It can be demonstrated that in any society there is a distribution of religious tastes and concerns. Rodney Stark Read Quote
Theology is in disrepute among most Western intellectuals. The word is taken to mean a passe form of religious thinking that embraces irrationality and dogmatism. So too, Scholasticism. Rodney Stark Read Quote
Had the followers of Jesus remained an obscure Jewish sect, most of you would not have learned to read, and the rest of you would be reading from hand-copied scrolls. Rodney Stark Read Quote
Many people who say they have no religion are simply saying they have no official religious affiliation. They may actually have strong personal beliefs. Rodney Stark Read Quote
Those who belong to megachurches display as high a level of personal commitment as do those who attend small congregations. Rodney Stark Read Quote
There are many critics who think the megachurches thrive on people who enjoy dramatic Sunday services with fine music but don’t wish to become very ‘religious’ on a day-to-day basis – that the megachurch appeal is a mile wide and an inch deep. Rodney Stark Read Quote
Most churches are run by preachers who went to seminaries, who decided to be preachers when they were 18, 19, 20 years old. These preachers never met a payroll. They don’t know how the world works. Rodney Stark Read Quote
The great myth that many social scientists want to encourage is that there is an incompatibility between modern technology and traditional religion. This is absolute nonsense. If anything, it’s the reverse. Rodney Stark Read Quote
Mormons are an extraordinarily educated and professional population. They have all these virtues: They work hard, don’t skip school, have no scandals. Consequently, you find them in a lot of consequential places. Rodney Stark Read Quote
