A dogmatic belief in objective value is necessary to the very idea of a rule which is not tyranny or an obedience which is not slavery.
C. S. LewisRead
That is why Christians are told not to judge. We see only the results which a man's choices make out of his raw material. But God does not judge him on the raw material at all, but on what he has done with it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
We should not judge others based on their inherent qualities, but rather on how they choose to act and grow.
C. S. Lewis emphasizes the importance of focusing on a person's actions and choices rather than their natural dispositions or circumstances. He suggests that while humans often judge others based on superficial traits, divine judgment is based on the efforts individuals make to improve themselves and the choices they make over time.
Themes
JudgmentChoicesGrowthPhilosophyMorality
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion about personal growth and self-improvement.
More from C. S. Lewis
All quotes →I enjoyed my breakfast this morning, and I think that was a good thing and do not think it was condemned by God. But I do not think myself a good man for enjoying it.
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Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
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Forgiving and being forgiven are two names for the same thing. The important thing is that a discord has been resolved.
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I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. It doesn't change God - it changes me.
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The instrument through which you see God is your whole self. And if a man's self is not kept clean and bright, his glimpse of God will be blurred
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Race doesn't really exist for you because it has never been a barrier. Black folks don't have that choice.
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We think that the point is to pass the test or to overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don't really get solved. They come together and they fall apart.
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