Joy at the End of The Tether Quotes

“Men stand for office because they want to get into a position that would enable them to begin stealing money with a backhoe. This is affected in our nation somewhat by our very fine two-party system”
― Douglas Wilson, Joy at the End of the Tether: The Inscrutable Wisdom of Ecclesiastes

“A wise man will always consider and reflect upon what occurs “under the sun.” Work has no profit there (1:3; 2:11; 2:22); nothing is really new (1:9); everything is vain (1:14; 4:7); work is distressing (2:17); labor is hateful because someone else gets the fruit of it (2:18); a fool might receive the benefit of a man’s work (2:19”
― Douglas Wilson, Joy at the End of the Tether: The Inscrutable Wisdom of Ecclesiastes

“How can an unexamined piety differ from the blind gropings of the fool? What is the hallmark of wisdom in this fallen world? The answer is joy at the end of the tether. But before we can learn joy at the end of the tether, we must learn the strength of that tether. The Lord is God and we are not.”
― Douglas Wilson, Joy at the End of the Tether: The Inscrutable Wisdom of Ecclesiastes

“We buck when we hear these things because we are proud. We say that we do not want God’s holiness impugned, but really we do not want our autonomy restricted. If God appoints all the seasons of every man’s life, then no man can live unto himself, and no man can find the fount of wisdom within. If God decrees all things, then I cannot escape Him, not even by plunging myself into all depravity. A man who embraces evil simply finds himself a tool in the hand of the Almighty. A man who rejects evil and follows wisdom finds himself a son in the family of the Almighty. The one option not offered us is that of thwarting and restricting the purposes of God.”
― Douglas Wilson, Joy at the End of the Tether: The Inscrutable Wisdom of Ecclesiastes

“Evangelical Christians, who ought to know better, have contented themselves for some years now in voting for the lesser of two evils. One faction wants to drive toward the cliff of God’s judgment at sixty miles an hour, while the loyal opposition wants to slow down to forty. Hard-working and soft-thinking Christians bust a gut to get the latter group into power. And then, when they do assume control, they compromise with the ousted group and settle on a moderate and well-respected speed of fifty-eight.”
― Douglas Wilson, Joy at the End of the Tether: The Inscrutable Wisdom of Ecclesiastes

“But another theme, another refrain, is equally marked, and this one is missed by the cynic. This is the refrain which sings the great gift of God. Under the sun, vanity is God’s scepter (5:18; 8:15; 9:9). For those who fear Him, He gives the gift of being able to actually enjoy this great big marching band of futility—the tubas of vanity bringing up the rear. God gives to a wise man the gift of watching, with a pious and grateful chuckle, one damn thing after another. All things considered, the furious activity of this world is about as meaningful as the half-time frenzy at the Super Bowl. But a wise man can be there and enjoy himself. This is the gift of God. The wise will notice how this point is hammered home, throughout the book, again and again. Slowly it dawns on a man that this is really a book of profound . . . optimism.”
― Douglas Wilson, Joy at the End of the Tether: The Inscrutable Wisdom of Ecclesiastes

“The church today is dominated by this theology of silly women.”
― Douglas Wilson, Joy at the End of the Tether: The Inscrutable Wisdom of Ecclesiastes