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.
I wonder if people who asked for God to intervene in our world, really know what they are asking. Will they want to be there when God really does intervene?
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote questions the awareness of those who seek divine intervention in the world.
C. S. Lewis's quote suggests a profound contemplation on the implications of asking for God's intervention. It highlights the responsibility and potential consequences that come with such a request, prompting individuals to consider whether they truly understand the nature and extent of divine involvement in human affairs. The quote emphasizes a cautious approach to invoking higher powers, as it raises questions about human readiness to face the possible outcomes of such actions.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about faith and prayer, this quote could be used to illustrate the complexities of asking for divine help.
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.
Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
Forgiving and being forgiven are two names for the same thing. The important thing is that a discord has been resolved.
I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. It doesn't change God - it changes me.
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
Similar quotes
To be able to rise from the earth; to be able, from a station in outer space, to see the relationship of the planet earth to other planets; to be able to contemplate the billions of factors in precise and beautiful combination that make human existence possible; to be able to dwell on an encounter of the human brain and spirit with the universe
Without fullness of experience, length of days is nothing. When fullness of life has been achieved, shortness of days is nothing. That is perhaps why the young have usually so little fear of death; they live by intensities that the elderly have forgotten.
You can't hear a word and just hear it as raw sound; it always evokes an associated meaning and emotion in the brain.
On a single winged word hath hung the destiny of nations.
From a comparative perspective, the United States is unusual if not unique in the lack of restraints on freedom of expression. It is also unusual in the range and effectiveness of methods employed to restrain freedom of thought... Where the voice of the people is heard, elite groups must insure their voice says the right things.
In the long run the ideas of the majority, however detrimental they may be, will carry on. The future of mankind depends on the ability of the elite to influence public opinion in the right direction.