--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The tree in the field is to be treated…" description: "\"“The tree in the field is to be treated with respect. It is not to be romanticized as the old lady romanticizes her cat (that is, she reads human react..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4a/francis-a-schaeffer-22002_creation_the-tree-in-the-field-is-to-be-treated-w_1367174.jpg" --- # The tree in the field is to be treated with respect. It is… ![“The tree in the field is to be treated with respect. It is not to be romanticized as the old lady romanticizes her cat (that is, she reads human reactions into it). . . . But while we should not romanticize the tree, we must realize that God made it and it deserves respect because he made it as a…” quote by Francis A. Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4a/francis-a-schaeffer-22002_creation_the-tree-in-the-field-is-to-be-treated-w_1367174.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4a/francis-a-schaeffer-22002_creation_the-tree-in-the-field-is-to-be-treated-w_1367174.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4a/francis-a-schaeffer-22002_creation_the-tree-in-the-field-is-to-be-treated-w_1367174.jpg) > ““The tree in the field is to be treated with respect. It is not to be romanticized as the old lady romanticizes her cat (that is, she reads human reactions into it). . . . But while we should not romanticize the tree, we must realize that God made it and it deserves respect because he made it as a tree . Christians who do not believe in the complete evolutionary scale have reason to respect nature as the total evolutionist never can, because we believe that God made these things specifically in their own areas. So if we are going to argue against evolutionists intellectually, we should show the results of our beliefs in our attitudes. The Christian is a man who has a reason for dealing with each created thing on a high level of respect.”” [Francis A. Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-a-schaeffer/) ## 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 Christians should respect nature because it is God‑created, and that this respect distinguishes them from secular evolutionists. **In simple terms:** Respect nature as God’s creation. Key Takeaway Treat every created thing with high respect. Themes respect theology environment faith worldview Mood thoughtful reverent reflective Type theological ethical philosophical When to use this quote - church teaching - environmental activism - interfaith dialogue - education - personal conduct Key Concepts creationism anthropology ethical stewardship Questions to Reflect On - How does belief in divine creation shape environmental ethics? - Can respect for nature be grounded without religious premises? A Different Perspective It may overlook scientific explanations and can be seen as exclusive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Creation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tree/) ## Related quotes > [The value of the things is not in themselves autonomously, but that God made them, and thus they deserve to be treated with high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/the-value-of-the-things-is-not-in-themselves-autonomously-but-that/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [You can judge a civilization by its level of agreement with the green world. When people respect nature, it's a sign of a healthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-can-judge-a-civilization-by-its-level-of-agreement-with-the-green/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“The moment you sincerely love and respect nature, nature unites with you!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/the-moment-you-sincerely-love-and-respect-nature-nature-unites-with/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [We who are privileged to be in these chambers today can view the challenges we face as opportunities, not as reasons for despair. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-mccall/we-who-are-privileged-to-be-in-these-chambers-today-can-view-the/) [Tom McCall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-mccall/) > [All great chefs have two things in common. First, they respect nature as the true artist, and they are just cooks. Second, everything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/all-great-chefs-have-two-things-in-common-first-they-respect-nature/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [I'm a person that doesn't have that many goals or plans. I feel like I'm the wind and I blow through life; it's whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bai-ling/i-m-a-person-that-doesn-t-have-that-many-goals-or-plans-i-feel-like-i/) [Bai Ling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bai-ling/) > [“At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: ‘I have to go to work—as a human being. What do I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/at-dawn-when-you-have-trouble-getting-out-of-bed-tell-yourself-i-have-2/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [I have a major respect for nature. I'm an environmentalist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-masekela/i-have-a-major-respect-for-nature-i-m-an-environmentalist/) [Hugh Masekela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-masekela/) > [“The destructive impulse with respect to nature all too often has psychological causes that go beyond the greed for material resource or the need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pogue-harrison/the-destructive-impulse-with-respect-to-nature-all-too-often-has/) [Robert Pogue Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pogue-harrison/) > [“A