Questions to Reflect On - What stories could replace traditional ones? - How does authorship affect authority? A Different Perspective A revised Bible may still face doctrinal resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believe Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-bible/) [Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [Bible Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible-like-622792/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Look](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look/) [Look Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look-bible-2719106/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Written Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/written-better-373141/) ## Related quotes > [The devil knows the Bible like the back of his hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/the-devil-knows-the-bible-like-the-back-of-his-hand/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [If you look in the Bible there's no birthdays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince/if-you-look-in-the-bible-there-s-no-birthdays/) [Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince/) > [If you look at the Bible almost everything that was predicted, maybe everything, has come to pass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evel-knievel/if-you-look-at-the-bible-almost-everything-that-was-predicted-maybe/) [Evel Knievel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evel-knievel/) > [It is impossible to look into the Bible with the most ordinary attention without feeling that we have got into a moral atmosphere quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-erskine-1st-baron-erskine/it-is-impossible-to-look-into-the-bible-with-the-most-ordinary/) [Thomas Erskine, 1st Baron Erskine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-erskine-1st-baron-erskine/) > [It is a mistake to look to the Bible to close a discussion; the Bible seeks to open one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/it-is-a-mistake-to-look-to-the-bible-to-close-a-discussion-the-bible/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [Look to the Bible and not your feelings as the basis of the Christian life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/look-to-the-bible-and-not-your-feelings-as-the-basis-of-the-christian/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [“We shouldn't go to the Bible to back up what we believe. We should look to the Bible to determine what we believe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayce-o-neal/we-shouldn-t-go-to-the-bible-to-back-up-what-we-believe-we-should/) [Jayce O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayce-o-neal/) > [“look to the Bible and not my feelings as the basis of the Christian life. I've”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/look-to-the-bible-and-not-my-feelings-as-the-basis-of-the-christian/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) > [If you look at the Bible as a whole, it's redemptive and beautiful, and it's God's love story to mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shadyac/if-you-look-at-the-bible-as-a-whole-it-s-redemptive-and-beautiful-and/) [Tom Shadyac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shadyac/) > [Write how you want, the critic shall show the world you could have written better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/write-how-you-want-the-critic-shall-show-the-world-you-could-have/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [If I hadn't had my children, I wouldn't have written more and better, I would have written less and worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-laurence/if-i-hadn-t-had-my-children-i-wouldn-t-have-written-more-and-better-i/) [Margaret Laurence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-laurence/) > [The books I haven't written are better than the books other people have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/the-books-i-haven-t-written-are-better-than-the-books-other-people/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [I've never yet read a review of one of my own books that I couldn't have written much better myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/i-ve-never-yet-read-a-review-of-one-of-my-own-books-that-i-couldn-t/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Usually best quotes are those which are felt better not written better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/usually-best-quotes-are-those-which-are-felt-better-not-written-better/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [“When a day goes by and I haven't written anything, I better have been doing something worth writing about.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-s-bartlett/when-a-day-goes-by-and-i-haven-t-written-anything-i-better-have-been/) [P.S. Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-s-bartlett/) ## More by John Prine > [There's only two things. There's life, and there's death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/there-s-only-two-things-there-s-life-and-there-s-death/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [One time, I went to school, and they asked us all to find out where our roots were. It's goin' around the class, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/one-time-i-went-to-school-and-they-asked-us-all-to-find-out-where-our/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [When I turned 40, I invited Johnny Cash to my party, even though I knew there was gonna be 200 people roasting a pig…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/when-i-turned-40-i-invited-johnny-cash-to-my-party-even-though-i-knew/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [I always had an affinity for older people. I had a job delivering newspapers, and one place I had to go was an old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/i-always-had-an-affinity-for-older-people-i-had-a-job-delivering/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [It doesn't hit you until you pull up to the hospital, and you see 'cancer' in big letters, and you're the patient. Then it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/it-doesn-t-hit-you-until-you-pull-up-to-the-hospital-and-you-see/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [In high school, I was a poor student.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/in-high-school-i-was-a-poor-student/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [“I come home from work this evening there was a note in the frying pan said Fix Your Own Supper Babe I Run Off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/i-come-home-from-work-this-evening-there-was-a-note-in-the-frying-pan/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [Blow up your TV...throw away your paper...move to the country and build you a home. Plant a little garden...eat a lot of peaches...try and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/blow-up-your-tv-throw-away-your-paper-move-to-the-country-and-build/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [Howie Epstein was a kind, patient, and extremely talented musician. He took two years out of his life and dedicated his undivided attention to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/howie-epstein-was-a-kind-patient-and-extremely-talented-musician-he/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [The more producers I talked to, the more I got looked at like I was crazy for wanting to make a live-sounding album.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/the-more-producers-i-talked-to-the-more-i-got-looked-at-like-i-was/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [I was kind of shy as a lad, and a lot of things that made me laugh, I found, did not make other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/i-was-kind-of-shy-as-a-lad-and-a-lot-of-things-that-made-me-laugh-i/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [To tell you the truth, the nomination for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame totally surprised me. I had no idea that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/to-tell-you-the-truth-the-nomination-for-the-rock-and-roll-hall-of/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [I could never teach a class on songwriting. I'd tell them to goof off and find a good hideout.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/i-could-never-teach-a-class-on-songwriting-i-d-tell-them-to-goof-off/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [If somebody tells me to work or exercise, I go the other way. I'll come up with an excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/if-somebody-tells-me-to-work-or-exercise-i-go-the-other-way-i-ll-come/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [Ignorance is bliss as a writer, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/ignorance-is-bliss-as-a-writer-i-think/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) [Explore all 128 John Prine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. 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Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I can't really sit around and talk with people who believe that the Bible is the way it happened, because that's man-made. I'm a writer, too; that's how I look at the Bible. Like, 'I could've written a better version than that,' you know? At least a more interesting one, and then maybe more people would go to church. 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