--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What I really wish is that religious…" description: "\"“What I really wish is that religious leaders could truly understand what the Bible is and stop trying to use it for hatred. I wish they could just sto..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9a/judith-e-snow-78729_bible_what-i-really-wish-is-that-religious-lea_2999561.jpg" --- # What I really wish is that religious leaders could truly… ![“What I really wish is that religious leaders could truly understand what the Bible is and stop trying to use it for hatred. I wish they could just stop hiding behind the Bible and live up to the fact that what they really stand for when they are bashing gays is small-minded bigotry.” quote by Judith E. Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9a/judith-e-snow-78729_bible_what-i-really-wish-is-that-religious-lea_2999561.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9a/judith-e-snow-78729_bible_what-i-really-wish-is-that-religious-lea_2999561.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9a/judith-e-snow-78729_bible_what-i-really-wish-is-that-religious-lea_2999561.jpg) > ““What I really wish is that religious leaders could truly understand what the Bible is and stop trying to use it for hatred. I wish they could just stop hiding behind the Bible and live up to the fact that what they really stand for when they are bashing gays is small-minded bigotry.”” [Judith E. Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-e-snow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Religious leaders should interpret scripture compassionately rather than weaponizing it against marginalized groups. **In simple terms:** Leaders should use the Bible to promote love, not hatred. Key Takeaway Advocate for inclusive, compassionate faith. Themes religion intolerance compassion Mood concerned hopeful Type ethical social commentary When to use this quote - church sermons - interfaith dialogue - public policy debates - community outreach Key Concepts theology social justice Questions to Reflect On - How can faith communities reconcile doctrine with modern human rights? - What role does personal bias play in interpreting sacred texts? A Different Perspective Some may argue scriptural literalism justifies exclusion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [Bigotry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigotry/) [Hiding Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hiding-bible-4755973/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Lgbtq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lgbtq/) [Minded Bigotry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minded-bigotry-4755972/) [Religious leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-leaders/) [Stop trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop-trying/) [Wish Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish-religious-3327249/) ## Related quotes > [I wish I was a more religious person. I really admire Martin Sheen for his Catholicism. It's such a bedrock. I wish I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/i-wish-i-was-a-more-religious-person-i-really-admire-martin-sheen-for/) [Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/) > [“When you've grown up mis-educated, surrounded by fear and hate, unaware of your privilege, lies can sound like the truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/when-you-ve-grown-up-mis-educated-surrounded-by-fear-and-hate-unaware/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [“Bigotry and sexism destroy the unity needed for a nation to live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/bigotry-and-sexism-destroy-the-unity-needed-for-a-nation-to-live/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [“Privilege is when you can afford to sit back and watch as others' rights are trampled upon.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/privilege-is-when-you-can-afford-to-sit-back-and-watch-as-others/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [“Those who benefit from unearned privilege are too often quick to discount those who don't.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/those-who-benefit-from-unearned-privilege-are-too-often-quick-to/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [“Bigots often like to say they're the ones being hurt as they oppress and hurt others. Never fall for the 'pity the privileged' routine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/bigots-often-like-to-say-they-re-the-ones-being-hurt-as-they-oppress/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [“As far as my own sexual orientation, I'm only seventeen years old and as of right now, I'm straight, but who knows what's to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-e-snow/as-far-as-my-own-sexual-orientation-i-m-only-seventeen-years-old-and/) [Judith E. Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-e-snow/) > [A strong case can be made for religious leaders to speak out on political issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-campolo/a-strong-case-can-be-made-for-religious-leaders-to-speak-out-on/) [Tony Campolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-campolo/) > [The worst sinners, according to Jesus, are not the harlots and publicans, but the religious leaders with their insistence on proper dress and grooming,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-nibley/the-worst-sinners-according-to-jesus-are-not-the-harlots-and/) [Hugh Nibley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-nibley/) > [“it is a messy process for a culture to abandon its deities. Spiritual beliefs are etched deeply on our psyches at a young age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/it-is-a-messy-process-for-a-culture-to-abandon-its-deities-spiritual/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [Biblically speaking, fear was always used by the clergies to ensure that people would obey the rules that were allegedly bestowed by God upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rev-richard-skaff/biblically-speaking-fear-was-always-used-by-the-clergies-to-ensure/) [Rev Richard Skaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rev-richard-skaff/) > [Religious leaders and men of science have the same ideals; they want to understand and explain the universe of which they are part; they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-keith/religious-leaders-and-men-of-science-have-the-same-ideals-they-want/) [Arthur Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-keith/) > [The American people intuitively understand this, which is why the majority of Catholics practice birth control and some of those opposed to gay marriage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-american-people-intuitively-understand-this-which-is-why-the/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [But