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
If you do not take the distinction between good and bad very seriously, then it is easy to say that anything you find in this world is a part of God. But, of course, if you think some things really bad, and God really good, then you cannot talk like that. You must believe that God is separate from the world and that some of the things we see in it are contrary to His will.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of moral distinctions in understanding the nature of God and the world.
C. S. Lewis argues that if one does not take the differences between good and bad seriously, one can easily claim that everything in the world is part of God. However, if one truly believes in the existence of real evil and the goodness of God, they must recognize a separation between God and the worldly experiences that conflict with divine will, underscoring the moral complexities of existence.
Themes
GoodBadGodMoralityWorldBelief
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about morality, this quote can illustrate the importance of distinguishing right from wrong.
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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