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
We regard God as an airman regards his parachute; it's there for emergencies but he hopes he'll never have to use it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote compares belief in God to a parachute, suggesting that faith is a safety net people rely on in difficult times, but hope to avoid needing.
C. S. Lewis uses this metaphor to convey the idea that many people view their faith in God as a last resort, akin to a parachute relied upon during emergencies. While they acknowledge its importance and potential to provide comfort or salvation, they often wish to live their lives without the pressing necessity to depend on it, indicating a preference for self-sufficiency in everyday life.
Themes
FaithGodEmergencySafetyParachute
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the role of faith in times of crisis.
More from C. S. Lewis
All quotes βI 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.
C. S. LewisRead
Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
C. S. LewisRead
Forgiving and being forgiven are two names for the same thing. The important thing is that a discord has been resolved.
C. S. LewisRead
I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. It doesn't change God - it changes me.
C. S. LewisRead
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
C. S. LewisRead
Similar quotes
All truth is given by revelation, either general or special, and it must be received by reason. Reason is the God-given means for discovering the truth that God discloses, whether in his world or his Word. While God wants to reach the heart with truth, he does not bypass the mind.
Jonathan EdwardsRead
Pacifism is objectively pro-fascist. This is elementary common sense. If you hamper the war effort of one side, you automatically help out that of the other. Nor is there any real way of remaining outside such a war as the present one. In practice, 'he that is not with me is against me'.
George OrwellRead
We have a disharmony in our natures. We cannot live together without injuring each other.
William GoldingRead
There is more than one kind of freedom," said Aunt Lydia. "Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Don't underrate it.
Margaret AtwoodRead
After a short silence the doctor raised himself a little in his chair and asked if Tarrou had an idea of the path to follow for attaining peace. "Yes, he replied. "The path of sympathy.
Albert CamusRead
In some ways, risk-taking is the ultimate act of self-indulgence , an obscene insult to the preciousness of life. And yet, how can one dismiss something that persists despite every reasonable theory that it shouldn't?
Sebastian JungerRead