“I prefer vertical prayer, directed up toward heaven, rather than horizontal prayer, directed sideways toward me.”

— Roger Ebert

Source: Life Itself : A Memoir (2011), Ch. 54 : How I Believe In God
Context: I have no patience for churches that evangelize aggressively. I have no interest in being instructed in what I must do to be saved. I prefer vertical prayer, directed up toward heaven, rather than horizontal prayer, directed sideways toward me. I believe a worthy church must grow through attraction, not promotion. I am wary of zealotry; even as a child I was suspicious of those who, as I often heard, were “more Catholic than the pope.” If we are to love our neighbors as ourselves, we must regard their beliefs with the same respect our own deserve.

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American film critic, author, journalist, and TV presenter 1942–2013

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“I prefer vertical prayer, directed up toward heaven, rather than horizontal prayer, directed sideways toward me.”

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