Believe in god Quote by Jon Krakauer
““…such criticism and mockery are largely beside the point. All religious belief is a function of nonrational faith. And faith, by its very definition, tends to be impervious to to intellectual argument or academic criticism. Polls routinely indicate, moreover, that nine out of ten Americans believe in God—most of us subscribe to one brand of religion or another. Those who would assail The Book of Mormon should bear in mind that its veracity is no more dubious than the veracity of the Bible, say, or the Qur'an, or the sacred texts of most other religions. The latter texts simply enjoy the considerable advantage of having made their public debut in the shadowy recesses of the ancient past, and are thus much harder to refute.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Book of Mormon Controversy, 2008
Faith operates outside rational debate; religious belief persists despite lack of empirical proof, and all major texts share similar evidentiary challenges.
In simple terms: Faith is non‑rational and hard to argue against.
Key Takeaway
Accept that belief often defies logical scrutiny.
Themes
faith
religion
skepticism
culture
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
philosophical
debate
When to use this quote
- debate
- education
- interfaith dialogue
Key Concepts
nonrational belief
public perception
historical context
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we balance respect for belief with demand for evidence?
- Can faith and reason coexist peacefully?
A Different Perspective
Faith’s resilience can impede critical inquiry.
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![“refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and I lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed one). —2 CORINTHIANS 10:5” quote by Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f85/joyce-meyer-123_knowledge-of-god_refute-arguments-and-theories-and-reason_129576.jpg)
![“But [Everett] and McCandless, at least they tried to follow their dream. That’s what was great about them. They tried. Not many do.” quote by Jon Krakauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9a0/jon-krakauer-1557_dream_but-everett-and-mccandless-at-least-they_70025.jpg)
![“Continually question climbing pursuits. Do they draw one back to the climbing community? Or do they lead along the [inner-directed] path? This questioning generates a tension that is heightened by disillusionment. Ultimately, one reaches an emptiness, and this is where our basic spontaneous nature…” quote by Jon Krakauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1db/jon-krakauer-1557_journey_continually-question-climbing-pursuits-d_78808.jpg)
