C. S. Lewis Quotes About Conscience

• Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.

  C. S. Lewis

  Wisdom, Religious, Freedom

  "The Humanitarian Theory of Punishment". "God in the Dock". Book by C. S. Lewis, 1970.

• Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.

  C. S. Lewis

  Depression, God, Christian

• God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains.

  C. S. Lewis

  Christian, Pain, Speak

• To live his life in his own way, to call his house his castle, to enjoy the fruits of his own labour, to educate his children as his conscience directs, to save for their prosperity after his death -- these are wishes deeply ingrained in civilised man. Their realization is almost as necessary to our virtues as to our happiness. From their total frustration disastrous results both moral and psychological might follow.

  C. S. Lewis

  Wisdom, Children, Men

• Those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.

  C. S. Lewis

  Tyrants, Libertarian Party, Democracies Have

  C. S. Lewis (2014). “God in the Dock”, p.324, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

• Theocracy is the worst of all governments. If we must have a tyrant, a robber baron is far better than an inquisitor. The baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity at some point be sated; and since he dimly knows he is doing wrong he may possibly repent. But the inquisitor who mistakes his own cruelty and lust of power and fear for the voice of Heaven will torment us infinitely because he torments us with the approval of his own conscience and his better impulses appear to him as temptations.

  C. S. Lewis

  Mistake, Sleep, Tyrants

  "A Reply to Professor Haldane (1946)". "Of Other Worlds: Essays and Stories". Book by C. S. Lewis, 1966.

• We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world....No doubt pain as God's megaphone is a terrible instrument; it may lead to final and unrepented rebellion. But it gives the only opportunity the bad man can have for amendment. it removes the veil; it plants the flag of truth within the fortress of the rebel soul.

  C. S. Lewis

  Pain, Opportunity, Men

• Disobedience to conscience makes conscience blind.

  C. S. Lewis

  Blind, Conscience, Disobedience

  C.S. Lewis (2005). “A Preface to Paradise Lost”, p.11, Atlantic Publishers & Dist

• And above all, you must be asking which door is the true one; not which pleases you best by its paint and panelling…the question should never be: ‘Do I like that kind of service?’ but ‘Are these doctrines true: Is holiness there? Does my conscience move me towards this? Is my reluctance to move to this door due to my pride, or my mere taste, or my personal dislike for this particular door-keeper?

  C. S. Lewis

  Moving, Pride, Doors

  C. S. Lewis (2009). “Mere Christianity”, p.16, Harper Collins

• We can rest contentedly in our sins and in our stupidities, and anyone who has watched gluttons shoveling down the most exquisite foods as if they did not know what they were eating will admit that we can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.

  C. S. Lewis

  Pain, Stupidity, World

• If we continue to make moral judgements (and whatever we say shall in fact continue) then we must believe that the conscience of man is not a product of nature.

  C. S. Lewis

  Believe, Men, Miracle

• Disobedience to conscience is voluntary; bad poetry, on the other hand, is usually not made on purpose.

  C. S. Lewis

  Hands, Purpose, Made

  C.S. Lewis (2005). “A Preface to Paradise Lost”, p.11, Atlantic Publishers & Dist

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