--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But to reject, marginalize, trivialize…" description: "\"“But to reject, marginalize, trivialize, or be suspicious of the sacraments (and quasi-sacramental acts such as lighting a candle, bowing, washing feet..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/146/n-t-wright-1173_hands-in-the-air_but-to-reject-marginalize-trivialize-or_1379057.png" --- # But to reject, marginalize, trivialize, or be suspicious… ![“But to reject, marginalize, trivialize, or be suspicious of the sacraments (and quasi-sacramental acts such as lighting a candle, bowing, washing feet, raising hands in the air, crossing oneself and so forth) on the grounds that such things CAN be superstitious or idolatrous or that some people…” quote by N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/146/n-t-wright-1173_hands-in-the-air_but-to-reject-marginalize-trivialize-or_1379057.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/146/n-t-wright-1173_hands-in-the-air_but-to-reject-marginalize-trivialize-or_1379057.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/146/n-t-wright-1173_hands-in-the-air_but-to-reject-marginalize-trivialize-or_1379057.png) > ““But to reject, marginalize, trivialize, or be suspicious of the sacraments (and quasi-sacramental acts such as lighting a candle, bowing, washing feet, raising hands in the air, crossing oneself and so forth) on the grounds that such things CAN be superstitious or idolatrous or that some people might suppose they are putting God in their debt, is like rejecting sexual relations in marriage on the grounds that it's the same act that in other circumstances constitutes immorality.”” [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Rejecting rituals as superstition while endorsing similar acts in marriage shows inconsistency in moral reasoning. **In simple terms:** Inconsistent judgments on rituals and morality. Key Takeaway Seek consistency in evaluating practices. Themes religion morality consistency Mood thoughtful analytical Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - wedding ceremonies - personal worship - interfaith dialogue Key Concepts ritual symbolism ethical double standards Questions to Reflect On - How do you assess the value of rituals? - Can you apply the same standard across contexts? A Different Perspective Cultural traditions may hold deep meaning despite criticism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Constitutes Immorality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitutes-immorality-4772473/) [Hands in the air](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands-in-the-air/) [Religious-ritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-ritual-157228/) [Sacramental Acts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacramental-acts-4772472/) [Sacraments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacraments/) [Superstitious Idolatrous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superstitious-idolatrous-4772471/) [Suspicious Sacraments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suspicious-sacraments-4772470/) [Things Superstitious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-superstitious-3844671/) ## Related quotes > [“If a man begins his sacrifice when the flames are luminous, and considers for the offerings the signs of heaven, then the holy offerings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-mascaro/if-a-man-begins-his-sacrifice-when-the-flames-are-luminous-and/) [Juan Mascaró](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-mascaro/) > [I think I'm superstitious about calling things superstitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-tucker/i-think-i-m-superstitious-about-calling-things-superstitious/) [Justin Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-tucker/) > [“I think that scientific persons of the future will scoff at scientific persons of the present. They will scoff because scientific persons of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-think-that-scientific-persons-of-the-future-will-scoff-at/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## More by N.T. Wright > [“This means that the church, the followers of Jesus Christ, live in the bright interval between Easter and the final great consummation. Let's make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/this-means-that-the-church-the-followers-of-jesus-christ-live-in-the/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“The very mention of crucifixion was taboo in polite Roman circles, since it was the lowest form of capital punishment, reserved for slaves and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/the-very-mention-of-crucifixion-was-taboo-in-polite-roman-circles/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“Sunday, kept as a commemoration of Easter ever since that event itself (a quite remarkable phenomenon when you come to think about it), is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/sunday-kept-as-a-commemoration-of-easter-ever-since-that-event-itself/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“The point of trying to understand the cross better is not so that we can congratulate ourselves for having solved an intellectual crossword puzzle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/the-point-of-trying-to-understand-the-cross-better-is-not-so-that-we/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“there is no such thing as a god’s-eye view (by which would be meant a Deist god’s-eye view) available to human beings, a point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-god-s-eye-view-by-which-would-be-meant-a/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“The “goal” is not “heaven,” but a renewed human vocation within God’s renewed creation. This is what every biblical book from Genesis on is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/the-goal-is-not-heaven-but-a-renewed-human-vocation-within-god-s/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“having a hard enough time explaining to his disciples that he had to die; they never really grasped that at all, and they certainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/having-a-hard-enough-time-explaining-to-his-disciples-that-he-had-to/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“If we are talking about the victory over evil and the launch of new creation, it won’t make much sense unless we are working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/if-we-are-talking-about-the-victory-over-evil-and-the-launch-of-new/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“The personal message of Good Friday, expressed in so many hymns and prayers which draw on the tradition of the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/the-personal-message-of-good-friday-expressed-in-so-many-hymns-and/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“To recognize that the Psalms call us to pray and sing at the intersections of the times--of our time and God's time, of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/to-recognize-that-the-psalms-call-us-to-pray-and-sing-at-the/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“Successful resistance to temptation may result in an increase of moral muscle, but that is because one is going to need it. A temptation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/successful-resistance-to-temptation-may-result-in-an-increase-of/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“Blessings on the poor in spirit! The kingdom of heaven is yours” (Matt. 5:3) doesn’t mean, “You will go to heaven when you die.