Raiders of the Lost Ark Religion Quotes

How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Quote #4

"I don't believe in magic, a lot of superstitious hocus-pocus! I'm going after a find of incredible historical significance; you're talking about the boogeyman!"

Indy's skepticism here is really important because it sets him up for the undeniable power of the Ark at the end. He doesn't really believe that the Ark can harness the power of God. But judging by his earlier comments, could he be whistling past the graveyard? Can you have respect for beliefs you don't really hold yourself?

Quote #5

"If it is there at Tanis, then it is something man was not meant to disturb. Death has always surrounded it. It is not of this Earth."

Sallah ties the fact that the Ark is otherworldly with the very real possibility of death. Otherworldly on its own may be freaky, but it's not necessarily fatal. Sallah wants to make it very clear that poking at this thing could be seriously dangerous. The danger of disturbing something holy is a popular movie motif. You mess with the mummy's sarcophagus or the Native American burial ground or the wrong chalice at your peril.

Quote #6

"Jones, do you realize what the Ark is?! It's a transmitter! It's a radio for speaking to God! And it's within my reach!"

Unlike Sallah, Belloq's eager to see exactly what the Ark does. And notice that he describes it in mechanical terms ("transmitter" and "radio"). He doesn't feel the religious significance of it. He just wants to tap into the power that it holds.