--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have placed such idolatrous faith in…" description: "\"“We have placed such idolatrous faith in our ability to protect ourselves that we call it more courageous to die killing than to die loving.”\" — Shane ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f7/shane-claiborne-960_courageous_we-have-placed-such-idolatrous-faith-in_1947944.png" --- # We have placed such idolatrous faith in our ability to… ![“We have placed such idolatrous faith in our ability to protect ourselves that we call it more courageous to die killing than to die loving.” quote by Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f7/shane-claiborne-960_courageous_we-have-placed-such-idolatrous-faith-in_1947944.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f7/shane-claiborne-960_courageous_we-have-placed-such-idolatrous-faith-in_1947944.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f7/shane-claiborne-960_courageous_we-have-placed-such-idolatrous-faith-in_1947944.png) > ““We have placed such idolatrous faith in our ability to protect ourselves that we call it more courageous to die killing than to die loving.”” [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We overvalue self‑preservation, equating it with bravery, and neglect love’s vulnerability. **In simple terms:** We fear love more than death. Key Takeaway Embrace love over fear. Themes courage love self‑preservation values Mood reflective serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal relationships - social activism - spiritual counseling Key Concepts existentialism ethical paradox human vulnerability Questions to Reflect On - How does fear shape your definition of bravery? - Can love be a form of courage? A Different Perspective Love can be seen as weakness in a violent culture. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Courageous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courageous/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) ## Related quotes > [To be heroic is to be courageous enough to die for something; to be inspirational is to be crazy enough to live a little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/to-be-heroic-is-to-be-courageous-enough-to-die-for-something-to-be/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [To be heroic is to be courageous enough to die for something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/to-be-heroic-is-to-be-courageous-enough-to-die-for-something/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [A youth's love is the more passionate; virgin love is the more idolatrous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-william-hare/a-youth-s-love-is-the-more-passionate-virgin-love-is-the-more/) [Augustus William Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-william-hare/) > [Modern society has not rid itself of religion, as it fondly believes; it has merely replaced the historical religions by a host of idolatrous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-herberg/modern-society-has-not-rid-itself-of-religion-as-it-fondly-believes/) [Will Herberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-herberg/) > [We are on the whole an idolatrous people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/we-are-on-the-whole-an-idolatrous-people/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [Those who confine God's love exclusively to the elect appear to me to take a narrow and contracted view of God's character and attributes…I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/those-who-confine-god-s-love-exclusively-to-the-elect-appear-to-me-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Any concept of God, however sincerely held, that is contrary to Scripture is false, and in the end idolatrous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/any-concept-of-god-however-sincerely-held-that-is-contrary-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The more creative you are the more trouble you're in. You have to be courageous!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lois/the-more-creative-you-are-the-more-trouble-you-re-in-you-have-to-be/) [George Lois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lois/) > [Change of any sort requires courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-anne-radmacher/change-of-any-sort-requires-courage/) [Mary Anne Radmacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-anne-radmacher/) > [Courageous dreaming allows you to create from the source, the quantum soup of the universe where everything exists in a latent or potential state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/courageous-dreaming-allows-you-to-create-from-the-source-the-quantum/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) > [I love awards, especially if I get them. It's up to the courage of the filmmakers to make art in cinema, not just business.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-gazzara/i-love-awards-especially-if-i-get-them-it-s-up-to-the-courage-of-the/) [Ben Gazzara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-gazzara/) > [Combining the experience of a seasoned university president with the analysis of a respected legal scholar, Derek Bok explores what he concludes are 'signs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-h-t-rhodes/combining-the-experience-of-a-seasoned-university-president-with-the/) Frank H. T. Rhodes > [“Fate and future both are servant to the determined, for they are nothing but creation of human determination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/fate-and-future-both-are-servant-to-the-determined-for-they-are/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [Our young Marines of today are courageous, willing to make sacrifices, and are marvelous team players. I am confident our Corps, and indeed our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-conway/our-young-marines-of-today-are-courageous-willing-to-make-sacrifices/) James T. Conway ## More by Shane Claiborne > [“we can live without sex, but we cant live without love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/we-can-live-without-sex-but-we-cant-live-without-love/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [We're not church planters. We are community planters and, as we work in our communities, we join local churches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/we-re-not-church-planters-we-are-community-planters-and-as-we-work-in/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [There are some - called 'death fatigue' - people who just grow so tired of death, so they don't want to keep perpetuating death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/there-are-some-called-death-fatigue-people-who-just-grow-so-tired-of/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [Every 70-year-old needs a young person in their lives to mentor, and every 20-year-old needs a senior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/every-70-year-old-needs-a-young-person-in-their-lives-to-mentor-and/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [I just have a more holistic sense of what it means to be for life, knowing that life does not just begin at conception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/i-just-have-a-more-holistic-sense-of-what-it-means-to-be-for-life/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [It's not that hard to say slavery is wrong after we've abolished it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/it-s-not-that-hard-to-say-slavery-is-wrong-after-we-ve-abolished-it/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [We think of justice sometimes as getting what you deserve, you know - what crime was committed and what is the punishment for that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/we-think-of-justice-sometimes-as-getting-what-you-deserve-you-know/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [Mother Theresa said it is not how much we give that is important but how much love you put into doing it. So it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/mother-theresa-said-it-is-not-how-much-we-give-that-is-important-but/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [No one has seen God, but as we love one another, God lives in us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/no-one-has-seen-god-but-as-we-love-one-another-god-lives-in-us/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [“If you find yourself climbing the ladder of success, be careful or else on your way up you might pass Jesus on his way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/if-you-find-yourself-climbing-the-ladder-of-success-be-careful-or/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [We need good laws, but no law can change a human heart - only God can do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/we-need-good-laws-but-no-law-can-change-a-human-heart-only-god-can-do/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [We're remembering each other's heroes, too. We are learning each other's songs. We are reminding ourselves that we are a global family praying together.