certainly in Uganda, Mozambique and South Africa, people don't really talk about sex and certainly religious leaders - some of them - up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-thompson/but-certainly-in-uganda-mozambique-and-south-africa-people-don-t/) [Emma Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-thompson/) > [God's dream still remains unfulfilled. It was not fulfilled 2,000 years ago, or in the home of any religious leader or any American home,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-myung-moon/god-s-dream-still-remains-unfulfilled-it-was-not-fulfilled-2-000/) [Sun Myung Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-myung-moon/) ## More by Judith E. Snow > [“As far as my own sexual orientation, I'm only seventeen years old and as of right now, I'm straight, but who knows what's to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-e-snow/as-far-as-my-own-sexual-orientation-i-m-only-seventeen-years-old-and/) [Judith E. Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-e-snow/) > [“I think the best part about my dad being gay is that I'm much more open-minded. I feel more at peace and I'm a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-e-snow/i-think-the-best-part-about-my-dad-being-gay-is-that-i-m-much-more/) [Judith E. Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-e-snow/) [Explore all 3 Judith E. Snow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-e-snow/) ## More Bible quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/) [Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/) > [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/) [Michael Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-arnold/) > [When you put your hand on the Bible, you are saying something much stronger than just telling your peers that you're going to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-greenwood/when-you-put-your-hand-on-the-bible-you-are-saying-something-much/) [Lee Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-greenwood/) > [“Scripture also teaches that human beings are morally responsible creatures”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-peterson/scripture-also-teaches-that-human-beings-are-morally-responsible/) [Robert A. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-peterson/) > [“The wife of a junior officer cooped up in a horrible canvas partition in steerage for five months wrote: "I had enjoyed much peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-taylor/the-wife-of-a-junior-officer-cooped-up-in-a-horrible-canvas-partition/) [Stephen Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-taylor/) > [O Word of God incarnate . . . It is the golden casket Where gems of truth are stored; It is the heaven-drawn picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walsham-how/o-word-of-god-incarnate-it-is-the-golden-casket-where-gems-of-truth/) [Walsham How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walsham-how/) > [How can I trust that the Bible is reliable?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-horton/how-can-i-trust-that-the-bible-is-reliable/) [Michael Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-horton/) > [Every plant which my heavenly father has not planted with be uprooted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesus-christ/every-plant-which-my-heavenly-father-has-not-planted-with-be-uprooted/) [Jesus Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesus-christ/) > [Where I come from you're not raised to think on your own. It's not that you're pushed to read the Bible. The Bible is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abel-ferrara/where-i-come-from-you-re-not-raised-to-think-on-your-own-it-s-not/) [Abel Ferrara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abel-ferrara/) > [“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. I can't always pray when I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-felt-like-praying-or-something-when-i-was-in-bed-but-i-couldn-t-do/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [What comes to mind when you think of heaven? Heaven is referred to in fifty-four of the Bible's sixty-six books, and the final two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/what-comes-to-mind-when-you-think-of-heaven-heaven-is-referred-to-in/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [“While it is in one sense a result of God’s presence within us, the New Testament also describes a process involved in our “putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/while-it-is-in-one-sense-a-result-of-god-s-presence-within-us-the-new/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [The definition of a Church is crystal clear in the New Testament. We see the picture of it. They came together the first day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-definition-of-a-church-is-crystal-clear-in-the-new-testament-we/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) [Browse all 8,465 Bible quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What I really wish is that religious leaders could truly understand what the Bible is and stop trying to use it for hatred. I wish they could just stop hiding behind the Bible and live up to the fact that what they really stand for when they are bashing gays is small-minded bigotry.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Judith E. Snow" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-e-snow/what-i-really-wish-is-that-religious-leaders-could-truly-understand/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bible" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-e-snow/what-i-really-wish-is-that-religious-leaders-could-truly-understand/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9a/judith-e-snow-78729_bible_what-i-really-wish-is-that-religious-lea_2999561.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9a/judith-e-snow-78729_bible_what-i-really-wish-is-that-religious-lea_2999561.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9a/judith-e-snow-78729_bible_what-i-really-wish-is-that-religious-lea_2999561.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What I really wish is that religious leaders could truly understand what the Bible is and stop trying to use…” — Judith E. Snow", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Judith E. Snow", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-e-snow/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“What I really wish is that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-e-snow/what-i-really-wish-is-that-religious-leaders-could-truly-understand/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-e-snow/what-i-really-wish-is-that-religious-leaders-could-truly-understand/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```