---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Rome tolerated every abominable practice…"
description: "\"Rome tolerated every abominable practice, embraced every foul idea in the name of freedom and the rights of the common man. Citizens no longer carried ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4b/francine-rivers-4154_behavior_rome-tolerated-every-abominable-practice_1465467.png"
---

#  Rome tolerated every abominable practice, embraced every…

![“Rome tolerated every abominable practice, embraced every foul idea in the name of freedom and the rights of the common man. Citizens no longer carried on deviant behavior in private, but pridefully displayed it in public. It was those with moral values who could no longer freely walk in a public…” quote by Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4b/francine-rivers-4154_behavior_rome-tolerated-every-abominable-practice_1465467.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4b/francine-rivers-4154_behavior_rome-tolerated-every-abominable-practice_1465467.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4b/francine-rivers-4154_behavior_rome-tolerated-every-abominable-practice_1465467.png)

> “Rome tolerated every abominable practice, embraced every foul idea in the name of freedom and the rights of the common man. Citizens no longer carried on deviant behavior in private, but pridefully displayed it in public. It was those with moral values who could no longer freely walk in a public park without having to witness a revolting display. What happened to the public censors who protected the majority of citizenry from moral decadence? Did freedom have to mean abolishing common decency? Did freedom mean anyone could do anything they wanted anytime they wanted, without consequences?”

[Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Freedom without moral boundaries leads to social decay; true liberty must coexist with shared decency and responsibility.

**In simple terms:** Freedom needs limits to protect common morals.

Key Takeaway

Balance personal liberty with community standards.

Themes

freedom morality society responsibility decency

Mood

reflective concerned

Type

ethical philosophical

When to use this quote

- legislation
- community norms
- education
- media influence

Key Concepts

ethical limits social contract public morality

Questions to Reflect On

- What responsibilities accompany freedom?
- How can societies enforce decency without oppression?

A Different Perspective

Absolute freedom can erode social cohesion and moral standards.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Censors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/censors/) [Common decency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-decency/) [Common man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-man/) [Consequence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence/) [Decadence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decadence/) [Decency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decency/) [Deviants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deviants/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-values/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Rome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rome/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/)

## Related quotes

> [ Common decency demands that \[NCAA athletes\] should be paid, but the only way it will happen is the same way workers got paid throughout… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/common-decency-demands-that-ncaa-athletes-should-be-paid-but-the-only/)

[Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/)

> [I wish that people who are conventionally supposed to love each other would say to each other, when they fight, "Please - a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-wish-that-people-who-are-conventionally-supposed-to-love-each-other/)

[Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/)

> [“Listen, we’re going to have to learn to get along if we’re going to be spending the next three months together. So how about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-monroe/listen-we-re-going-to-have-to-learn-to-get-along-if-we-re-going-to-be/)

[Sophie Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-monroe/)

> [“We would do well, as Orwell counselled, to see the traces of the dystopian around us, to find the ends of those threads and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darran-anderson/we-would-do-well-as-orwell-counselled-to-see-the-traces-of-the/)

Darran Anderson

> [School days, I believe, are the unhappiest in the whole span of human existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/school-days-i-believe-are-the-unhappiest-in-the-whole-span-of-human/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [“You might not get the apology you deserve. You might not get answers to explain the actions of others. You might not get truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/you-might-not-get-the-apology-you-deserve-you-might-not-get-answers/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“Against such a background one can easily imagine the shock that must have gripped readers of The Times of London, who turned to their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/against-such-a-background-one-can-easily-imagine-the-shock-that-must/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I believe that poverty is often the result of inappropriate behavior - out-of-wedlock births, dropping out of school, crime and drugs - which should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-klein/i-believe-that-poverty-is-often-the-result-of-inappropriate-behavior/)

[Joe Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-klein/)

> [“I have had some experiences with love, or think I have, anyway, although the ones I have liked best could easily be described as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-have-had-some-experiences-with-love-or-think-i-have-anyway-although/)

[Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/)

> [“ONE OF the most irrational of all the conventions of modern society is the one to the effect that religious opinions should be respected.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-2/one-of-the-most-irrational-of-all-the-conventions-of-modern-society/)

[H.L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-2/)

> [“Again, we may decry the color-prejudice of the South, yet it remains a heavy fact. Such curious kinks of the human mind exist and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois-2/again-we-may-decry-the-color-prejudice-of-the-south-yet-it-remains-a/)

[W.E.B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois-2/)

> [“We are passing through an eerie phase of history in which the things that everyone really knows are treated as unheard-of doctrines, a time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-budziszewski-2/we-are-passing-through-an-eerie-phase-of-history-in-which-the-things/)

[J Budziszewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-budziszewski-2/)

> [This is why I say that the individual's most potent weapon is a stubborn belief in the triumph of common decency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rusesabagina/this-is-why-i-say-that-the-individual-s-most-potent-weapon-is-a/)

[Paul Rusesabagina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rusesabagina/)

> [Please — a little less love, and a little more common decency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/please-a-little-less-love-and-a-little-more-common-decency/)

[Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/)

> [Of government, at least in democratic states, it may be said briefly that it is an agency engaged wholesale, and as a matter of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/of-government-at-least-in-democratic-states-it-may-be-said-briefly/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

## More by Francine Rivers

> [It was no accident, no coincidence, that the seasons came round and round year after year. It was the Lord speaking to us all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/it-was-no-accident-no-coincidence-that-the-seasons-came-round-and/)

[Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/)

> [I used to believe the purpose in life is to find happiness. I don’t believe that anymore. I believe we are all given gifts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/i-used-to-believe-the-purpose-in-life-is-to-find-happiness-i-don-t/)

[Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/)

> [I'm going to give you God's truth, little girl. All men want to do is hurt you. Once you give them your heart, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/i-m-going-to-give-you-god-s-truth-little-girl-all-men-want-to-do-is/)

[Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/)

> [And if it (life) were easier, would i have given my heart so fully to God? Put your hope in Him, and you won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/and-if-it-life-were-easier-would-i-have-given-my-heart-so-fully-to/)

[Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/)

> [“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heav’n of hell, a hell of heaven. MILTON”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/the-mind-is-its-own-place-and-in-itself-can-make-a-heav-n-of-hell-a/)

[Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/)

> [The Lord will provide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/the-lord-will-provide/)

[Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/)

> [Maybe it's only those who've made such chaos of their lives who can understand the heights and depths of God's mercy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/maybe-it-s-only-those-who-ve-made-such-chaos-of-their-lives-who-can/)

[Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/)

> [“Word of the Lord,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/word-of-the-lord/)

[Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/)

> [“It's not easy for me either, but if we allow anger to reside in us, we're more guilty than they are because we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/it-s-not-easy-for-me-either-but-if-we-allow-anger-to-reside-in-us-we/)

[Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/)

> [That is one of the reasons I write: to feel the Presence of God and know He is speaking to me in a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/that-is-one-of-the-reasons-i-write-to-feel-the-presence-of-god-and/)

[Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/)

> [Lord, you are God! You made us. Who better to know how to fix us when we've gone wrong? who better to set us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/lord-you-are-god-you-made-us-who-better-to-know-how-to-fix-us-when-we/)

[Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/)

> [Never doubt God in the darkness what he has given us in the light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/never-doubt-god-in-the-darkness-what-he-has-given-us-in-the-light/)

[Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/)

> [“Concerns buzzed like flies in her head, and she swatted them with prayers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/concerns-buzzed-like-flies-in-her-head-and-she-swatted-them-with/)

[Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/)

> [“Other birds fly in groups, only eagles fly alone”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/other-birds-fly-in-groups-only-eagles-fly-alone/)

[Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/)

> [The battle would not take place in the mountains, valleys, or plains of Israel. It would take place in the wilderness of the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/the-battle-would-not-take-place-in-the-mountains-valleys-or-plains-of/)

[Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/)

[Explore all 114 Francine Rivers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/)

## More Behavior quotes

> [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“I now know that deep within the human concept is something dark, selfish, and completely willing to do whatever is necessary to support the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-west/i-now-know-that-deep-within-the-human-concept-is-something-dark/)

[Melissa West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-west/)

> [“We are endowed with genes which code out our reaction to beavers and otters, maybe our reaction to each other as well. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/we-are-endowed-with-genes-which-code-out-our-reaction-to-beavers-and/)

[Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/)

> [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/)

[Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/)

> [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. The artist who knows the rules -and proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burne-hogarth/to-behave-creatively-in-art-means-behavior-with-skill-and-skill-comes/)

Burne Hogarth

> [You don't put milk in chamomile tea - that's disgusting behavior! That's not right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-fraser/you-don-t-put-milk-in-chamomile-tea-that-s-disgusting-behavior-that-s/)

[Laura Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-fraser/)

> [The laws of thermodynamics, as empirically determined, express the approximate and probable behavior of systems of a great number of particles, or, more precisely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-gibbs/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-as-empirically-determined-express-the/)

J. Willard Gibbs

> [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/)

[Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/)

> [The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-tipping-point-is-that-magic-moment-when-an-idea-trend-or-social/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [I think we've told a lot of lies about human behavior through film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-arquette/i-think-we-ve-told-a-lot-of-lies-about-human-behavior-through-film/)

[Patricia Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-arquette/)

> [The strongest rebellion may be expressed in quiet, undramatic behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/the-strongest-rebellion-may-be-expressed-in-quiet-undramatic-behavior/)

[Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/)

> [The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/the-behavior-of-any-bureaucratic-organization-can-best-be-understood/)

[Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/)

> [If you want good behavior, don't pay on a commission basis. Our judges aren't paid so much a case. We keep them pretty well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/if-you-want-good-behavior-don-t-pay-on-a-commission-basis-our-judges/)

[Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/)

[Browse all 4,218 Behavior quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Rome tolerated every abominable practice, embraced every foul idea in the name of freedom and the rights of the common man. Citizens no longer carried on deviant behavior in private, but pridefully displayed it in public. It was those with moral values who could no longer freely walk in a public park without having to witness a revolting display. What happened to the public censors who protected the majority of citizenry from moral decadence? Did freedom have to mean abolishing common decency? Did freedom mean anyone could do anything they wanted anytime they wanted, without consequences?",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Francine Rivers"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/rome-tolerated-every-abominable-practice-embraced-every-foul-idea-in/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Behavior"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/rome-tolerated-every-abominable-practice-embraced-every-foul-idea-in/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4b/francine-rivers-4154_behavior_rome-tolerated-every-abominable-practice_1465467.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4b/francine-rivers-4154_behavior_rome-tolerated-every-abominable-practice_1465467.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4b/francine-rivers-4154_behavior_rome-tolerated-every-abominable-practice_1465467.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Rome tolerated every abominable practice, embraced every foul idea in the name of freedom and the rights of…” — Francine Rivers",
                "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": "Francine Rivers",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Rome tolerated every abominable practice, embraced...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/rome-tolerated-every-abominable-practice-embraced-every-foul-idea-in/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/rome-tolerated-every-abominable-practice-embraced-every-foul-idea-in/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
