--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They told me that nothing was a sin, just…" description: "\"“They told me that nothing was a sin, just a poor life choice. Poor impulse control. That nothing is evil. Any concept of right versus wrong, according..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b5/chuck-palahniuk-37_earth_they-told-me-that-nothing-was-a-sin-just_1003570.jpg" --- # They told me that nothing was a sin, just a poor life… ![“They told me that nothing was a sin, just a poor life choice. Poor impulse control. That nothing is evil. Any concept of right versus wrong, according to them, is merely a cultural construct relative to one specific time and place. They said that if anything should force us to modify our personal…” quote by chuck palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b5/chuck-palahniuk-37_earth_they-told-me-that-nothing-was-a-sin-just_1003570.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b5/chuck-palahniuk-37_earth_they-told-me-that-nothing-was-a-sin-just_1003570.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b5/chuck-palahniuk-37_earth_they-told-me-that-nothing-was-a-sin-just_1003570.jpg) > ““They told me that nothing was a sin, just a poor life choice. Poor impulse control. That nothing is evil. Any concept of right versus wrong, according to them, is merely a cultural construct relative to one specific time and place. They said that if anything should force us to modify our personal behavior it should be our allegiance to a social contract, not some vague, externally imposed threat of flaming punishment.”” [chuck palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that moral judgments are socially constructed, urging personal responsibility over fear of divine punishment. **In simple terms:** Morals are cultural, act responsibly. Key Takeaway Choose personal ethics over fear. Themes ethics social constructs personal responsibility freedom culture Mood thoughtful critical reflective Type philosophical controversial analytical When to use this quote - debates on law - education on ethics - personal decision making - community standards Key Concepts relativism social contract moral philosophy Questions to Reflect On - Do you base your actions on societal norms or personal conscience? - Can cultural relativism coexist with universal rights? A Different Perspective It may overlook innate human empathy and universal harm principles. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fun/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Impulse control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impulse-control/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-choice/) [Motivational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational/) [Social contract](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-contract/) ## Related quotes > [I don't believe that there are two sides to a story when it's a matter of right versus wrong. It just doesn't work that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-acosta/i-don-t-believe-that-there-are-two-sides-to-a-story-when-it-s-a/) [Jim Acosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-acosta/) > [“It is really about 'right versus wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-really-about-right-versus-wrong/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Sometimes the decision is placed in your hands and you just have to go with it, right or wrong, according to what you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-friedman/sometimes-the-decision-is-placed-in-your-hands-and-you-just-have-to/) [C.S. Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-friedman/) > [The really tough choices...don't center upon right versus wrong. They involve right versus right. They are genuine dilemmas precisely because each side is firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rushworth-kidder/the-really-tough-choices-don-t-center-upon-right-versus-wrong-they/) Rushworth Kidder > [It's very easy for the U.S. or Western Europe to have this moral line of right versus wrong, and you go, 'Well, that's breaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-fogel/it-s-very-easy-for-the-u-s-or-western-europe-to-have-this-moral-line/) [Bryan Fogel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-fogel/) > [The High Septon once told me that as we sin, so do we suffer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin-2/the-high-septon-once-told-me-that-as-we-sin-so-do-we-suffer/) [George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin-2/) > [We are told that Sin consists in acting contrary to God's commands, but we are also told that God is omnipotent. If He is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/we-are-told-that-sin-consists-in-acting-contrary-to-god-s-commands/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“If we won't be serious about dealing with our sin,we cannot expect to grow in our faith. If you want to move to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-blackaby/if-we-won-t-be-serious-about-dealing-with-our-sin-we-cannot-expect-to/) [Richard Blackaby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-blackaby/) > [“Her entire life, she’d been told sin was wrong, a black and white interpretation of what is evil and what is holy in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madi-merek/her-entire-life-she-d-been-told-sin-was-wrong-a-black-and-white/) Madi Merek > [For too long you've been lied to been told that sin is O.K. but it's talkin' you down, it's talkin' you down. There's really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zion-y-lennox/for-too-long-you-ve-been-lied-to-been-told-that-sin-is-o-k-but-it-s/) [Zion Y Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zion-y-lennox/) > [“The High Septon once told me that as we sin, so do we suffer. If that’s true, Lord Eddard, tell me… why is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/the-high-septon-once-told-me-that-as-we-sin-so-do-we-suffer-if-that-s/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [We are told that Sin consists in acting contrary to God's commands, but we are also told that God is omnipotent. . . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/we-are-told-that-sin-consists-in-acting-contrary-to-god-s-commands-2/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Sin is not just breaking the rules, it is putting yourself in the place of God as Savior, Lord, and Judge… There are two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/sin-is-not-just-breaking-the-rules-it-is-putting-yourself-in-the/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Materialism sets us free from sin-by proving that there is no such thing as sin. There's just antisocial behavior, which we can control with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-e-johnson/materialism-sets-us-free-from-sin-by-proving-that-there-is-no-such/) [Phillip E. