--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Moral indignation, even moral outrage…" description: "\"“Moral indignation, even moral outrage, may on occasion be proof of love–love for the victim, love for the church of God, love for the truth, love for ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86f/d-a-carson-2-12097_character_moral-indignation-even-moral-outrage-may_2198129.jpg" --- # Moral indignation, even moral outrage, may on occasion be… ![“Moral indignation, even moral outrage, may on occasion be proof of love–love for the victim, love for the church of God, love for the truth, love for God and His glory. Not to be outraged may in such cases be evidence, not of gentleness and love, but of a failure of love. This is where our motives…” quote by D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86f/d-a-carson-2-12097_character_moral-indignation-even-moral-outrage-may_2198129.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86f/d-a-carson-2-12097_character_moral-indignation-even-moral-outrage-may_2198129.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86f/d-a-carson-2-12097_character_moral-indignation-even-moral-outrage-may_2198129.jpg) > ““Moral indignation, even moral outrage, may on occasion be proof of love–love for the victim, love for the church of God, love for the truth, love for God and His glory. Not to be outraged may in such cases be evidence, not of gentleness and love, but of a failure of love. This is where our motives can become thoroughly confused, not to say corrupted. For the line between moral outrage for the sake of God and His people, and immoral outrage because I am on the opposite side of a debate, is painfully thin. On the issue I may even be right; in my heart I may be terribly wrong, precisely because I am less motivated by a passion for the glory of God and the good of His people than for vindication in a wretched squabble with a few individuals (p. 85).”” [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Moral outrage can signal love for truth and God, but when driven by personal vindication it becomes corrupt, blurring moral lines. **In simple terms:** Outrage may show love or selfishness. Key Takeaway Examine motives behind anger. Themes morality love justice Mood contemplative serious Type theological ethical When to use this quote - social activism - religious debates - personal conflicts Key Concepts theology psychology ethics Questions to Reflect On - Is your anger rooted in love or ego? - How can you channel outrage constructively? A Different Perspective Outrage without love can harm justice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Failure Of Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure-of-love-213808/) [Glory of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glory-of-god/) [God love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-love/) [Immoral Outrage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immoral-outrage-4817420/) [Indignation Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indignation-moral-4817419/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Moral indignation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-indignation/) [Moral outrage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-outrage/) [People Immoral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-immoral-1149891/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-love/) ## Related quotes > [It's amazing to me how many people think that voting to have the government give poor people money is compassion. Helping poor and suffering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/it-s-amazing-to-me-how-many-people-think-that-voting-to-have-the/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [There are moral religious people and moral secular people, immoral religious people and immoral secular people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-wieseltier/there-are-moral-religious-people-and-moral-secular-people-immoral/) [Leon Wieseltier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-wieseltier/) > [Americans, who make more of marrying for love than any other people, also break up more of their marriages, but the figure reflects not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-hunt/americans-who-make-more-of-marrying-for-love-than-any-other-people/) [Morton Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-hunt/) > [I'm interested in stories which insist on a dog fails-to-eat-dog kind of world. I hate misanthropy, want to believe that there's a possibility that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-minghella/i-m-interested-in-stories-which-insist-on-a-dog-fails-to-eat-dog-kind/) [Anthony Minghella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-minghella/) > [“BETRAYAL No failure in Life, whether of love or money, is ever really that simple; it usually involves a type of a shadowy betrayal,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-n-harris/betrayal-no-failure-in-life-whether-of-love-or-money-is-ever-really/) [José N. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-n-harris/) > [There are only really a few stories to tell in the end, and betrayal and the failure of love is one of those good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-lennon/there-are-only-really-a-few-stories-to-tell-in-the-end-and-betrayal/) [Sean Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-lennon/) > [And it is exceedingly short, his galloping life. Dogs die so soon. I have my stories of that grief, no doubt many of you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-oliver/and-it-is-exceedingly-short-his-galloping-life-dogs-die-so-soon-i/) [Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/) > [The failure of love, that's what all laws are really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colman-mccarthy/the-failure-of-love-that-s-what-all-laws-are-really/) [Colman McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colman-mccarthy/) > [America's most dangerous diseases have developed an immunity to politics. We suffer not from a failure of political organization or power, but a failure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/america-s-most-dangerous-diseases-have-developed-an-immunity-to/) [Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/) > [Compassion has enemies, and those enemies are things like pity, moral outrage, fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-halifax/compassion-has-enemies-and-those-enemies-are-things-like-pity-moral/) [Joan Halifax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-halifax/) > [That's right, my dear. I'd love to embrace you, but first, I have to satisfy my sense of moral outrage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-rabbit/that-s-right-my-dear-i-d-love-to-embrace-you-but-first-i-have-to/) [Roger Rabbit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-rabbit/) > [Nothing penetrates the liberal's sense of moral outrage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-whittle/nothing-penetrates-the-liberal-s-sense-of-moral-outrage/) [Bill Whittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-whittle/) > [When you go to a dinner party in Durham, you bring your moral outrage instead of wine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-katharine-ham/when-you-go-to-a-dinner-party-in-durham-you-bring-your-moral-outrage/) [Mary Katharine Ham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-katharine-ham/) > [Facts are mere speed bumps on the road to lefty