--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What the nation needs is a prophetic…" description: "\"“What the nation needs is a prophetic voice. But even our churches have been corrupted by the culture—turned into trendy nightclubs where good looks tr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af1/todd-starnes-34984_good-character_what-the-nation-needs-is-a-prophetic-voi_1979837.jpg" --- # What the nation needs is a prophetic voice. But even our… ![“What the nation needs is a prophetic voice. But even our churches have been corrupted by the culture—turned into trendy nightclubs where good looks trump good character. Some preachers have traded the Word of God for pithy, self-help gimmickry.” quote by Todd Starnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af1/todd-starnes-34984_good-character_what-the-nation-needs-is-a-prophetic-voi_1979837.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af1/todd-starnes-34984_good-character_what-the-nation-needs-is-a-prophetic-voi_1979837.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af1/todd-starnes-34984_good-character_what-the-nation-needs-is-a-prophetic-voi_1979837.jpg) > ““What the nation needs is a prophetic voice. But even our churches have been corrupted by the culture—turned into trendy nightclubs where good looks trump good character. Some preachers have traded the Word of God for pithy, self-help gimmickry.”” [Todd Starnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-starnes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Society needs authentic prophetic insight, but many religious groups prioritize style over substance. **In simple terms:** True insight is needed, not flashy trends. Key Takeaway Seek depth over appearance. Themes faith culture authenticity Mood critical reflective Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - church leadership - media consumption - personal faith Key Concepts prophetic voice cultural critique Questions to Reflect On - What defines a prophetic voice for you? - How can churches resist cultural corruption? A Different Perspective Trendiness can dilute true spiritual guidance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Good character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-character/) [Prophetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prophetic/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Trump Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump-good/) ## Related quotes > [“...I have had a remarkable experience. In the past the prophetic voice to which I have become accustomed has always been my constant companion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/i-have-had-a-remarkable-experience-in-the-past-the-prophetic-voice-to/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [“The world is a huge space, but the space that will take you in - and it doesn't have to be very big -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-world-is-a-huge-space-but-the-space-that-will-take-you-in-and-it/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Okay, granted, there's a lot of willful blindness out there, more than enough to go around, and failures of imagination abound as well. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/okay-granted-there-s-a-lot-of-willful-blindness-out-there-more-than/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [ \[Donald Trump\] has had the good judgment and common sense to get back with all these people, who have written the legislation already. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-matalin/donald-trump-has-had-the-good-judgment-and-common-sense-to-get-back/) [Mary Matalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-matalin/) > [Let's face it - Donald Trump is a very, very good con man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-avenatti/let-s-face-it-donald-trump-is-a-very-very-good-con-man/) [Michael Avenatti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-avenatti/) > [America is an enormous country with enormous resources. The basic American spirit creates the Wright Brothers and Henry Ford and Bill Gates and Mark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/america-is-an-enormous-country-with-enormous-resources-the-basic/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [Mr. Trump's a good man, but he doesn't know much about the health care system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/mr-trump-s-a-good-man-but-he-doesn-t-know-much-about-the-health-care/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [I think Trump's done a very good job, especially with the economy, and we see he's cut regulation, I think the tax cuts really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kane/i-think-trump-s-done-a-very-good-job-especially-with-the-economy-and/) [Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kane/) > [We speak truth to power, and we've never been fooled into believing Donald Trump 'can be a good president.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-de-leon/we-speak-truth-to-power-and-we-ve-never-been-fooled-into-believing/) [Kevin de Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-de-leon/) > [I guess I've maintained my hair. 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The migration and foreign policy advocated by the Republican candidate, Mr. Trump,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-orban/the-democrats-foreign-policy-is-bad-for-europe-and-deadly-for-hungary/) [Viktor Orban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-orban/) > [People go, 'Oh, Trump must be good for comedy,' and I go, 'Ehhh.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobcat-goldthwait/people-go-oh-trump-must-be-good-for-comedy-and-i-go-ehhh/) [Bobcat Goldthwait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobcat-goldthwait/) > [I believe Donald Trump is a good man. He did everything wrong as a candidate, and he won, and I don't understand it. Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/i-believe-donald-trump-is-a-good-man-he-did-everything-wrong-as-a/) [Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/) ## More by Todd Starnes > [“If we ever forget that we’re one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.1 —RONALD WILSON REAGAN”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-starnes/if-we-ever-forget-that-we-re-one-nation-under-god-then-we-will-be-a/) [Todd Starnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-starnes/) > [It's no secret that our nation's public universities want to transform American young people into a bunch of hyper-sensitive, intellectually-neutered cream puffs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-starnes/it-s-no-secret-that-our-nation-s-public-universities-want-to/) [Todd Starnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-starnes/) > [“If students want to have a Bible study, they should be free to do so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-starnes/if-students-want-to-have-a-bible-study-they-should-be-free-to-do-so/) [Todd Starnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-starnes/) > [Southern Baptist Convention's EC president Frank Page tells me: "If I'm told I have to marry same sex couples I will refuse."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-starnes/southern-baptist-convention-s-ec-president-frank-page-tells-me-if-i-m/) [Todd Starnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-starnes/) > [“We’ve become a society that obsesses over tolerance and acceptance of everyone—except God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-starnes/we-ve-become-a-society-that-obsesses-over-tolerance-and-acceptance-of/) [Todd Starnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-starnes/) > [“When God is ready to close the show, no one can keep it open. 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When you have national leaders who say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-starnes/there-will-be-active-and-open-persecution-because-of-the-biblical/) [Todd Starnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-starnes/) > [Rancher Bundy should've told the feds that those were Mexican cows - who came across the border illegally to seek better grazing opportunities. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-starnes/rancher-bundy-should-ve-told-the-feds-that-those-were-mexican-cows/) [Todd Starnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-starnes/) [Explore all 13 Todd Starnes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-starnes/) ## More Good character quotes > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Nothing brings out the lower traits of human nature like office-seeking. Men of good character and impulses are betrayed by it into all sorts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutherford-b-hayes/nothing-brings-out-the-lower-traits-of-human-nature-like-office/) [Rutherford B. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutherford-b-hayes/) > [No one is born with good character; it's not a hereditary trait. And it isn't determined by a single noble act. Character is established…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-josephson/no-one-is-born-with-good-character-it-s-not-a-hereditary-trait-and-it/) [Michael Josephson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-josephson/) > [“You think she needs a chaperone?” When they didn’t answer, the nun tutted disapprovingly. “Let me explain something to you, Mrs. Attaviano, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paullina-simons/you-think-she-needs-a-chaperone-when-they-didn-t-answer-the-nun/) [Paullina Simons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paullina-simons/) > [People of good character are not all going to come down on the same side of difficult political and social issues. Good people-people of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bennett/people-of-good-character-are-not-all-going-to-come-down-on-the-same/) [William Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bennett/) > [“Ibn Mas'ud reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Shall I tell you who is unlawful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/at-tirmidhi/ibn-mas-ud-reported-that-the-messenger-of-allah-may-allah-bless-him/) at-Tirmidhi > [There are good characters and bad characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-stone/there-are-good-characters-and-bad-characters/) [Matt Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-stone/) > [People reveal themselves completely only when they are thrown out of the customary conditions of their life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/people-reveal-themselves-completely-only-when-they-are-thrown-out-of/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [Often people tell us that a particular relative or a neighbour is not of good character or behaviour and we believe their point of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjay-mishra/often-people-tell-us-that-a-particular-relative-or-a-neighbour-is-not/) [Sanjay Mishra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjay-mishra/) > [The walls of that grand edifice called a good character have to be worked at during life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/the-walls-of-that-grand-edifice-called-a-good-character-have-to-be/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [“As mundane beings, we really need to make friends with people of good character, for they can have a positive influence on us by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shih-cheng-yen/as-mundane-beings-we-really-need-to-make-friends-with-people-of-good/) Shih Cheng Yen > [Character contributes to beauty. It fortifies a woman as her youth fades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-bisset/character-contributes-to-beauty-it-fortifies-a-woman-as-her-youth/) [Jacqueline Bisset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-bisset/) > [Depth and strength of a human character are defined by its moral reserves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/depth-and-strength-of-a-human-character-are-defined-by-its-moral/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [Instill the love of you into all the world, for a good character is what is remembered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merikare/instill-the-love-of-you-into-all-the-world-for-a-good-character-is/) Merikare > [Sportsmanship is the ethical and moral dimension of sports. 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