--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We can conceive of a world in which God…" description: "\"We can conceive of a world in which God corrected the results of abuse of free will by His creatures: so that a wooden beam became soft as grass when u..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acc/c-s-lewis-2-132_abuse_we-can-conceive-of-a-world-in-which-god_404319.png" --- # We can conceive of a world in which God corrected the… ![“We can conceive of a world in which God corrected the results of abuse of free will by His creatures: so that a wooden beam became soft as grass when used as a weapon... But such a world would be one in which wrong actions were impossible, and therefore, freedom of the will would be void.” quote by C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acc/c-s-lewis-2-132_abuse_we-can-conceive-of-a-world-in-which-god_404319.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acc/c-s-lewis-2-132_abuse_we-can-conceive-of-a-world-in-which-god_404319.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acc/c-s-lewis-2-132_abuse_we-can-conceive-of-a-world-in-which-god_404319.png) > “We can conceive of a world in which God corrected the results of abuse of free will by His creatures: so that a wooden beam became soft as grass when used as a weapon... But such a world would be one in which wrong actions were impossible, and therefore, freedom of the will would be void.” [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If God removed all consequences of free‑will abuse, true freedom disappears because no wrong actions could occur. **In simple terms:** Removing evil eliminates free will. Key Takeaway Freedom requires the possibility of error. Themes free will theodicy morality divine omnipotence Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical theological When to use this quote - philosophical debates - religious counseling - ethical education - personal reflection Key Concepts determinism theological fatalism ethical responsibility Questions to Reflect On - Is a world without suffering truly desirable? - Can freedom exist without the risk of wrongdoing? A Different Perspective This view may ignore the value of moral growth through overcoming hardship. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Beam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beam/) [Creatures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creatures/) [Free will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-will/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom Void](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-void-3618502/) [God Corrected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-corrected-3618503/) [Grass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grass/) [Impossible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossible/) [Impossible Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossible-freedom-3281167/) [Results](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/results/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) [Void](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/void/) [Weapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weapons/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-god/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) [Wrong actions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-actions/) ## Related quotes > [“I have no use for a theoretic freedom. Let me have something finite, definite — matter that can lend itself to my operation only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/i-have-no-use-for-a-theoretic-freedom-let-me-have-something-finite/) [Igor Stravinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-stravinsky/) > [Many things have gone wrong with the world that God made and... God insists, and insists very loudly, on our putting them right again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/many-things-have-gone-wrong-with-the-world-that-god-made-and-god/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [The wrong action done at the wrong time spells disaster The right action done at the wrong time spells resistance The wrong action done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/the-wrong-action-done-at-the-wrong-time-spells-disaster-the-right/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [“The wrong man is not always wrong because of his wrong actions, often he is wrong because of no actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/the-wrong-man-is-not-always-wrong-because-of-his-wrong-actions-often/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Never do anything that taints your mind. Wrong actions cause negative or evil mental vibrations that are reflected in your whole appearance and personality.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/never-do-anything-that-taints-your-mind-wrong-actions-cause-negative/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [“Feelings are never wrong. Only actions can be wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simpson/feelings-are-never-wrong-only-actions-can-be-wrong/) [David Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simpson/) > [A wrong action may not bring its reaction at once, even as fresh milk turns not sour at once: like a smouldering fire concealed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/a-wrong-action-may-not-bring-its-reaction-at-once-even-as-fresh-milk/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [At the end of the day, every child has learned the Lesson of Spin: Almost every wrong action can be stripped of consequences, along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/at-the-end-of-the-day-every-child-has-learned-the-lesson-of-spin/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [No outward thing - nothing, nobody from without - can hurt me inside, psychologically. I recognized that I could only be hurt psychologically by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peace-pilgrim/no-outward-thing-nothing-nobody-from-without-can-hurt-me-inside/) [Peace Pilgrim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peace-pilgrim/) > [If you recognize that all of your inner hurts are caused by your own wrong actions or your own wrong reactions or your own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peace-pilgrim/if-you-recognize-that-all-of-your-inner-hurts-are-caused-by-your-own/) [Peace Pilgrim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peace-pilgrim/) > [America does, in the future, need to have a conversation with and try to move forward with Russia. But what we don't need is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-m-breedlove/america-does-in-the-future-need-to-have-a-conversation-with-and-try/) [Philip M. Breedlove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-m-breedlove/) > [Being self-centered for attaining something isn't wrong ,until your actions don't harm and hurt others!!! \*senora\*](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/being-self-centered-for-attaining-something-isn-t-wrong-until-your/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [It is desire that impels man to lose his discrimination and understanding, and thus commit wrong actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senora-roy/it-is-desire-that-impels-man-to-lose-his-discrimination-and/) [Senora Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senora-roy/) > [My philosophy of life is that the meek shall inherit nothing but debasement, frustration and ignoble deaths; that there is security in personal strength;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harlan-ellison/my-philosophy-of-life-is-that-the-meek-shall-inherit-nothing-but/) [Harlan Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harlan-ellison/) > [Any action is better than no action at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/any-action-is-better-than-no-action-at-all/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) ## More by C. S. Lewis > [One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/one-of-our-great-allies-at-present-is-the-church-itself-do-not/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Either Jesus is the Son of God ; or a madman or worse. But His being just a great teacher? He's not left that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/either-jesus-is-the-son-of-god-or-a-madman-or-worse-but-his-being/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [To every soul, God will look like its first love because He IS its first love. Your