Some Danger Involved Quotes

“To a bibliophile, there is but one thing better than a box of new books, and that is a box of old ones.”
― Will Thomas, Some Danger Involved

“Does a bibliophile ever have enough room on his shelves? The answer is obvious: get more shelves.”
― Will Thomas, Some Danger Involved

“I'm thinking that, collectively, men are only slightly more observant than mollusks.”
― Will Thomas, Some Danger Involved

“Her hair was pulled back so severely, it would have won approval from the Spanish Inquisition as a method of torture.”
― Will Thomas, Some Danger Involved

“A Bible-quoting group of killers. I don't like it," Barker rumbled, his chin buried in his coat. "Murder and faith make nasty bedfellows.”
― Will Thomas, Some Danger Involved

“A Welshman is always glad to add to his private store of tales.”
― Will Thomas, Some Danger Involved

“You can’t ride one ass to two fairs.”
― Will Thomas, Some Danger Involved

“People don’t read their Bibles. They hire pastors to preach to them. And some pastors will preach total nonsense if it will tickle the congregations’ ears enough to open their purses. There are some very rich and very gullible people in the Reverend Mr. Brunhoff’s church. And they’ll defend the delusions he’s indoctrinated in them to the death.”
― Will Thomas, Some Danger Involved

“Actually, you’ve shown the problem in microcosm. The entire thing is all about nationalism, and you know how that is sweeping across Europe. Being ‘chosen’ gives people license to do just about anything they like, from expanding into other countries’ territory, to wiping out undesirable people within one’s own borders. And the more a country prospers, the more they feel that God is on their side, and the more arrogant they become. In America, they call it ‘Manifest Destiny,’ this idea that all they do is ordained by God.”
― Will Thomas, Some Danger Involved

“Jesus was a Jew from the line of David. Those paintings make him look like Siegfried from a Wagnerian opera. New Man, indeed! They look upon Christ as the first of a super race, the Aryan race, who must watch over their ‘inferiors’ and exterminate them, if necessary. Have you ever heard such distorted history? He makes it sound like the Jews sit in their ghettoes, plotting the domination of the world.”
― Will Thomas, Some Danger Involved

“The English are not barbarians. But if I said, ‘Those Jews are taking our jobs, our homes, and pretty soon our women; let’s teach them a lesson,’ I’d probably clear the room. It’s how mobs start. Most of the men in pubs are half bored, looking for something to do, and anxious to air their grievances.”
― Will Thomas, Some Danger Involved

“thing. If the Bible says that the Jews are His chosen people, we ought to take it seriously.”
― Will Thomas, Some Danger Involved

“Architecturally, it’s not much different from the Tabernacle this morning,” I said to Barker. “That’s because the builder was a Quaker. Jews were prohibited from building for themselves.”
― Will Thomas, Some Danger Involved

“One of the demands of the Church of England in 1700 was that the synagogue not attempt to attract converts with an ostentatious entrance.”
― Will Thomas, Some Danger Involved

“A Bible-quoting group of killers. I don’t like it,”
― Will Thomas, Some Danger Involved

“People don't read their Bibles. They hire pastors to preach to them. And some pastors will preach total nonsense if it will tickle the congregations' ears enough to open their purses...

And they'll defend the delusions... indoctrinated in them to the death.”
― Will Thomas, Some Danger Involved

“So the Jews are still the chosen people?" I asked, somewhat doubtfully.

"If you are a Christian, you must believe it so, because the Bible never contradicts it. A blood covenant is eternal. God never changes. I know it's more congenial to think we [non Jews] are the chosen people, but one can't build a strong biblical case for it.”
― Will Thomas, Some Danger Involved

“Prayer?" I asked.

"Of course. If you're not connected to the source of all knowledge, you're no better than a telephone when one of these lines is down." He gestured with his stick at the wires above our heads.”
― Will Thomas, Some Danger Involved Lib/E

“It seems strange to find a Baptist such as yourself so well acquainted with Jewish customs," I said.

"Yes, well, knowledge is a good thing. If the Bible says that the Jews are His chosen people, we ought to take it seriously.”
― Will Thomas, Some Danger Involved

“Rather large crowd," I whispered to my employer. "I thought he had no family."

"The fact that he had no family is why the crowd is so large," Barker explained patiently. "It means that the entire community becomes his family. Also, the Jews have great respect for the teachers of their children.”
― Will Thomas, Some Danger Involved