The Quakers sent me books, from which I learnt how they had, years ago, established beyond doubt the duty for a Christian of fulfilling the command of non-resistance to evil by force, and had exposed the error of the Church's teaching in allowing war and capital punishment.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Learning from Quakers, the speaker understood the moral duty of non-resistance to evil. This influenced their view on war and punishment.
- In plain terms
- Learning about non-resistance changed how the speaker views war and punishment.
- What can you take from it?
- Alternative religious teachings can reshape moral views on violence.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you view non-violence in a violent world?
- What teachings have changed your ethics?
Another view
It overlooks practical challenges of non-resistance in society.
More from Leo Tolstoy
Several times I asked myself, 'Can it be that I have overlooked something, that there is something which I have failed to understand? Is it not possible that t…
Permalink to quote #47 Further acquaintance with the labors of the Quakers and their works--with Fox, Penn, and especially the work of Dymond (published in 1827)--showed me not only …
Permalink to quote #49 I cannot recall those years without horror, loathing, and heart-rending pain. I killed people in war, challenged men to duels with the purpose of killing them,…
Permalink to quote #46
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