place in heaven will seem to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/to-every-soul-god-will-look-like-its-first-love-because-he-is-its/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Don't you understand anything? Isn't it absolutely essential to keep a fierce Left and a fierce Right, both on their toes and each terrified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/don-t-you-understand-anything-isn-t-it-absolutely-essential-to-keep-a/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“Really great moral teachers never do introduce new moralities: it is quacks and cranks who do that. As”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/really-great-moral-teachers-never-do-introduce-new-moralities-it-is/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“When He died in the Wounded World He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/when-he-died-in-the-wounded-world-he-died-not-for-men-but-for-each/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [All I am in private life is a literary critic and historian, that's my job...And I'm prepared to say on that basis if anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/all-i-am-in-private-life-is-a-literary-critic-and-historian-that-s-my/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [If a man is going to write on chemistry, he learns chemistry. The same is true of Christianity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/if-a-man-is-going-to-write-on-chemistry-he-learns-chemistry-the-same/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [The first fact in the history of Christendom is a number of people who say they have seen the Resurrection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/the-first-fact-in-the-history-of-christendom-is-a-number-of-people/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [I#pray because the need flows out of me all the time-walking and sleeping. It does not change # God - it changes me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/i-pray-because-the-need-flows-out-of-me-all-the-time-walking-and/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Are the gods not just?' 'Oh no, child. What would become us us if they were?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/are-the-gods-not-just-oh-no-child-what-would-become-us-us-if-they-were/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Love is more than an emotion, it is a decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/love-is-more-than-an-emotion-it-is-a-decision/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Ink is the great cure for all human ills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/ink-is-the-great-cure-for-all-human-ills/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [A man may have to die for our country: but no man must, in any exclusive sense, live for his country. He who surrenders…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/a-man-may-have-to-die-for-our-country-but-no-man-must-in-any/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [War creates no absolutely new situation: it simply aggravates the permanent human situation so that we can no longer ignore it. Human life has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/war-creates-no-absolutely-new-situation-it-simply-aggravates-the/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) [Explore all 1,190 C. S. Lewis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) ## More Abuse quotes > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Being nice is okay,but don't allow anybody to abuse it...try to fight for your self when you know your on the right way...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-nice-is-okay-but-don-t-allow-anybody-to-abuse-it-try-to-fight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Build a bridge over shame by teaching kids about sexual abuse. Give them a chance to run to us should they encounter it. Be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-byers-ruch/build-a-bridge-over-shame-by-teaching-kids-about-sexual-abuse-give/) [Carolyn Byers Ruch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-byers-ruch/) > [It is sure that those are most desirous of honour or glory who cry out loudest of its abuse and the vanity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/it-is-sure-that-those-are-most-desirous-of-honour-or-glory-who-cry/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [“The sole reason I stand to open it up now is that lots of people who are in pain just like I was, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-sole-reason-i-stand-to-open-it-up-now-is-that-lots-of-people-who/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [I have a theory that all abuse, no matter what kind of abuse it is, is foremost an assault on the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-have-a-theory-that-all-abuse-no-matter-what-kind-of-abuse-it-is-is/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [“Blaming therapy, social work and other caring professions for the confabulation of testimony of 'satanic ritual abuse' legitimated a programme of political and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/blaming-therapy-social-work-and-other-caring-professions-for-the/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [Finally, the scariest thing about abuse of any shape or form, is, in my opinion, not the abuse itself, but that if it continues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cumming/finally-the-scariest-thing-about-abuse-of-any-shape-or-form-is-in-my/) [Alan Cumming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cumming/) > [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [“Stand up for yourself. Never give any one permission to abuse you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/stand-up-for-yourself-never-give-any-one-permission-to-abuse-you/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [All governments should be pressured to correct their abuses of human rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/all-governments-should-be-pressured-to-correct-their-abuses-of-human/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [“Words are free. It does not mean you should abuse them. Be kind with them. They will mirror your actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hadinet-tekie/words-are-free-it-does-not-mean-you-should-abuse-them-be-kind-with/) [Hadinet Tekie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hadinet-tekie/) > [My illness is one often characterized by dramatic overspending - in my case through frenzied shopping sprees, credit card abuse, excessive hoarding of unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-behrman/my-illness-is-one-often-characterized-by-dramatic-overspending-in-my/) [Andy Behrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-behrman/) [Browse all 3,113 Abuse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We can conceive of a world in which God corrected the results of abuse of free will by His creatures: so that a wooden beam became soft as grass when used as a weapon... But such a world would be one in which wrong actions were impossible, and therefore, freedom of the will would be void.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C. S. Lewis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/we-can-conceive-of-a-world-in-which-god-corrected-the-results-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Abuse" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/we-can-conceive-of-a-world-in-which-god-corrected-the-results-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acc/c-s-lewis-2-132_abuse_we-can-conceive-of-a-world-in-which-god_404319.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acc/c-s-lewis-2-132_abuse_we-can-conceive-of-a-world-in-which-god_404319.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acc/c-s-lewis-2-132_abuse_we-can-conceive-of-a-world-in-which-god_404319.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We can conceive of a world in which God corrected the results of abuse of free will by His creatures: so…” — C. S. Lewis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "C. S. Lewis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We can conceive of a world...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/we-can-conceive-of-a-world-in-which-god-corrected-the-results-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/we-can-conceive-of-a-world-in-which-god-corrected-the-results-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```