Assuming Quote by Karen Armstrong
“The awful atrocities of religion happened when people assume that God shares your likes and dislikes. The Crusaders when into battle to kill Muslims and Jews and cried, "God will's it." That was their battle cry. Obviously God willed no such thing. The Crusaders were simply projecting onto a deity they'd created on their own image and likeness, all their hatred and loathing of these faiths and made it endorse some of their most awful prejudices and lethal prejudices.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Battle for God, 2000
People project personal biases onto deities, turning religion into a tool for prejudice and violence.
In simple terms: Projecting personal likes onto God fuels conflict.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions about divine will.
Themes
religion
psychology
prejudice
conflict
projection
Mood
reflective
critical
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- interfaith dialogue
- education
- policy making
- community building
Key Concepts
theology
cognitive bias
social identity
Questions to Reflect On
- What personal biases shape your view of the divine?
- How can we separate doctrine from projection?
A Different Perspective
Religious narratives can be reinterpreted to promote empathy.
![“It took 200 years for the Crusaders to create [this] Muslim fanaticism. It was the exact imitation of Christian intolerance.” quote by Terry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/800/terry-jones-16451_christian_it-took-200-years-for-the-crusaders-to-c_3022370.jpg)
