--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be connected with the church is to be…" description: "\"To be connected with the church is to be associated with scoundrels, warmongers, fakes, child-molesters, murderers, adulterers, and hypocrites of every..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/ronald-rolheiser-23361_children_to-be-connected-with-the-church-is-to-be_1805967.png" --- # To be connected with the church is to be associated with… ![“To be connected with the church is to be associated with scoundrels, warmongers, fakes, child-molesters, murderers, adulterers, and hypocrites of every description. It also, at the same time, identifies you with saints and the finest persons of heroic soul within every time, country, race, and…” quote by Ronald Rolheiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/ronald-rolheiser-23361_children_to-be-connected-with-the-church-is-to-be_1805967.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/ronald-rolheiser-23361_children_to-be-connected-with-the-church-is-to-be_1805967.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/ronald-rolheiser-23361_children_to-be-connected-with-the-church-is-to-be_1805967.png) > “To be connected with the church is to be associated with scoundrels, warmongers, fakes, child-molesters, murderers, adulterers, and hypocrites of every description. It also, at the same time, identifies you with saints and the finest persons of heroic soul within every time, country, race, and gender. To be a member of the church is to carry the mantle of both the worst sin and the finest heroism of soul . . . because the church always looks exactly as it looked at the original crucifixion, God hung among thieves.” [Ronald Rolheiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-rolheiser/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The church embodies both profound sin and great virtue, reflecting humanity’s dual capacity for evil and heroism, as symbolized by Christ among thieves. **In simple terms:** Church shows both bad and good in people. Key Takeaway Recognize the complexity of religious communities. Themes faith morality duality human nature spirituality Mood contemplative critical hopeful Type analytical philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal reflection - interfaith dialogue - community service - social justice - historical analysis Key Concepts theology symbolism ethical paradox Questions to Reflect On - How do you reconcile the church’s flaws with its virtues? - Can institutions be both corrupt and holy? A Different Perspective The statement may overgeneralize and ignore individual differences within congregations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Crucifixion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crucifixion/) [Gender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gender/) [Heroic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroic/) [Heroism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroism/) [Hypocrite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypocrite/) [Murderer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/murderer/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Saint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saint/) [Scoundrels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scoundrels/) [Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sin/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Thieves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thieves/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Warmongers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/warmongers/) ## Related quotes > [When feminism does not explicitly oppose racism, and when antiracism does not incorporate opposition to patriarchy, race and gender politics often end up being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberle-williams-crenshaw/when-feminism-does-not-explicitly-oppose-racism-and-when-antiracism/) [Kimberle Williams Crenshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberle-williams-crenshaw/) > [Homosexuality is genetically hardwired but race and gender are only ideas. OK. Just trying to keep up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-goad/homosexuality-is-genetically-hardwired-but-race-and-gender-are-only/) [Jim Goad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-goad/) > [Everybody brings their thing to their criticism. I bring this wealth of opinions and feeling and knowledge about race and gender and sexuality. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-morris/everybody-brings-their-thing-to-their-criticism-i-bring-this-wealth/) [Wesley Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-morris/) > [Government employees move up the ladder through educational credentials rather than merit. 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His policy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naji-sabri/the-only-option-to-avoid-war-is-the-departure-of-the-number-one/) [Naji Sabri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naji-sabri/) > [It is easy to love friends and sweethearts. This is selfish love. Higher love embraces enemies and all ugly, bad people. The highest love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kushi/it-is-easy-to-love-friends-and-sweethearts-this-is-selfish-love/) [Michio Kushi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kushi/) > [The warmongers in the United States Congress are not aware of, or they're blind to the fact that what they are doing will bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/the-warmongers-in-the-united-states-congress-are-not-aware-of-or-they/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) > [“Blessed are the peacemakers? Billed are the warmongers, and then you shall have peace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-molyneux/blessed-are-the-peacemakers-billed-are-the-warmongers-and-then-you/) [Stefan Molyneux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-molyneux/) > [When you vote, vote for those who are not warmongers, and vote for those who respect human rights. When you see a president who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirin-ebadi/when-you-vote-vote-for-those-who-are-not-warmongers-and-vote-for/) [Shirin Ebadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirin-ebadi/) > [“Fugitive Peace (Sonnet 2219) In the opera of war, peace is fugitive - thinking soldiers are no good to state, either you kill without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/fugitive-peace-sonnet-2219-in-the-opera-of-war-peace-is-fugitive/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [Right now, the government is spending billions of dollars supporting the problem-makers in the U.S. economy - the polluters, despoilers, incarcerators, and warmongers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/right-now-the-government-is-spending-billions-of-dollars-supporting/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) ## More by Ronald Rolheiser > [It is no easy task to walk this earth and find peace. Inside of us, it would seem, something is at odds with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-rolheiser/it-is-no-easy-task-to-walk-this-earth-and-find-peace-inside-of-us-it/) [Ronald Rolheiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-rolheiser/) > [Without making any moral judgements whatsoever, one can say that self-indulgence and excessive self-preoccupation are the antithesis of genuine awareness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-rolheiser/without-making-any-moral-judgements-whatsoever-one-can-say-that-self/) [Ronald Rolheiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-rolheiser/) > [“The Church is always God hung between two thieves. 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This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-rolheiser/there-is-within-us-a-fundamental-dis-ease-an-unquenchable-fire-that/) [Ronald Rolheiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-rolheiser/) > [You feel your own life - your heart, your mind, your body, your sexuality, the people and things you are connected to - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-rolheiser/you-feel-your-own-life-your-heart-your-mind-your-body-your-sexuality/) [Ronald Rolheiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-rolheiser/) > [“The resurrection tells us it is never too late. Every so often we will be surprised. We must believe that the stone will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-rolheiser/the-resurrection-tells-us-it-is-never-too-late-every-so-often-we-will/) [Ronald Rolheiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-rolheiser/) > [“If a child or a brother or a sister or a loved one of yours strays from the church in terms of faith practice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-rolheiser/if-a-child-or-a-brother-or-a-sister-or-a-loved-one-of-yours-strays/) [Ronald Rolheiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-rolheiser/) > [“Our Shame and”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-rolheiser/our-shame-and/) [Ronald Rolheiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-rolheiser/) > [The highest compliment we can give to God, our Creator, is to thoroughly enjoy the gift of life. One should never look a gift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-rolheiser/the-highest-compliment-we-can-give-to-god-our-creator-is-to/) [Ronald Rolheiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-rolheiser/) > [We prepare to die by pushing ourselves to love less narrowly. In that sense, readying ourselves for death is really an ever-widening entry into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-rolheiser/we-prepare-to-die-by-pushing-ourselves-to-love-less-narrowly-in-that/) [Ronald Rolheiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-rolheiser/) > [The word baptism means derailment. Christ baptizes Peter on the rock when he tells him: "Because you confessed your love for me, your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-rolheiser/the-word-baptism-means-derailment-christ-baptizes-peter-on-the-rock/) [Ronald Rolheiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-rolheiser/) > [Every choice is a thousand renunciations. To choose one thing is to turn one's back on many others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-rolheiser/every-choice-is-a-thousand-renunciations-to-choose-one-thing-is-to/) [Ronald Rolheiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-rolheiser/) > [We get ready for death by beginning to live life as we should have been living it all along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-rolheiser/we-get-ready-for-death-by-beginning-to-live-life-as-we-should-have/) [Ronald Rolheiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-rolheiser/) [Explore all 26 Ronald Rolheiser quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-rolheiser/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. 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