Christianity Quote by Edith Wharton
““Don’t they say,” she asked, feeling her way as in a kind of tender apprehensiveness, “that the early Christians, instead of pulling down the heathen temples — the temples of the unclean gods — purified them by turning them to their own uses? I’ve always thought one might do that with one’s actions — the actions one loathes but can’t undo. One can make, I mean, a wrong the door to other wrongs or an impassable wall against them…” Her voice wavered on the word. “We can’t always tear down the temples we’ve built to the unclean gods, but we can put good spirits in the house of evil — the spirits of mercy and shame and understanding, that might never have come to us if we hadn’t been in such great need…””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, 1905
The passage reflects on transforming corrupt foundations into spaces for compassion, acknowledging limits of dismantling the past.
In simple terms: Turn bad places into good.
Key Takeaway
Seek redemption through positive actions.
Themes
redemption
transformation
morality
Mood
reflective
hopeful
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- personal growth
- community rebuilding
- healing trauma
Key Concepts
ethical adaptation
spiritual healing
Questions to Reflect On
- Can good intentions truly overwrite past wrongs?
- What are the limits of moral reformation?
A Different Perspective
Changing structures may not erase original harm.
![“. . . [T]hese [ideas] are only suggestions of the evil spirit who, to jeopardize your salvation, suggests to you extraordinary works that are beyond your strength, under the fine pretext of practicing, on your own, the spiritual and corporal works of mercy . . .” quote by Vincent de Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0d4/vincent-de-paul-1676_evil_t-hese-ideas-are-only-suggestions-of-the_237589.jpg)