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/blessings-on-the-poor-in-spirit-the-kingdom-of-heaven-is-yours-matt-5/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“As C. S. Lewis regularly remarked, the chronological snobbery of the modern age (i.e. the assumption that anything that comes after around 1750 is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/as-c-s-lewis-regularly-remarked-the-chronological-snobbery-of-the/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“The kingdom of God is, at its heart, about God’s sovereignty sweeping the world with love and power, so that human beings, each made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/the-kingdom-of-god-is-at-its-heart-about-god-s-sovereignty-sweeping/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“pre-Christian Judaism, including the disciples during Jesus’s lifetime, never envisaged the death of the Messiah. That is why they never thought of his resurrection,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/pre-christian-judaism-including-the-disciples-during-jesus-s-lifetime/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) [Explore all 278 N.T. Wright quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) ## More Hands in the air quotes > [Raves when it was safe to be free & wave your hands in the air, like you didn't even care! Not scared to break…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/progrezza/raves-when-it-was-safe-to-be-free-wave-your-hands-in-the-air-like-you/) [Progrezza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/progrezza/) > [“He pulled away from me and held his hands in the air like he was weighing something. “Keep Sophie safe or let Sophie die.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micalea-smeltzer/he-pulled-away-from-me-and-held-his-hands-in-the-air-like-he-was/) [Micalea Smeltzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/micalea-smeltzer/) > [“Have you lost your teeny tiny mind, you too-tall, too-skinny, too-crazy jerk?” “Oh, look who’s talking, Miss Let’s Blunder Around the Time Stream and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryjanice-davidson/have-you-lost-your-teeny-tiny-mind-you-too-tall-too-skinny-too-crazy/) [MaryJanice Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryjanice-davidson/) > [Raise your hands in the air, pump your fists, and solemnly swear to rock the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kool-moe-dee/raise-your-hands-in-the-air-pump-your-fists-and-solemnly-swear-to/) [Kool Moe Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kool-moe-dee/) > [Look at me, look at me, hands in the air like its good to be alive in such a small world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/look-at-me-look-at-me-hands-in-the-air-like-its-good-to-be-alive-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Random Central Bad-guys: DROP YOUR WEAPONS! PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR!!! Ed: Nom nom nom nom nom nom nom... ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiromu-arakawa/random-central-bad-guys-drop-your-weapons-put-your-hands-in-the-air/) [Hiromu Arakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiromu-arakawa/) > [“Oh, no! I promise it's not human," Mom bats her hands in the air in an effort to wrangle them back into their seats.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/addison-moore/oh-no-i-promise-it-s-not-human-mom-bats-her-hands-in-the-air-in-an/) [Addison Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/addison-moore/) > [“You run off when things get a little more complicated than you'd like, and leave us to cover your tracks so the whole valley…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cayla-kluver/you-run-off-when-things-get-a-little-more-complicated-than-you-d-like/) [Cayla Kluver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cayla-kluver/) > [If you tryin' to fuck put ya hands in the air](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lmfao/if-you-tryin-to-fuck-put-ya-hands-in-the-air/) [LMFAO](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lmfao/) > [“Ugh!" Willow threw her hands in the air "Out of all the freaking warlocks in the world, I got stuck with the know-it-all who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kayla-jo/ugh-willow-threw-her-hands-in-the-air-out-of-all-the-freaking/) [Kayla Jo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kayla-jo/) > [“She threw her hands in the air. “Of course I was tense. You were kissing and touching me and I was turned on like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaci-burton/she-threw-her-hands-in-the-air-of-course-i-was-tense-you-were-kissing/) [Jaci Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaci-burton/) > [“Of course every girl wishes she could be one of those pop star babes who wave their hands in the air yelling about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-o-donnell/of-course-every-girl-wishes-she-could-be-one-of-those-pop-star-babes/) [Lisa O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-o-donnell/) > [“WTF!” she says, throwing her hands in the air. “I didn’t know this was a fucked-up relationship reunion.” Olivia covers her eyes. “Don’t judge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarryn-fisher/wtf-she-says-throwing-her-hands-in-the-air-i-didn-t-know-this-was-a/) [Tarryn Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarryn-fisher/) > [“I jumped up, my hands in the air. “Yes!” Lend laughed. “Okay, looks like I need to make a run to the grocery store.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiersten-white/i-jumped-up-my-hands-in-the-air-yes-lend-laughed-okay-looks-like-i/) [Kiersten White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiersten-white/) > [Most of the time - at the Grammys for example - a DJ will perform with just their hands in the air because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/most-of-the-time-at-the-grammys-for-example-a-dj-will-perform-with/) [Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/) [Browse all 77 Hands in the air quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands-in-the-air/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But to reject, marginalize, trivialize, or be suspicious of the sacraments (and quasi-sacramental acts such as lighting a candle, bowing, washing feet, raising hands in the air, crossing oneself and so forth) on the grounds that such things CAN be superstitious or idolatrous or that some people might suppose they are putting God in their debt, is like rejecting sexual relations in marriage on the grounds that it's the same act that in other circumstances constitutes immorality.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "N.T. Wright" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/but-to-reject-marginalize-trivialize-or-be-suspicious-of-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Hands in the air" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/but-to-reject-marginalize-trivialize-or-be-suspicious-of-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/146/n-t-wright-1173_hands-in-the-air_but-to-reject-marginalize-trivialize-or_1379057.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/146/n-t-wright-1173_hands-in-the-air_but-to-reject-marginalize-trivialize-or_1379057.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/146/n-t-wright-1173_hands-in-the-air_but-to-reject-marginalize-trivialize-or_1379057.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But to reject, marginalize, trivialize, or be suspicious of the sacraments (and quasi-sacramental acts such…” — N.T. Wright", "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": "N.T. Wright", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“But to reject, marginalize, trivialize, or...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/but-to-reject-marginalize-trivialize-or-be-suspicious-of-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/but-to-reject-marginalize-trivialize-or-be-suspicious-of-the/#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 } } ] } ```