"If the Bible had said that Jonah swallowed the whale, I would believe it"
- William Jennings Bryan
About this Quote
In this quote, William Jennings Bryan is expressing his strong belief in the Bible and its teachings. He is stating that he has a lot faith in the Bible that even if it had actually said something apparently difficult, like a man swallowing a whale, he would still believe it. This shows the depth of his faith and his steady rely on the words of the Bible. It also highlights the power of religion and how it can form one's beliefs and perceptions. Bryan's statement also recommends that he sees the Bible as the ultimate authority and source of truth, no matter how astounding a few of its stories may seem.
"When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said "Let us pray." We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land"
"Every nut who kills people has a Bible lying around. If you're looking for violent rape imagery, the Bible's right there in your hotel room. If you just want to look up ways to screw people up, there it is, and you're justified because God told you to"
"Unless we form the habit of going to the Bible in bright moments as well as in trouble, we cannot fully respond to its consolations because we lack equilibrium between light and darkness"
"A book is sent out into the world, and there is no way of fully anticipating the responses it will elicit. Consider the responses called forth by the Bible, Homer, Shakespeare - let alone contemporary poetry or a modern novel"
