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
One of the marks of a certain type of bad man is that he cannot give up a thing himself without wanting every one else to give it up. That is not the Christian way. An individual Christian may see fit to give up all sorts of things for special reasons--marriage, or meat, or beer, or the cinema; but the moment he starts saying the things are bad in themselves, or looking down his nose at other people who do use them, he has taken the wrong turning.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of personal choice and humility in giving up pleasures without condemning others for their choices.
C. S. Lewis highlights that true virtue in a Christian context involves personal sacrifices made for personal reasons, rather than creating a judgmental stance towards others. He asserts that an individual's decision to abstain from certain pleasures should not come with an air of superiority or a belief that those pleasures are inherently wrong for everyone else. This perspective fosters a sense of community and respects individual choices without imposing one's values onto others.
Themes
SacrificeHumilityPersonal ChoiceJudgmentChristianity
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a church sermon discussing the nature of self-sacrifice and compassion.
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.
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
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