'...But I saw today there was one thing unforgivable - like things in the school-room, so bad they were unpunishable, that only mummy could deal with - the bad thing I was on the point of doing, that I'm not quite bad enough to do; to set up a rival good to God's.'
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker identifies a specific sinful thought as unforgivable, comparing it to school offenses that only a mother could handle, but notes they were not quite bad enough to act on.
- In plain terms
- I felt tempted to do something bad, like challenging God, but I wasn't bad enough to actually do it.
- What can you take from it?
- The thought of rivaling God is seen as the ultimate unforgivable sin.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What makes a thought unforgivable?
- Is thinking a sin the same as doing it?
Another view
The meaning depends heavily on religious context regarding sin and God.
More from Evelyn Waugh
O God, if there is a God, forgive him his sins, if there is such a thing as sin.
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