Monday, November 16, 2009

The saint and the rebel

Joan of Arc (kneeling)

This consoles me, actually! (Not that I want to be burned at the stake, mind you.)

In religion, it is not the sycophants or those who cling most faithfully to the status quo who are ultimately praised. It is the insurgents. Recall how often in human history the saint and the rebel have been the same person. Socrates was a rebel, and he was sentenced to drink hemlock. Jesus was a rebel, and he was crucified for it. Joan of Arc was a rebel, and she was burned at the stake.

Rollo May from The Courage To Create

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