Quotes about Morality

But to observe our neighbor's faults with the intention of looking down upon them or of detracting them . . . is sinful.

F]or a thing to be evil, one single defect suffices, whereas for it to be good . . . it is not enough for it to be good in one point only, it must be good in every respect. . . .

of all the natural virtues these four are "cardinal," i.e., the hinges ("cardes") on which all other virtues turn, the foundations on which all the other virtues are built.

Murder and adultery are great crimes.

Even God cannot make us love him. "Forced love" is a meaningless impossibility, like "virtuous sin".

That's why contraception is wrong by nature: it's a limit, a "Wait! Hold! No! Not quite! We won't give each other Everything")

St. Augustine says, "If God is, why is there evil? But if God is not, why is there good?

Morality flows from metaphysics because goodness flows from God.

manifests a good person, a good character, a good habit, and also because good deeds gradually form good habits, good character, good persons.

A habit is a stable disposition to act in a certain way, good or evil. Virtues are good habits; vices are bad habits.

Second, the origin of evil is not the Creator but the creature's freely choosing sin and selfishness.

Christians are good citizens, and take human laws very seriously, for religious reasons, not just for secular reasons. That's why they are better citizens than atheists, and certainly better citizens than moral relativists and subjectivists: they have stronger motives for obedience.