--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The law is an expression of God 's holy…" description: "\"The law is an expression of God 's holy will and as such must be honored and loved,\" said the preacher piously. \"Rubbish,\" said the Master. \"The law is..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eec/anthony-de-mello-1331_cutting_the-law-is-an-expression-of-god-s-holy-w_2390970.png" --- # The law is an expression of God 's holy will and as such… ![“The law is an expression of God 's holy will and as such must be honored and loved," said the preacher piously. "Rubbish," said the Master. "The law is a necessary evil and as such must be cut down to the barest minimum. Show me a lover of the law and I will show you a muttonheaded tyrant .” quote by Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eec/anthony-de-mello-1331_cutting_the-law-is-an-expression-of-god-s-holy-w_2390970.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eec/anthony-de-mello-1331_cutting_the-law-is-an-expression-of-god-s-holy-w_2390970.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eec/anthony-de-mello-1331_cutting_the-law-is-an-expression-of-god-s-holy-w_2390970.png) > “The law is an expression of God 's holy will and as such must be honored and loved," said the preacher piously. "Rubbish," said the Master. "The law is a necessary evil and as such must be cut down to the barest minimum. Show me a lover of the law and I will show you a muttonheaded tyrant .” [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The preacher idealizes law as divine, while the Master sees it as a necessary evil to be minimized. **In simple terms:** Law can be both revered and critiqued. Key Takeaway Balance respect with reform. Themes law ethics authority Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - policy debates - legal reform - ethical training Key Concepts divine command legal minimalism tyranny Questions to Reflect On - Is absolute law ever just? - When should laws be reduced? A Different Perspective Overly simplistic view of law. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expression/) [Holy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Lovers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lovers/) [Necessary evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessary-evil/) [Preacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preacher/) [Tyrants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tyrants/) ## Related quotes > [“The law's a necessary evil--we canna be doing without it--but do ye not think it a poor substitute for conscience?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/the-law-s-a-necessary-evil-we-canna-be-doing-without-it-but-do-ye-not/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [There is nothing which Nature so clearly reveals, and upon which science so strongly insists, as the universal reign of law, absolute, universal, invariable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-leconte/there-is-nothing-which-nature-so-clearly-reveals-and-upon-which/) Joseph LeConte > [There is no such thing as "natural law": this expression is nothing but old nonsense... Prior to laws, what is natural is only the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stendhal/there-is-no-such-thing-as-natural-law-this-expression-is-nothing-but/) [Stendhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stendhal/) > [It is true that legality is not morality, and sticking to the law is necessary for good citizenship, but it is not sufficient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-baggini/it-is-true-that-legality-is-not-morality-and-sticking-to-the-law-is/) [Julian Baggini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-baggini/) > [I've often heard it said a preacher might learn with a comedian for a teacher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/i-ve-often-heard-it-said-a-preacher-might-learn-with-a-comedian-for-a/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [The history of what the law has been is necessary to the knowledge of what the law is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/the-history-of-what-the-law-has-been-is-necessary-to-the-knowledge-of/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [Let this be a lesson to us all, said the preacher. You will be walking someday in the dark and the truth will come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/let-this-be-a-lesson-to-us-all-said-the-preacher-you-will-be-walking/) [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) > [“Of course, there’s no clear line between who creates wealth and who shifts it. Lots of jobs do both. There’s no denying that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/of-course-there-s-no-clear-line-between-who-creates-wealth-and-who/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [The preacher asked her and she said I do. The preacher asked me, and she said yes he does, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-rawls/the-preacher-asked-her-and-she-said-i-do-the-preacher-asked-me-and/) [Lou Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-rawls/) > [When my mother passed away, we knew what she wanted on her tombstone, so I asked my father, so there wouldn't be any argument…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/when-my-mother-passed-away-we-knew-what-she-wanted-on-her-tombstone/) [Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/) > [I think the paparazzi is a necessary evil...and if ya don't like it, and ya don't want to do this, go to Iowa and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-o-grady/i-think-the-paparazzi-is-a-necessary-evil-and-if-ya-don-t-like-it-and/) Gail O'Grady > [War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/war-may-sometimes-be-a-necessary-evil-but-no-matter-how-necessary-it/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [And now, what has Anarchism to say to all this, this bankruptcy of republicanism, this modern empire that has grown up on the ruins…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltairine-de-cleyre/and-now-what-has-anarchism-to-say-to-all-this-this-bankruptcy-of/) [Voltairine de Cleyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltairine-de-cleyre/) > [“No longer enslaved or made dependent by force of law, the great majority are so by force of poverty; they are still chained to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/no-longer-enslaved-or-made-dependent-by-force-of-law-the-great/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Rock music is, is a necessary evil, like beating my children with penny loafers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-yorke/rock-music-is-is-a-necessary-evil-like-beating-my-children-with-penny/) [Thom Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-yorke/) ## More by Anthony de Mello > [The poor think they will be happy when they become rich. The rich think they will be happy when they are rid of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/the-poor-think-they-will-be-happy-when-they-become-rich-the-rich/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [You only change what you understand. What you do not understand and are not aware of, you repress. You dont change. But when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/you-only-change-what-you-understand-what-you-do-not-understand-and/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [A zealous disciple expressed a desire to teach others the Truth and asked the Master what he thought about this. The Master said, "Wait."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/a-zealous-disciple-expressed-a-desire-to-teach-others-the-truth-and/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [As the Arabs say, "The nature of rain is the same, but it makes thorns grow in the marshes and flowers in the gardens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/as-the-arabs-say-the-nature-of-rain-is-the-same-but-it-makes-thorns/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Sinners often speak the truth. And saints have led people astray. Examine what is said, not the one who says it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/sinners-often-speak-the-truth-and-saints-have-led-people-astray/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Isn't there such a thing as social liberation?" "Of course there is," said the Master. "How would you describe it?" "Liberation from the need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/isn-t-there-such-a-thing-as-social-liberation-of-course-there-is-said/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [The important thing is not to know who "I" is or what "I" is. You'll never succeed. There are no words for it. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/the-important-thing-is-not-to-know-who-i-is-or-what-i-is-you-ll-never/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [And increasingly - you know this and so do I we're losing the youth everywhere. They hate us; they are not interested in having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/and-increasingly-you-know-this-and-so-do-i-we-re-losing-the-youth/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Spirituality practiced in the state of activity is incomparably superior to that practiced in a state of withdrawel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/spirituality-practiced-in-the-state-of-activity-is-incomparably/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [You know, all mystics - Catholic, Christian, non-Christian, no matter what their theology, no matter what their religion - are unanimous on one thing:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/you-know-all-mystics-catholic-christian-non-christian-no-matter-what/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [There were rules in the monastery, but the Master always warned against the tyranny of the law. 'Obedience keeps the rules,' he would say.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/there-were-rules-in-the-monastery-but-the-master-always-warned/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [A disciple, in his reverence for the Master, looked upon him as God incarnate. "Tell me, O Master," he said, "why you have come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/a-disciple-in-his-reverence-for-the-master-looked-upon-him-as-god/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [“And how about you? Do you want to understand and play the game of life or fool around with miracles?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/and-how-about-you-do-you-want-to-understand-and-play-the-game-of-life/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [You don't have to add anything in order to be happy; you've got to drop something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/you-don-t-have-to-add-anything-in-order-to-be-happy-you-ve-got-to/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Rare indeed, is the relationship in which the other is not cultivated for what one can get for oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/rare-indeed-is-the-relationship-in-which-the-other-is-not-cultivated/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) [Explore all 253 Anthony de Mello quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) ## More Cutting quotes > [“I locked the door and turned on the water to fill the tub. 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