What each man honours before all else, what before all things he admires and loves, this for him is God.
OrigenRead
Then, in the next place, we must know that every being which is endowed with reason, and transgresses its statutes and limitations, is undoubtedly involved in sin by swerving from rectitude and justice.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes that reason is essential for understanding moral laws, and deviating from them constitutes sin.
Origen's quote reflects the philosophical idea that rational beings have an innate awareness of right and wrong, and when they choose to act against these moral laws, they are committing a sin. This perspective underscores the responsibility that comes with reason, suggesting that the ability to reason implies an obligation to adhere to justice and morality.
In practice
During a lecture on ethics, this quote can be used to illustrate the importance of moral responsibility.
Bohemia is nothing more than the little country in which you do not live. If you try to obtain citizenship in it, at once the court and retinue pack the royal archives and treasure and move away beyond the hills.
The most complete revenge is not to imitate the aggressor.
Very often the Group actor is a critic when he's acting and an actor when he's criticizing.
Descriptions of inner, spiritual processes are much more liable to misunderstanding than descriptions of events in the physical world. Such misunderstandings arise easily because the life of the soul is in constant movement and because we fail to bear in mind that the life of the soul is very different from life in the physical world.
Most people define themselves by what they do - 'I'm a musician.' Then one day it occurred to me that I'm only a musician when I'm playing music - or writing music, or talking about music. I don't do that 24 hours a day. I'm also a father, a son, a husband, a citizen - I mean, when I go to vote, I'm not thinking of myself as 'a musician.'
Actually, your soul and mine are the same. We appear and disappear with each other.
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