moral outrage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/facts-are-mere-speed-bumps-on-the-road-to-lefty-moral-outrage/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [Fear is often disguised as moral outrage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-blume/fear-is-often-disguised-as-moral-outrage/) [Judy Blume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-blume/) ## More by D.A. Carson > [“again. Here is a sober lesson. Even after times of spectacular revival, reformation, or covenantal renewal, the people of God are never more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/again-here-is-a-sober-lesson-even-after-times-of-spectacular-revival/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“Looking closely at what these young people believe, one discovers that they have evidently never been taught the gospel of Jesus Christ. The absence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/looking-closely-at-what-these-young-people-believe-one-discovers-that/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“If chastening were merely a matter of remedial education to morally neutral people, the timing and severity would not matter very much; we would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/if-chastening-were-merely-a-matter-of-remedial-education-to-morally/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“The initial impetus to cross lines of race and heritage with the Gospel of Jesus Christ arose not from a committee planning world evangelization,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/the-initial-impetus-to-cross-lines-of-race-and-heritage-with-the/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“The greatest intercessors have always recognized that far more connects them with the common lot of sinners than what distinguishes them—and in any case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/the-greatest-intercessors-have-always-recognized-that-far-more/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“we cannot imagine that the church gathers for worship on Sunday morning if by this we mean that we then engage in something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/we-cannot-imagine-that-the-church-gathers-for-worship-on-sunday/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“Be patient; it is better to be a chastened saint than a carefree sinner.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/be-patient-it-is-better-to-be-a-chastened-saint-than-a-carefree-sinner/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“Where there is flagrant disavowal of the truths essential to the gospel, where there is persistent and high-handed disobedience to the commands of Jesus,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/where-there-is-flagrant-disavowal-of-the-truths-essential-to-the/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“To appeal…to some ill-defined and sentimental notion of love as the ground for contravening Scripture may be a lot of things, but it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/to-appeal-to-some-ill-defined-and-sentimental-notion-of-love-as-the/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“In a world of finite gods (often supported by one pantheistic deity), cyclical views of history, sub-biblical understandings of sin, multiplied idolatry, dualism that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/in-a-world-of-finite-gods-often-supported-by-one-pantheistic-deity/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“genuinely righteous people invariably become more aware of their personal guilt and need for forgiveness than those who have become so foul and hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/genuinely-righteous-people-invariably-become-more-aware-of-their/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“By the time of the Mosaic covenant, the peace offering (Lev 17:11ff.) was the divinely prescribed means of maintaining a harmonious relationship between God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/by-the-time-of-the-mosaic-covenant-the-peace-offering-lev-17-11ff-was/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“The truth of the matter is that meeting God is either transcendentally wonderful, or utterly horrific. If God meets sinners—sinners like you and me—in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/the-truth-of-the-matter-is-that-meeting-god-is-either/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“Christians do not restrict their moral horizons to immediate results; they make their ethical decisions from an eternal perspective (p. 52).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/christians-do-not-restrict-their-moral-horizons-to-immediate-results/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“Forbearance and genuine tenderheartedness are much tougher than niceness, and sometimes…tough love is confrontational (p. 54).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/forbearance-and-genuine-tenderheartedness-are-much-tougher-than/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) [Explore all 56 D.A. Carson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) [David Hudgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hudgins/) > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) [Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Moral indignation, even moral outrage, may on occasion be proof of love–love for the victim, love for the church of God, love for the truth, love for God and His glory. Not to be outraged may in such cases be evidence, not of gentleness and love, but of a failure of love. This is where our motives can become thoroughly confused, not to say corrupted. For the line between moral outrage for the sake of God and His people, and immoral outrage because I am on the opposite side of a debate, is painfully thin. On the issue I may even be right; in my heart I may be terribly wrong, precisely because I am less motivated by a passion for the glory of God and the good of His people than for vindication in a wretched squabble with a few individuals (p. 85).”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "D.A. Carson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/moral-indignation-even-moral-outrage-may-on-occasion-be-proof-of-love/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Character" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/moral-indignation-even-moral-outrage-may-on-occasion-be-proof-of-love/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86f/d-a-carson-2-12097_character_moral-indignation-even-moral-outrage-may_2198129.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86f/d-a-carson-2-12097_character_moral-indignation-even-moral-outrage-may_2198129.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86f/d-a-carson-2-12097_character_moral-indignation-even-moral-outrage-may_2198129.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Moral indignation, even moral outrage, may on occasion be proof of love–love for the victim, love for the…” — D.A. Carson", "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": "D.A. Carson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Moral indignation, even moral outrage, may...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/moral-indignation-even-moral-outrage-may-on-occasion-be-proof-of-love/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/moral-indignation-even-moral-outrage-may-on-occasion-be-proof-of-love/#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 } } ] } ```