Prejudice and bigotry thrive on ignorance, but intelligent persons frequently are bigoted because they are uninformed in fields of knowledge that have not come within their range of study. And in this day of specialization, a person may sift scientifically the data in the field of his own cultivation, and be superstitiously gullible in areas outside his specialty. The evils of this situation are enhanced by the fact that personal prestige gained in one field gives weight to unintelligent opinions expressed in another.
Ralph W. Sockman (1889-1970) American Methodist clergyman
Preface to Peace, Part I, “Barriers to be Removed,” Rockwell Lecture on Religious Subjects, Rice Institute (25 Apr 1944)Full text.