Source: Why We Fail as Christians (1919), p. 89-91
Context: It was this spirit of the masses and the revolt of the poor which so often found voice in the words of Jesus. But these condemnations are not solely expressive of the intense heat that so often burns in the heart of great agitators and reformers, they are also expressions of the conviction of Jesus that material possessions corrupt and destroy the souls of men.... censure for the rich and love for the poor both in spirit and in worldly goods helped him to drive home a great truth that you cannot love God and mammon.
“The complaints of the privileged are too often confused with the voice of the masses.”
Help us to complete the source, original and additional information
John Kenneth Galbraith 207
American economist and diplomat 1908–2006Related quotes
“Art is apotheosis; often, the complaint of beauty.”
Dancing of Sounds http://www.poetrysoup.com/famous/poem/21378/Dancing_of_Sounds
From the poems written in English
Quotes 1990s, 1990-1994, Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, 1992
Context: Modern industrial civilization has developed within a certain system of convenient myths. The driving force of modern industrial civilization has been individual material gain, which is accepted as legitimate, even praiseworthy, on the grounds that private vices yield public benefits, in the classic formulation. Now, it has long been understood, very well, that a society that is based on this principle will destroy itself in time. It can only persist, with whatever suffering and injustice that it entails, as long as it is possible to pretend that the destructive forces that humans create are limited, that the world is an infinite resource, and that the world is an infinite garbage can. At this stage of history either one of two things is possible. Either the general population will take control of its own destiny and will concern itself with community interests, guided by values of solidarity, sympathy and concern for others, or alternatively there will be no destiny for anyone to control. As long as some specialized class is in a position of authority, it is going to set policy in the special interests that it serves. But the conditions of survival, let alone justice, require rational social planning in the interests of the community as a whole, and by now that means the global community. The question is whether privileged elite should dominate mass communication and should use this power as they tell us they must—namely to impose necessary illusions, to manipulate and deceive the stupid majority and remove them from the public arena. The question in brief, is whether democracy and freedom are values to be preserved or threats to be avoided. In this possibly terminal phase of human existence, democracy and freedom are more than values to be treasured; they may well be essential to survival.
“Scratch a pessimist and you find often a defender of privilege.”
As quoted in "Sayings of the Week" in The Observer [London] (17 December 1943)
“We often confuse unconditional love with unconditional approval.”
Bread For the Journey (1996)
Context: We often confuse unconditional love with unconditional approval. God loves us without conditions but does not approve of every human behavior. God doesn’t approve of betrayal, violence, hatred, suspicion, and all other expressions of evil, because they all contradict the love God wants to instill in the human heart. Evil is the absence of God’s love.
As quoted in The New York Times (7 September 2007) http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/06/arts/music/06pavarotti.html?ei=5090&en=863a6b2459941ec6&ex=1346731200&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all