--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: let’s get our semantics straight. Story…" description: "\"“let’s get our semantics straight. Story does not equal fiction, much less “lies.” It’s the world we Christians inhabit as “people of the Book.” We are..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc6/sarah-arthur-7184_books_let-s-get-our-semantics-straight-story-d_1878688.jpg" --- # let’s get our semantics straight. Story does not equal… ![“let’s get our semantics straight. Story does not equal fiction, much less “lies.” It’s the world we Christians inhabit as “people of the Book.” We are story people. All” quote by Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc6/sarah-arthur-7184_books_let-s-get-our-semantics-straight-story-d_1878688.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc6/sarah-arthur-7184_books_let-s-get-our-semantics-straight-story-d_1878688.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc6/sarah-arthur-7184_books_let-s-get-our-semantics-straight-story-d_1878688.jpg) > ““let’s get our semantics straight. Story does not equal fiction, much less “lies.” It’s the world we Christians inhabit as “people of the Book.” We are story people. All”” [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stories shape belief; distinguishing fact from fiction is crucial for understanding faith. **In simple terms:** Stories influence belief; truth matters. Key Takeaway Discern narrative truth. Themes faith storytelling truth Mood contemplative inquisitive Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - religious education - media literacy - personal belief formation - interfaith dialogue Key Concepts Epistemology theology Questions to Reflect On - How do you separate myth from doctrine? - What role do stories play in your faith? A Different Perspective Stories may blur lines between myth and reality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Christians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christians/) [Christians Inhabit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christians-inhabit-2639020/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Fiction Lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction-lies-1353658/) [Story people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-people/) ## Related quotes > [“Like all good works of fiction, it lies like the truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-crossley/like-all-good-works-of-fiction-it-lies-like-the-truth/) [Robert Crossley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-crossley/) > [All fiction is lies – if it weren’t, it would be biography, history, or reportage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-spinrad/all-fiction-is-lies-if-it-weren-t-it-would-be-biography-history-or/) [Norman Spinrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-spinrad/) > [“Non-fiction can distort; facts can be realigned. But fiction never lies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-naipaul-2/non-fiction-can-distort-facts-can-be-realigned-but-fiction-never-lies/) [V.S. Naipaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-naipaul-2/) > [“The tangible and intangible collide to cast a spell. But can a person or thing ever be stripped naked? Can we ever discover reality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siri-hustvedt/the-tangible-and-intangible-collide-to-cast-a-spell-but-can-a-person/) [Siri Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siri-hustvedt/) > [An autobiography can distort; facts can be realigned. But fiction never lies: it reveals the writer totally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-naipaul/an-autobiography-can-distort-facts-can-be-realigned-but-fiction-never/) [V. S. Naipaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-naipaul/) > [“He rolled his eyes. "Fiction lies for the truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristine-grayson/he-rolled-his-eyes-fiction-lies-for-the-truth/) [Kristine Grayson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristine-grayson/) > [“The magic of fiction lies in deluding reason that it is fiction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-bert-g-l/the-magic-of-fiction-lies-in-deluding-reason-that-it-is-fiction/) [Róbert Gál](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-bert-g-l/) > [Fiction is lies; we're writing about people who never existed and events that never happened when we write fiction, whether its science fiction or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin-2/fiction-is-lies-we-re-writing-about-people-who-never-existed-and/) [George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin-2/) > [fiction and lies are both works of creative art, and creation always reveals the creator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-mccloy/fiction-and-lies-are-both-works-of-creative-art-and-creation-always/) [Helen McCloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-mccloy/) > [“Like fish, when metaphors get old, they go bad,” writes Christian poet Jeanne Murray Walker,9 and nowhere is that more apparent than among Christians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/like-fish-when-metaphors-get-old-they-go-bad-writes-christian-poet/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [The Bible says that Christians are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. 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How many there are who sit helpless and listless, with open mouths,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-we-need-as-christians-is-to-be-able-to-feed-ourselves-how-many/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The idea that this world is a playground instead of a battleground has now been accepted in practice by the vast majority of Christians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/the-idea-that-this-world-is-a-playground-instead-of-a-battleground/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [Our duty as Christians is always to keep heaven in our eye and earth under our feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-henry/our-duty-as-christians-is-always-to-keep-heaven-in-our-eye-and-earth/) [Matthew Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-henry/) ## More by Sarah Arthur > [“every church can treat each discipleship class and each worship service as an opportunity for continual rehearsal of what the words, stories, symbols, rituals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/every-church-can-treat-each-discipleship-class-and-each-worship/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [“Just because your faith is shaken doesn’t mean the faith is shaken. The eternal truths of the Kingdom aren’t altered or affected by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/just-because-your-faith-is-shaken-doesn-t-mean-the-faith-is-shaken/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [“Storytelling is our task with the next generation, and it starts with loving the story ourselves and telling it as though we believe it—because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/storytelling-is-our-task-with-the-next-generation-and-it-starts-with/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; which means that if the rest of us want to get close to God, we seek them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/the-lord-is-close-to-the-brokenhearted-which-means-that-if-the-rest/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [“There’s nothing more ridiculously juvenile than people thinking they have to be grown up and serious when it comes to living the Christian life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/there-s-nothing-more-ridiculously-juvenile-than-people-thinking-they/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [“if there is no light by which we see, no Great Story that illumines our days—and no Storyteller—then we have no source by which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/if-there-is-no-light-by-which-we-see-no-great-story-that-illumines/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [“Since all the world is but a story, it were well for thee to buy the more enduring story, rather than the story that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/since-all-the-world-is-but-a-story-it-were-well-for-thee-to-buy-the/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [“For me, reason is the natural organ of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning.”16”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/for-me-reason-is-the-natural-organ-of-truth-but-imagination-is-the/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [“Tell me a story,” says the poem by Robert Penn Warren. “In this century, and moment, of mania . . . Tell me a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/tell-me-a-story-says-the-poem-by-robert-penn-warren-in-this-century/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [“If imagination, as we’ve said, is the “region of discovery,” story is the wardrobe door, sending our young people “further in” and “still further…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/if-imagination-as-we-ve-said-is-the-region-of-discovery-story-is-the/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [“While the Witch plays her pawn, the King sacrifices Himself, and to all appearances, the game is over. But the Lion has one last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/while-the-witch-plays-her-pawn-the-king-sacrifices-himself-and-to-all/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [“In short, you can’t have the truths without the Truth. 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People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. 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