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-e-johnson/) > [Because sin is not just breaking the rules, it is putting yourself in the place of God as Savior, Lord, and Judge just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/because-sin-is-not-just-breaking-the-rules-it-is-putting-yourself-in/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) ## More by chuck palahniuk > [Because after you've crossed some lines, you just keep crossing them. And there's no escaping from constant escape. Distracting ourselves. Avoiding confrontation. Getting past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/because-after-you-ve-crossed-some-lines-you-just-keep-crossing-them/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [His saliva tasted like the wet dicks of ten thousand lonely truck drivers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/his-saliva-tasted-like-the-wet-dicks-of-ten-thousand-lonely-truck/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“shoulder. They weigh that much. Tyler’s a banquet waiter,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/shoulder-they-weigh-that-much-tyler-s-a-banquet-waiter/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [We'll never be as young as we are tonight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/we-ll-never-be-as-young-as-we-are-tonight/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“We drive west the rest of the night, away from where the sun will come up, trying to outrace it, trying not to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/we-drive-west-the-rest-of-the-night-away-from-where-the-sun-will-come/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Just for the record, how I feel right now is very terrific.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/just-for-the-record-how-i-feel-right-now-is-very-terrific/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Nobody's told me anything to date that I've been completely reviled by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/nobody-s-told-me-anything-to-date-that-i-ve-been-completely-reviled-by/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Then you're trapped in your lovely nest, and the things you used to own, now they own you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/then-you-re-trapped-in-your-lovely-nest-and-the-things-you-used-to/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Some stories, you use up. Others use you up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/some-stories-you-use-up-others-use-you-up/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Verbs allow you to communicate a story in a much more converged or involuntary way for a reader. The verbs allow you to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/verbs-allow-you-to-communicate-a-story-in-a-much-more-converged-or/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Waiters will always pee in soup, people will always fall in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/waiters-will-always-pee-in-soup-people-will-always-fall-in-love/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Branch Bacardi, star of The Da Vinci Load, To Drill a Mockingbird, The Postman Always Cums Twice, Chitty Chitty Gang Bang, The Twilight Bone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/branch-bacardi-star-of-the-da-vinci-load-to-drill-a-mockingbird-the/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Every unkind remark or crude gesture by others is a blessing, an opportunity to exercise our own capacity to forgive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/every-unkind-remark-or-crude-gesture-by-others-is-a-blessing-an/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Nuestro deber es enseñar a esos hombres y mujeres la libertad a través de la esclavitud; y el coraje a través del miedo.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/nuestro-deber-es-ense-ar-a-esos-hombres-y-mujeres-la-libertad-a-trav/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) [Explore all 2,041 chuck palahniuk quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) ## More Earth quotes > [There is something more important than any ultimate weapon. That is the ultimate position-the position of total control over Earth that lies somewhere out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/there-is-something-more-important-than-any-ultimate-weapon-that-is/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [Give me strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-elk/give-me-strength-to-walk-the-soft-earth-a-relative-to-all-that-is/) [Black Elk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-elk/) > [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [Set NOT your hearts on the flowers of this world. They shall fade and die. Prize the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/set-not-your-hearts-on-the-flowers-of-this-world-they-shall-fade-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Then all this earth shines like one house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-maharshi/then-all-this-earth-shines-like-one-house/) [Ramana Maharshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramana-maharshi/) > [When I get a chance to play golf or go on a boat with good people, take the boat out and put some lobsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/when-i-get-a-chance-to-play-golf-or-go-on-a-boat-with-good-people/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [When man of slender visits you / Nothing on earth that one can do / In well he’ll hide, or watery hole / And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-goldstein/when-man-of-slender-visits-you-nothing-on-earth-that-one-can-do-in/) [Jack Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-goldstein/) > [Cities are 2% of the earth's crust, but they are 50% of the world's population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlo-ratti/cities-are-2-of-the-earth-s-crust-but-they-are-50-of-the-world-s/) [Carlo Ratti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlo-ratti/) > [This, at last, was where things were as they ought to be. Everything was in its place -- the tree, the earth underneath, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-liedloff/this-at-last-was-where-things-were-as-they-ought-to-be-everything-was/) [Jean Liedloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-liedloff/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [What did you do to save the world today?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie/what-did-you-do-to-save-the-world-today/) [Richie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie/) [Browse all 15,455 Earth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“They told me that nothing was a sin, just a poor life choice. Poor impulse control. That nothing is evil. Any concept of right versus wrong, according to them, is merely a cultural construct relative to one specific time and place. They said that if anything should force us to modify our personal behavior it should be our allegiance to a social contract, not some vague, externally imposed threat of flaming punishment.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "chuck palahniuk" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/they-told-me-that-nothing-was-a-sin-just-a-poor-life-choice-poor/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Earth" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/they-told-me-that-nothing-was-a-sin-just-a-poor-life-choice-poor/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b5/chuck-palahniuk-37_earth_they-told-me-that-nothing-was-a-sin-just_1003570.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b5/chuck-palahniuk-37_earth_they-told-me-that-nothing-was-a-sin-just_1003570.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b5/chuck-palahniuk-37_earth_they-told-me-that-nothing-was-a-sin-just_1003570.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“They told me that nothing was a sin, just a poor life choice. Poor impulse control. That nothing is evil…” — chuck palahniuk", "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": "chuck palahniuk", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“They told me that nothing was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/they-told-me-that-nothing-was-a-sin-just-a-poor-life-choice-poor/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/they-told-me-that-nothing-was-a-sin-just-a-poor-life-choice-poor/#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 } } ] } ```