Horace Bushnell Quotes

It is always so much easier to be moral than it is to be spiritual.

God does not want you to become a God; he wants you to become godly - taking on his values, attitudes, and character.

A doctrine-teaching, character-building university, the Brigham Young University is dedicated to the building of character and faith, for character is higher than intellect . . . . We are men of God first, men of letters second, men of science third, and noted men fourth, men of rectitude rather than academic competence. . . . Our academic training must be as impeccable as our lives.

If by the quarter of the twentieth century godliness wasn’t next to something more interesting than cleanliness, it might be time to reevaluate our notions of godliness.

Morality can muddle mystical understanding and virtue is only necessary in so far as it favours success. All wisdom must be encompassed in order to achieve enlightenment.

I have seen men incapable of the sciences, but never any incapable of virtue.

A man may be very sincere in good principles, without having good practice.

The worlds greatest need is the personal holiness of Christian people.

The true expression of Christian character is not in good-doing but in God-likeness.

Possessed of courage but devoid of morality, a superior man will make trouble while a small man will be a brigand.

Some are able and humane men and some are low-grade individuals with the morals of a goat, the artistic integrity of a slot machine, and the manners of a floorwalker with delusions of grandeur.

Nothing of character is really permanent but virtue and personal worth.

A person may be qualified to do greater good to mankind and become more beneficial to the world, by morality without faith than by faith without morality.

Morality must always precede and accompany religion, and yet religion is much more than morality.

To say America can have strong leadership without strong character is to say we can get water without the wet.

The most tragic thing in the world is a man of genius who is not a man of honor.

One of the reasons why it needs no special education to be a Christian is that Christianity is an education itself.

...virtue is not merely a state in conformity with the right principle, but one that implies the right principle; and the right principle in moral conduct is prudence.

Ethical existence [is] the highest manifestation of spirituality.

Men love everything but righteousness and fear everything but God.

People are either good or they're not. Religion doesn't make anybody good, I don't think.

How is it that there are not many who are led by sermons to forsake open sin? Do you know what I think? That is because preachers have too much worldly wisdom.

With integrity you have nothing to fear, since you have nothing to hide. With integrity you will do the right thing, so you will have no guilt. With fear and guilt removed you are free to be and do your best.

A Christian is God Almighty's gentleman: a gentleman, in the vulgar superficial way of understanding the word, is the Devil's Christian.

The main object of religion is not to get a man into heaven, but to get heaven into him.