Religion is a search for transcendence. But transcendence isnt necessarily sited in an external god, which can be a very unspiritual, unreligious concept. – Karen Armstrong
Yes, all fundamentalists feel that in a secular society, God has been relegated to the margin, to the periphery and they are all in different ways seeking to drag him out of that peripheral position, back to center stage. – Karen Armstrong
Religious people often prefer to be right rather than compassionate. Often, they dont want to give up their egotism. They want their religion to endorse their ego, their identity. – Karen Armstrong
Ever since the Crusades, when Christians from western Europe were fighting holy wars against Muslims in the near east, western people have often perceived Islam as a violent and intolerant faith – even though when this prejudice took root Islam had a better record of tolerance than Christianity. – Karen Armstrong