Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
The idea of paying for sins through a savior encourages moral recklessness.
In plain terms
Believing someone will pay for your sins makes people sin more.
What can you take from it?
Blaming sins on others encourages bad behavior.

Where it applies

  • theological debate
  • ethical discussion
  • criticism of doctrine

Putting it to work

  • encouraging personal accountability
  • challenging grace concepts

Questions to consider

  • Does grace encourage sin?
  • How do we teach morality?

Another view

Forgiveness can also promote rehabilitation rather than extravagance.

More from Robert G. Ingersoll

  1. That which must be, has the right to be.

    Permalink to quote #188
  2. The church cries now 'whom God hath joined together let not man put asunder;' but when the people are really civilized the state will say: 'whom Nature hath pu…

    Permalink to quote #190
  3. Temptations are as thick as the leaves of the forest, and no one can be out of the reach of temptation unless he is dead. The great thing is to make people int…

    Permalink to quote #187

Related quotes

  1. Fay: The priest at St Kilda's has asked me to speak to you. He's very worried. He says you spend your time thieving from slot machines and deflowering the daug…

    Joe OrtonJoe Orton quote #3
  2. Eskimo: 'If I did not know about God and sin, would I go to Hell?'

    Annie DillardAnnie Dillard quote #3
  3. We've allowed this sin [homosexuality] to run rampant in our nation, and because it has run rampant in our nation, our nation is in the condition it's in today.

    Reggie WhiteReggie White quote #10