Religion must be used in furthering great works of justice and reform. It must be used to establish right relations between different groups of men, and thus to make a reality of brotherhood. It must be used to abolish poverty, the breeding ground of all misery and crime, by distributing equably among men the abundance of the soil. And it must be used to get rid of war and to establish enduring peace. Here is the supreme test of the effectiveness of religion.
Interpretation
Religion should promote justice and unity among people, addressing issues like poverty and war.
In this quote, John Haynes Holmes emphasizes the fundamental purpose of religion as a catalyst for social change and justice. He argues that religion should be leveraged to create meaningful relationships among diverse groups, eradicate poverty, and foster peace. According to Holmes, the true measure of religion's effectiveness lies in its ability to address and solve these pressing societal issues, ultimately working towards a more just and harmonious world.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech at a social justice rally to emphasize the role of religion in fighting for equality.
There must appear a spiritual and moral leadership rising above economic and political situations. Governments in both their domestic and foreign policies appeal for popular support by promises of material gain. We cannot make peace by mere appeal to greed. We must give the peoples of the world something to live for as well as something to live on.
There's a kinship among men who have sat by a dying fire and measured the worth of their life by it.
The heart is just the heart; thoughts and feelings are just thoughts and feelings. Let things be just as they are.
Why we are here is an impenetrable question.
I do not want to make my stomach a graveyard of dead animals.
A man's memory may almost become the art of continually varying and misrepresenting his past, according to his interest in the present.
There is no grievance that is a fit object of redress by mob law.
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