Evan > Evan's Quotes

“In discussing masculinity and effeminacy, it is appropriate to address a problem that plagues modern man—the sin of “niceness.” Many men, especially Christian men, just want to be nice to people—nice in the sense of being agreeable and not wanting anyone to dislike them. However, the Bible does not call for men to be nice. Men should be kind and gentle at appropriate times, as these are fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). But kindness and gentleness are not the same thing as niceness. Niceness is weakness. It is people-pleasing. Niceness is men trying to keep peace when there is no peace.”
― Zachary M. Garris, Masculine Christianity

“Christians are commanded in Scripture to pursue the truth wherever it is found. Consider one classic example in the book of Acts, where we are told that the Christians in Berea “were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). Although the Berean Christians had every reason to accept Paul's message without question, since he was the most visible, dynamic, and authoritative Christian to them, they did two things: first, “they received the word with all readiness of mind,” and, second, they checked the sources Paul pointed to, which were the Scriptures themselves.

Every Christian has the responsibility to act accordingly: to receive the message and check its claims against the Scriptures. In other words, they should “prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). It is our responsibility to study the truth so that we know when we come across error. It is vitally important for Christians to examine claims made by anyone in the name of Christianity. If the claims are not in accordance with the whole message of Scripture, then they must be rejected.

To take it a step further, if a person makes a historical claim, concerned individuals are obliged to verify how well that claim matches the available data. If the historical data do not substantiate the claim, then the claim must be rejected, rather than the data. Christians have no excuse for living a lie, since we have access to the truth. For Christian scholars in particular to put forth excuses or evade obvious historical facts is not in accordance with truth as defined by the Scriptures and God-given conscience. It is our duty to always check the sources to see if they are authentic or not. If we cannot do this and succumb to the delusion that any source is reliable, then we have fallen prey to “cunningly devised fables.”
― Jonas E. Alexis, Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism: Surprising Differences, Conflicting Visions, and Worldview Implications--From the Early Church to Our Modern Time

“Men must also lead in training their children in the faith. God has commanded parents to teach God’s Word to their children—“these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). Paul echoes this when he writes, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Notice the instruction is specifically to “fathers” [οἱ πατέρες, hoi pateres].247 Though children are to obey both “parents,” honoring both father and mother (the Fifth Commandment), fathers have a special responsibility to raise children in the Christian faith (Ephesians 6:1-”
― Zachary M. Garris, Masculine Christianity

“Intolerance of others’ views (no matter how ignorant or incoherent they may be) is not simply wrong; in a world where there is no right or wrong, it is worse: it is a sign you are embarrassingly unsophisticated or, possibly, dangerous.”
― Jordan B. Peterson, 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos

“I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence. I much prefer history – true or feigned– with its varied applicability to the thought and experience of readers. I think that many confuse applicability with allegory, but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

“I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery.”
― Thomas Jefferson

“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

“I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

“You have a grand gift for silence, Watson. It makes you quite invaluable as a companion.”
― Arthur Conan Doyle, The Complete Sherlock Holmes

“You're going to pay a price for every bloody thing you do and everything you don't do. You don't get to choose to not pay a price. You get to choose which poison you're going to take. That's it.”
― Jordan B. Peterson

“Watson. Come at once if convenient. If inconvenient, come all the same.”
― Arthur Conan Doyle, Adventure of the Creeping Man

“Advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise, and all courses may run ill.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

“If you don't say what you think then you kill your unborn self.”
― Jordan B. Peterson

“Women select men. That makes them nature, because nature is what selects. And you can say "Well it's only symbolic that women are nature", it's like no, it's not just symbolic. The woman is the gatekeeper to reproductive success. And you can't get more like nature than that, in fact it's the very definition of nature.”
― Jordan B. Peterson

“If you are not willing to be a fool, you can't become a master.”
― Jordan B. Peterson

“What is the meaning of it, Watson? said Holmes solemnly as he laid down the paper. "What object is served by this circle of misery and violence and fear? It must tend to some end, or else our universe is ruled by chance, which is unthinkable. But what end? There is the great standing perennial problem to which human reason is as far from an answer as ever.”
― Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Cardboard Box - a Sherlock Holmes Short Story

“When you have something to say, silence is a lie.”
― Jordan B. Peterson, 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos

“I don't think that you have any insight whatsoever into your capacity for good until you have some well-developed insight into your capacity for evil.”
― Jordan B. Peterson

“When a man ain't got no ideas of his own, he'd ought to be kind o' careful who he borrows 'em from.”
― Owen Wister, The Virginian

“Paradis says to me, "That's war."
"Yes, that's it," he repeats in a far-away voice, "that's war. It's not anything else."
He means—and I am with him in his meaning—"More than attacks that are like ceremonial reviews, more than visible battles unfurled like banners, more even than the hand-to-hand encounters of shouting strife, War is frightful and unnatural weariness, water up to the belly, mud and dung and infamous filth. It is befouled faces and tattered flesh, it is the corpses that are no longer like corpses even, floating on the ravenous earth. It it that, that endless monotony of misery, broken, by poignant tragedies; it is that, and not bayonet glittering like silver, nor the bugle's chanticleer call to the sun!”
― Henri Barbusse, Under Fire

“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”
― Albert Einstein

“That which you most need to find will be found where you least wish to look.”
― Jordan B. Peterson, Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life

“Parents, you need to understand something: someone is going to teach your kids about money. It will either be you, or it will be a shady car dealer, a credit card pusher on your child’s first day at college, a get-rich-quick infomercial pitchman, or just some clown who’s after their money. If you want to protect your kids, you need to send them out into the world with some knowledge.”
― Dave Ramsey, Dave Ramsey's Complete Guide To Money: The Handbook of Financial Peace University