Moral Goodness Quotes

• Morality is not just any old topic in psychology but close to our conception of the meaning of life. Moral goodness is what gives each of us the sense that we are worthy human beings.

  Steven Pinker

  Giving, Psychology, Meaning Of Life

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• Those who believe they have pleased God by the quality of their devotion and moral goodness naturally feel that they and their group deserve deference and power over others. The God of Jesus and the prophets, however, saves completely by grace. He cannot be manipulated by religious and moral performance--he can only be reached through repentance, through the giving up of power. If we are saved by sheer grace we can only become grateful, willing servants of God and of everyone around us.

  Timothy Keller

  Religious, Jesus, Giving Up

  Timothy Keller (2008). “The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism”, p.74, Penguin

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• Ultimately the case for shunning animal flesh does not rest on what the Buddha allegedly said or didn't say. What is does rest on is our innate moral goodness, compassion, and pity which, when liberated, lead us to value all forms of life. It is obvious, then, that willfully to take life, or through the eating of meat indirectly to cause others to kill, runs counter to the deepest instincts of human beings.

  Philip Kapleau

  Running, Buddhist, Animal

  Philip Kapleau (1982). “To Cherish All Life: A Buddhist Case for Becoming Vegetarian”, Harper San Francisco

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• The moral duty of man consists of imitating the moral goodness and beneficence of God, manifested in the creation towards all his creatures. Everything of persecution and revenge between man and man, and everything of cruelty to animals is a violation of moral duty

  Thomas Paine

  Revenge, Animal, Men

  Thomas Paine (2015). “The Thomas Paine Collection: Common Sense, Rights of Man, Age of Reason, An Essay on Dream, Biblical Blasphemy, Examination Of The Prophecies”, p.246, Ravenio Books

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• The moral duty of man consists of imitatingthe moral goodness and beneficence of God,manifested in the creation, toward all His creatures.

  Thomas Paine

  Men, Vegetarian, Creation

  Thomas Paine (2016). “THOMAS PAINE Ultimate Collection: Political Works, Philosophical Writings, Speeches, Letters & Biography (Including Common Sense, The Rights of Man & The Age of Reason): The American Crisis, The Constitution of 1795, Declaration of Rights, Agrarian Justice, The Republican Proclamation, Anti-Monarchal Essay, Letters to Thomas Jefferson and George Washington…”, p.438, e-artnow

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• For me, nonviolence was not a moral principle but a strategy; there is no moral goodness in using an ineffective weapon.

  Nelson Mandela

  Principles, Weapons, Strategy

  Nelson Mandela (2012). “Notes to the Future: Words of Wisdom”, p.24, Simon and Schuster

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• When irrational terror takes to itself the fiat of moral goodness somebody has to die. ... No man lives who has not got a panic button, and when it is pressed by the clean white hand of moral duty, a certain murderous train is set in motion.

  Arthur Miller

  Men, White, Hands

  Arthur Miller (2016). “Collected Essays: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)”, p.157, Penguin

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• Cleverly assorted scraps of spurious science are inculcated upon the children to prove necessity of law; obedience to the law is made a religion; moral goodness and the law of the masters are fused into one and the same divinity. The historical hero of the schoolroom is the man who obeys the law, and defends it against rebels.

  Peter Kropotkin

  Children, Hero, Men

  Peter Kropotkin (1927). “Anarchism: A Collection of Revolutionary Writings”, p.197, Courier Corporation

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• How wholesome winter is, seen far or near; how good, above all mere sentimental, warm-blooded, short-lived, soft-hearted, moral goodness, commonly so called. Give me the goodness which has forgotten its own deeds,--which God has seen to be good, and let be.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Winter, Hypocrisy, Giving

  Henry David Thoreau (2014). “Familiar Letters (Annotated Edition)”, p.284, Jazzybee Verlag

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