"The inner spaces that a good story lets us enter are the old apartments of religion." ― John Updike Topic(s): Religion More From John Updike "Americans have been conditioned to respect newness, whatever it costs them." "Existence itself does not feel horrible; it feels like an ecstasy, rather, which we have only to be still to experience." "A leader is one who, out of madness or goodness, volunteers to take upon himself the woe of the people. There are few men so foolish, hence the erratic quality of leadership in the world." More In Religion "Religion is for people who are scared to go to hell. Spirituality is for people who have already been there."― Bonnie Raitt "I do not find it easy to articulate thoughts about religion. I remain the sort of person who turns off ‘Thought for the Day’ when it comes on the radio."― A. N. Wilson "In course of time, religion came with its rites invoking the aid of good spirits which were even more powerful than the bad spirits, and thus for the time being tempered the agony of fears."― Paul Harris