new respect for Nature had been learned, a new kinship with sun and water and soil…They had learned that while Nature is often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lenski/a-new-respect-for-nature-had-been-learned-a-new-kinship-with-sun-and/) Lois Lenski > [The duty of man is the same in respect to his own nature as in respect to the nature of all other things, namely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-duty-of-man-is-the-same-in-respect-to-his-own-nature-as-in/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Without love for my fellow man and respect for nature, to me, life is an obscenity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-gaines/without-love-for-my-fellow-man-and-respect-for-nature-to-me-life-is/) [Ernest Gaines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-gaines/) > [We need to revisit how the Prophet dealt with water, animals, in how he talked about slaughtering, caring for plants and so forth. Respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/we-need-to-revisit-how-the-prophet-dealt-with-water-animals-in-how-he/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [India is one of the richest civilizations in the world, and we Indians are known for our love of our soil! But somewhere on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asin/india-is-one-of-the-richest-civilizations-in-the-world-and-we-indians/) [Asin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asin/) > [Men of science, osteologists And surgeons, beat some poets, in respect For nature,-count nought common or unclean, Spend raptures upon perfect specimens Of indurated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-barrett-browning/men-of-science-osteologists-and-surgeons-beat-some-poets-in-respect/) [Elizabeth Barrett Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-barrett-browning/) ## More by Francis A. Schaeffer > [“In John 13 the point was that, if an individual Christian does not show love toward other true Christians, the world has a right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-a-schaeffer/in-john-13-the-point-was-that-if-an-individual-christian-does-not/) [Francis A. Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-a-schaeffer/) > [“We are not being true to the artist as a man if we consider his work "junk", simply because we differ with his outlook…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-a-schaeffer/we-are-not-being-true-to-the-artist-as-a-man-if-we-consider-his-work/) [Francis A. Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-a-schaeffer/) > [“Yet the possibility of information storage, beyond what men and governments ever had before, can make available at the touch of a button a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-a-schaeffer/yet-the-possibility-of-information-storage-beyond-what-men-and/) [Francis A. Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-a-schaeffer/) > [“promises: "And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-a-schaeffer/promises-and-caleb-stilled-the-people-before-moses-and/) [Francis A. Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-a-schaeffer/) > [“Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) in his Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire said that the following five attributes marked Rome at its end: first,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-a-schaeffer/edward-gibbon-1737-1794-in-his-decline-and-fall-of-the-roman-empire/) [Francis A. Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-a-schaeffer/) > [“In a fallen world, we must be willing to face the fact that however lovingly we preach the gospel, if a man rejects it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-a-schaeffer/in-a-fallen-world-we-must-be-willing-to-face-the-fact-that-however/) [Francis A. Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-a-schaeffer/) > [“The Cross of Christ is to be a reality to me not only once for all at my conversion, but all through my life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-a-schaeffer/the-cross-of-christ-is-to-be-a-reality-to-me-not-only-once-for-all-at/) [Francis A. Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-a-schaeffer/) > [“Is it not amazing: though we know the power of the Holy Spirit can be ours, we still ape the world’s wisdom, trust its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-a-schaeffer/is-it-not-amazing-though-we-know-the-power-of-the-holy-spirit-can-be/) [Francis A. Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-a-schaeffer/) > [“The Bible is the weapon which enables us to join with our Lord on the offensive in defeating the spiritual hosts of wickedness. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-a-schaeffer/the-bible-is-the-weapon-which-enables-us-to-join-with-our-lord-on-the/) [Francis A. Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-a-schaeffer/) > [“True spirituality covers all of reality. There are things the Bible tells us to do as absolutes which are sinful- which do not conform…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-a-schaeffer/true-spirituality-covers-all-of-reality-there-are-things-the-bible/) [Francis A. Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-a-schaeffer/) > [“Upon his authority he gives the world the right to judge whether you and I are born-again Christians on the basis of our observable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-a-schaeffer/upon-his-authority-he-gives-the-world-the-right-to-judge-whether-you/) [Francis A. Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-a-schaeffer/) > [“Every once in a while in my discussions someone asks how I can believe in the Trinity. My answer is always the same. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-a-schaeffer/every-once-in-a-while-in-my-discussions-someone-asks-how-i-can/) [Francis A. Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-a-schaeffer/) > [“To be really Bible-believing Christians we need to practice, simultaneously, at each step of the way, two biblical principles. One principle is that of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-a-schaeffer/to-be-really-bible-believing-christians-we-need-to-practice/) [Francis A. Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-a-schaeffer/) > [“But for many modern liberal theologians (even if they do not say that God is dead), certain other things are dead. Because they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-a-schaeffer/but-for-many-modern-liberal-theologians-even-if-they-do-not-say-that/) [Francis A. Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-a-schaeffer/) > [“The Christian is the one whose imagination should fly beyond the stars.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-a-schaeffer/the-christian-is-the-one-whose-imagination-should-fly-beyond-the-stars/) [Francis A. Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-a-schaeffer/) [Explore all 28 Francis A. Schaeffer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-a-schaeffer/) ## More Creation quotes > [“am not suggesting that successes in academics, athletics, or vocation somehow stand outside God’s good plan. Learning and play are joys that God himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-paul-jones/am-not-suggesting-that-successes-in-academics-athletics-or-vocation/) [Timothy Paul Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-paul-jones/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this \[step by step, from humans to apes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us-with-so-extraordinary-a/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Like many other scientists who hold the Catholic faith, I see the Creator's plan and purpose fulfilled in our universe. I see a planet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-r-miller/like-many-other-scientists-who-hold-the-catholic-faith-i-see-the/) [Kenneth R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/) > [And wheresoever, in his rich creation, Sweet music breathes--in wave, or bird, or soul-- 'Tis but the faint and far reverberation Of that great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-sargent-osgood/and-wheresoever-in-his-rich-creation-sweet-music-breathes-in-wave-or/) [Frances Sargent Osgood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-sargent-osgood/) > [I believe if there is a creator it will basically ask me two questions, how well did you enjoy my creation and what did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/i-believe-if-there-is-a-creator-it-will-basically-ask-me-two/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [With no other choices open to us, we'd turned our gaze seaward. The oceans were our America: they reached farther than any prairie, untamed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carsten-jensen/with-no-other-choices-open-to-us-we-d-turned-our-gaze-seaward-the/) [Carsten Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carsten-jensen/) > [In the quiet moments of your day, what do you think and do? When you are with your Self and no one else, how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/in-the-quiet-moments-of-your-day-what-do-you-think-and-do-when-you/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [The creation lives as genesis beneath the visible surface of the work. All intelligent people see this after the fact, but only the creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-klee/the-creation-lives-as-genesis-beneath-the-visible-surface-of-the-work/) [Paul Klee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-klee/) > [When I was in my teens I had a series of intensely religious experiences. They deepened my sense of God as the creator of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-linzey/when-i-was-in-my-teens-i-had-a-series-of-intensely-religious/) [Andrew Linzey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-linzey/) > [If you are trying to live a life in accordance with the Bible, the concept and call to justice are inescapable. We do justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-trying-to-live-a-life-in-accordance-with-the-bible-the/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [I think that storytelling and creation are very close to what the center of what magic is about. I think not just for me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/i-think-that-storytelling-and-creation-are-very-close-to-what-the/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [To be part of the creation, I must act humbly. I'll take that over a goddess any day!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-o-hara/to-be-part-of-the-creation-i-must-act-humbly-i-ll-take-that-over-a/) [Maureen O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-o-hara/) > [The country of Iraq is somewhat of an artificial creation going back to colonial days. And so you have the Kurds and then the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clapper/the-country-of-iraq-is-somewhat-of-an-artificial-creation-going-back/) [James Clapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clapper/) [Browse all 5,225 Creation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The tree in the field is to be treated with respect. It is not to be romanticized as the old lady romanticizes her cat (that is, she reads human reactions into it). . . . 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