Bible Quote by Abraham Lincoln
“To read in the Bible, as the word of God himself, that "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, ["] and to preach there-from that, "In the sweat of other mans faces shalt thou eat bread," to my mind can scarcely be reconciled with honest sincerity.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Gettysburg Address, 1863
Lincoln critiques the hypocrisy of using religious authority to justify exploitation, highlighting a conflict between moral preaching and personal gain.
In simple terms: He sees a contradiction in preaching honesty while profiting from others' labor.
Beware of using faith to excuse exploitation.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- political speeches
- religious sermons
- labor negotiations
- public debates
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you reconcile personal benefit with moral preaching?
- When does religious rhetoric become a tool for exploitation?
Religious arguments can be misused to mask self‑interest.