---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We should realize that if something…"
description: "\"“We should realize that if something untrue or immoral is stated in great art, it can be far more devastating than if it is expressed in poor art. The ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/francis-a-schaeffer-22002_art_we-should-realize-that-if-something-untr_2762394.jpg"
---

#  We should realize that if something untrue or immoral is…

![“We should realize that if something untrue or immoral is stated in great art, it can be far more devastating than if it is expressed in poor art. The greater the artistic expression, the more important it is to consciously bring it and it's worldview under the judgment of Christ and the Bible. The…” quote by Francis A. Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/francis-a-schaeffer-22002_art_we-should-realize-that-if-something-untr_2762394.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/francis-a-schaeffer-22002_art_we-should-realize-that-if-something-untr_2762394.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/francis-a-schaeffer-22002_art_we-should-realize-that-if-something-untr_2762394.jpg)

> ““We should realize that if something untrue or immoral is stated in great art, it can be far more devastating than if it is expressed in poor art. The greater the artistic expression, the more important it is to consciously bring it and it's worldview under the judgment of Christ and the Bible. The common reaction among many however, is just the opposite. Ordinarily, many seem to feel that the greater the art, the less we ought to be critical of its worldview. This we must reverse.””

[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.

Art that is powerful can shape beliefs; if it presents false or immoral ideas, its impact can be deeper than low‑quality art, so it must be evaluated against biblical truth.

**In simple terms:** Great art can spread harmful ideas, so test it with Scripture.

Key Takeaway

Check influential art against biblical standards.

Themes

faith culture art criticism truth morality

Mood

thoughtful serious

Type

theological critical reflective

When to use this quote

- church teaching
- media literacy
- personal reflection
- art education

Key Concepts

theology media influence worldview analysis

Questions to Reflect On

- How does you assess an artwork's worldview?
- What criteria guide you in judging artistic truth?

A Different Perspective

Art can also inspire good; not all powerful art is harmful.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Artistic expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artistic-expression/) [Critical Worldview](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critical-worldview-3180108/) [Immoral Stated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immoral-stated-3180109/) [Untrue Immoral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/untrue-immoral-3180107/) [Worldview Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worldview-judgment-3180105/) [Worldview Reverse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worldview-reverse-3180106/)

## Related quotes

> [“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/)

> [“The essence of romance is an extremely powerful life-giving sensual force for change. I view the romantic periods in our history as cycles of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayesha-ophelia/the-essence-of-romance-is-an-extremely-powerful-life-giving-sensual/)

[Ayesha Ophelia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayesha-ophelia/)

> [“For if freethinkers did not have a political platform, they nevertheless agreed on a wide range of social, cultural, and artistic concerns, which generated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/for-if-freethinkers-did-not-have-a-political-platform-they/)

[Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/)

> [For me, what I do is an artistic expression which is channeled through me. Fashion is just the medium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mcqueen/for-me-what-i-do-is-an-artistic-expression-which-is-channeled-through/)

[Alexander McQueen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mcqueen/)

> [Artistic expression, sex, and truth are the only things that really matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-frusciante/artistic-expression-sex-and-truth-are-the-only-things-that-really/)

[John Frusciante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-frusciante/)

> [Humor may be defined as the kindly contemplation of the incongruities of life, and the artistic expression thereof.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leacock/humor-may-be-defined-as-the-kindly-contemplation-of-the-incongruities/)

[Stephen Leacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leacock/)

> [My view is that "A Small Oak Tree Runs Red" is about putting people 'on the record,' who otherwise would have been forgotten, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-lennix/my-view-is-that-a-small-oak-tree-runs-red-is-about-putting-people-on/)

[Harry Lennix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-lennix/)

> [Actors are loved because they are unoriginal. Actors stick to their script. The unoriginal man is loved by the mediocrity because this kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-kavanagh/actors-are-loved-because-they-are-unoriginal-actors-stick-to-their/)

[Patrick Kavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-kavanagh/)

> [“Hidden in dreams are arts that haven’t been crafted, and songs that haven’t been chanted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/hidden-in-dreams-are-arts-that-haven-t-been-crafted-and-songs-that/)

[Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/)

> [Dance, one of the oldest forms of artistic expression, requires only the human body for its realization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-youskevitch/dance-one-of-the-oldest-forms-of-artistic-expression-requires-only/)

[Igor Youskevitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-youskevitch/)

> [“I had artistic classical training, and when you learn the classics for so many years, you might gain audacity, power and confidence to subvert…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nuno-roque/i-had-artistic-classical-training-and-when-you-learn-the-classics-for/)

[Nuno Roque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nuno-roque/)

> [Art must be an expression of love or it is nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-chagall/art-must-be-an-expression-of-love-or-it-is-nothing/)

[Marc Chagall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-chagall/)

> [“A person writes similar to how a blind person uses brail. We grope along the palpable corridors of the mind’s organic texture to locate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/a-person-writes-similar-to-how-a-blind-person-uses-brail-we-grope/)

[Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/)

> [“The key experiential approach I now use to induce non-ordinary states of consciousness and gain access to the unconscious and superconscious psyche is Holotropic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislav-grof/the-key-experiential-approach-i-now-use-to-induce-non-ordinary-states/)

[Stanislav Grof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislav-grof/)

> [In the documentary space, the biggest and most obvious difference is that in those films you're not in it for a financial gain. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-smolyansky/in-the-documentary-space-the-biggest-and-most-obvious-difference-is/)

[Julie Smolyansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-smolyansky/)

## 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/)

> [“The tree in the field is to be treated with respect. It is not to be romanticized as the old lady romanticizes her cat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-a-schaeffer/the-tree-in-the-field-is-to-be-treated-with-respect-it-is-not-to-be/)

[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/)

[Explore all 28 Francis A. Schaeffer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-a-schaeffer/)

## More Art quotes

> [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/)

[Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/)

> [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/)

[Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/)

> [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/)

> [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/)

[Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/)

> [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/)

[Taf Teh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/)

> [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/)

[Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/)

> [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/)

[Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/)

> [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/)

[Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/)

> [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/)

[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/)

> [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/)

[Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/)

> [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/)

[Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/)

[Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“We should realize that if something untrue or immoral is stated in great art, it can be far more devastating than if it is expressed in poor art. The greater the artistic expression, the more important it is to consciously bring it and it's worldview under the judgment of Christ and the Bible. The common reaction among many however, is just the opposite. Ordinarily, many seem to feel that the greater the art, the less we ought to be critical of its worldview. This we must reverse.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Francis A. Schaeffer"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-a-schaeffer/we-should-realize-that-if-something-untrue-or-immoral-is-stated-in/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Art"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-a-schaeffer/we-should-realize-that-if-something-untrue-or-immoral-is-stated-in/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/francis-a-schaeffer-22002_art_we-should-realize-that-if-something-untr_2762394.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/francis-a-schaeffer-22002_art_we-should-realize-that-if-something-untr_2762394.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/francis-a-schaeffer-22002_art_we-should-realize-that-if-something-untr_2762394.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We should realize that if something untrue or immoral is stated in great art, it can be far more devastating…” — Francis A. Schaeffer",
                "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": "Francis A. Schaeffer",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-a-schaeffer/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“We should realize that if something...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-a-schaeffer/we-should-realize-that-if-something-untrue-or-immoral-is-stated-in/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-a-schaeffer/we-should-realize-that-if-something-untrue-or-immoral-is-stated-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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