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/we-re-remembering-each-other-s-heroes-too-we-are-learning-each-other/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [There is a certain power when old and young come together - we can do more together than we can on our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/there-is-a-certain-power-when-old-and-young-come-together-we-can-do/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [You can't really learn God's hope like you learn the logic of an argument or the details of a story. It's more like learning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/you-can-t-really-learn-god-s-hope-like-you-learn-the-logic-of-an/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [“Clarence Jordan, co-founder of Koinonia Farm, wrote, “The Good News of the resurrection is not that we shall die and go home with him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/clarence-jordan-co-founder-of-koinonia-farm-wrote-the-good-news-of/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) [Explore all 319 Shane Claiborne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) ## More Courageous quotes > [Our young Marines of today are courageous, willing to make sacrifices, and are marvelous team players. I am confident our Corps, and indeed our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-conway/our-young-marines-of-today-are-courageous-willing-to-make-sacrifices/) James T. Conway > [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [“Fate and future both are servant to the determined, for they are nothing but creation of human determination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/fate-and-future-both-are-servant-to-the-determined-for-they-are/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [Combining the experience of a seasoned university president with the analysis of a respected legal scholar, Derek Bok explores what he concludes are 'signs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-h-t-rhodes/combining-the-experience-of-a-seasoned-university-president-with-the/) Frank H. T. Rhodes > [I love awards, especially if I get them. It's up to the courage of the filmmakers to make art in cinema, not just business.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-gazzara/i-love-awards-especially-if-i-get-them-it-s-up-to-the-courage-of-the/) [Ben Gazzara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-gazzara/) > [Courageous dreaming allows you to create from the source, the quantum soup of the universe where everything exists in a latent or potential state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/courageous-dreaming-allows-you-to-create-from-the-source-the-quantum/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) > [Change of any sort requires courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-anne-radmacher/change-of-any-sort-requires-courage/) [Mary Anne Radmacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-anne-radmacher/) > [The more creative you are the more trouble you're in. You have to be courageous!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lois/the-more-creative-you-are-the-more-trouble-you-re-in-you-have-to-be/) [George Lois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lois/) > [The terrorist attacks of September 11th and the courageous actions of our armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq remind us that friends of tyranny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-levin/the-terrorist-attacks-of-september-11th-and-the-courageous-actions-of/) [Carl Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-levin/) > [“Fighting can be like champagne. It can go to the head of a coward as quickly as of a hero. Anyone has the ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-n-harris/fighting-can-be-like-champagne-it-can-go-to-the-head-of-a-coward-as/) [José N. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-n-harris/) > [Clarence Darrow was a unique and courageous man. Several of my favourite actors have played Darrow... Henry Fonda, Orson Welles and Spencer Tracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/clarence-darrow-was-a-unique-and-courageous-man-several-of-my/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [There should be a burnished tablet let into the ground on the spot where some courageous man first ate Stilton cheese, and survived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-should-be-a-burnished-tablet-let-into-the-ground-on-the-spot/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As a person life has always been a bit of a challenge for me and I have spent so much of my early years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-sudol/as-a-person-life-has-always-been-a-bit-of-a-challenge-for-me-and-i/) [Alison Sudol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-sudol/) > [Now is the time to take stock of a painful part of our history. Only then can we move past it. Anything less would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-bellegarde/now-is-the-time-to-take-stock-of-a-painful-part-of-our-history-only/) [Perry Bellegarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-bellegarde/) > [Courageous people do not fear forgiving, for the sake of peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/courageous-people-do-not-fear-forgiving-for-the-sake-of-peace/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) [Browse all 1,039 Courageous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courageous/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We have placed such idolatrous faith in our ability to protect ourselves that we call it more courageous to die killing than to die loving.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shane Claiborne" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/we-have-placed-such-idolatrous-faith-in-our-ability-to-protect/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Courageous" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/we-have-placed-such-idolatrous-faith-in-our-ability-to-protect/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f7/shane-claiborne-960_courageous_we-have-placed-such-idolatrous-faith-in_1947944.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f7/shane-claiborne-960_courageous_we-have-placed-such-idolatrous-faith-in_1947944.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f7/shane-claiborne-960_courageous_we-have-placed-such-idolatrous-faith-in_1947944.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We have placed such idolatrous faith in our ability to protect ourselves that we call it more courageous to…” — Shane Claiborne", "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": "Shane Claiborne", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“We have placed such idolatrous faith...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/we-have-placed-such-idolatrous-faith-in-our-ability-to-protect/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/we-have-placed-such-idolatrous-faith-in-our-ability-to-protect/#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 } } ] } ```