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
To be religious is to have one's attention fixed on God and on one's neighbour in relation to God.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Being religious involves focusing on the divine and our connections with others through that relationship.
C. S. Lewis emphasizes that true religiosity centers not just on personal devotion to God but also on the way individuals relate to each other in the context of their faith. This quote highlights the dual focus of religion: the sacred relationship with God and the moral responsibilities we have towards our neighbors, suggesting that oneβs spirituality should inspire love and compassion for others.
Themes
ReligionGodNeighborAttentionLove
In practice
Example use cases
In a sermon discussing community service, this quote illustrates the importance of serving others as an expression of faith.
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
There is no odor so bad as that which arises from goodness tainted.
Henry David ThoreauRead
The gospel of Christ must always be an open door with a welcome sign for all.
Johnny CashRead
I find the whole business of religion profoundly interesting. But it does mystify me that otherwise intelligent people take it seriously.
Douglas AdamsRead
But I think the spirit of man is a good adversary
Tennessee WilliamsRead
that which is eternal within the moment only becomes shallow if spread out in time.
Rabindranath TagoreRead
Nothing is so stifling as symmetry. Symmetry is boredom, the quintessence of mourning. Despair yawns. There is something more terrible than a hell of suffering - a hell of boredom.
Victor HugoRead