--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our contention is not for mere…" description: "\"Our contention is not for mere toleration, but for absolute liberty. There is a wide difference between toleration and liberty. Toleration implies that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/634/george-w-truett-40641_absolutes_our-contention-is-not-for-mere-toleratio_710338.jpg" --- # Our contention is not for mere toleration, but for… ![“Our contention is not for mere toleration, but for absolute liberty. There is a wide difference between toleration and liberty. Toleration implies that somebody falsely claims the right to tolerate. Toleration is a concession, while liberty is a right. Toleration is a matter of expediency, while…” quote by George W Truett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/634/george-w-truett-40641_absolutes_our-contention-is-not-for-mere-toleratio_710338.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/634/george-w-truett-40641_absolutes_our-contention-is-not-for-mere-toleratio_710338.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/634/george-w-truett-40641_absolutes_our-contention-is-not-for-mere-toleratio_710338.jpg) > “Our contention is not for mere toleration, but for absolute liberty. There is a wide difference between toleration and liberty. Toleration implies that somebody falsely claims the right to tolerate. Toleration is a concession, while liberty is a right. Toleration is a matter of expediency, while liberty is a matter of principle.” [George W Truett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-truett/) ## 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 liberty is a fundamental right, not a temporary concession like toleration, emphasizing principle over expediency. **In simple terms:** Liberty is a right; toleration is a concession. Key Takeaway Demand true freedom, not merely tolerance. Themes freedom principle rights Mood assertive critical Type political ethicalical When to use this quote - civil rights activism - legal reform - personal boundaries - social movements Key Concepts political philosophy ethical theory Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate between protecting rights and imposing them? - When is toleration insufficient? A Different Perspective Liberty may clash with societal norms and cause conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absolutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Claims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/claims/) [Concessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concessions/) [Contention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contention/) [Difference Toleration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difference-toleration-5604789/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Expediency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expediency/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Liberty Toleration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty-toleration-4046230/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Mere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mere/) [Positive atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive-atheism/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Tolerance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tolerance/) [Tolerate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tolerate/) [Toleration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toleration/) [Toleration Concession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toleration-concession-5604792/) [Toleration Implies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toleration-implies-5604790/) [Toleration Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toleration-liberty-5604791/) [Wide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wide/) ## Related quotes > [The fundamental precept of liberty is toleration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/the-fundamental-precept-of-liberty-is-toleration/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [Toleration and liberty are the foundations of a great republic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lloyd-wright/toleration-and-liberty-are-the-foundations-of-a-great-republic/) [Frank Lloyd Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lloyd-wright/) > [I believe this nation hungers for a spiritual revival; hungers to once again see honor placed above political expediency; to see government once again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-believe-this-nation-hungers-for-a-spiritual-revival-hungers-to-once/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [“To rule is to kneel before expediency.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/to-rule-is-to-kneel-before-expediency/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [Those who know the truth are not equal to those who love it Confucius All truth is safe and nothing else is safe, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/those-who-know-the-truth-are-not-equal-to-those-who-love-it-confucius/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [The great difference between the real leader and the pretender is that the one sees into the future, while the other regards only the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/the-great-difference-between-the-real-leader-and-the-pretender-is/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [Nothing but the right can ever be expedient, since that can never be true expediency which would sacrifice a great good to a less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-whately/nothing-but-the-right-can-ever-be-expedient-since-that-can-never-be/) [Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-whately/) > [moral, adj. Conforming to a local and mutable standard of right. Having the quality of general expediency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/moral-adj-conforming-to-a-local-and-mutable-standard-of-right-having/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [The lawyer's truth is not Truth, but consistency or a consistent expediency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lawyer-s-truth-is-not-truth-but-consistency-or-a-consistent/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [It is for ordinary minds, not for psychoanalysts, that our rules of evidence are framed. They have their source very often in considerations of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-cardozo/it-is-for-ordinary-minds-not-for-psychoanalysts-that-our-rules-of/) [Benjamin Cardozo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-cardozo/) > [I had to learn that there is more to the human being than material comfort, more than success, more even than national spirit or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/han-suyin/i-had-to-learn-that-there-is-more-to-the-human-being-than-material/) [Han Suyin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/han-suyin/) > [Those who are successfully to lead their fellow-men, should have once possessed the nobler feelings. We have all known individuals whose magnanimity was not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-helps/those-who-are-successfully-to-lead-their-fellow-men-should-have-once/) [Arthur Helps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-helps/) > [Expediency is a law of nature. The camel is a wonderful animal, but the desert made the camel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/expediency-is-a-law-of-nature-the-camel-is-a-wonderful-animal-but-the/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [A certain alloy of expediency improves the gold of morality and makes it wear all the longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-marquis/a-certain-alloy-of-expediency-improves-the-gold-of-morality-and-makes/) [Don Marquis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-marquis/) > [Christian obligation cannot be made to accord with a law of expediency. The Christian's maxims are, Do right because you are bound to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-landey-patton/christian-obligation-cannot-be-made-to-accord-with-a-law-of/) [Francis Landey Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-landey-patton/) ## More by George W Truett > [Christ was born in the first century, yet he belongs to all centuries. He was born a Jew, yet He belongs to all races.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-truett/christ-was-born-in-the-first-century-yet-he-belongs-to-all-centuries/) [George W Truett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-truett/) > [Christ's religion needs no prop of any kind from any worldly source, and to the degree that it is thus supported is a millstone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-truett/christ-s-religion-needs-no-prop-of-any-kind-from-any-worldly-source/) [George W Truett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-truett/) > [And not only did this great consolidated ecclesiasticism assume to lord it over men's earthly treasures, but they lorded it over men's minds, prescribing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-truett/and-not-only-did-this-great-consolidated-ecclesiasticism-assume-to/) [George W Truett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-truett/) > [The right to private judgment is the crown jewel of humanity, and for any person or institution to dare to come between the soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-truett/the-right-to-private-judgment-is-the-crown-jewel-of-humanity-and-for/) [George W Truett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-truett/) > [Constantine, the Emperor, saw something in the religion of Christ's people which awakened his interest, and now we see him uniting religion to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-truett/constantine-the-emperor-saw-something-in-the-religion-of-christ-s/) [George W Truett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-truett/) > [That utterance of Jesus, "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's," is one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-truett/that-utterance-of-jesus-render-therefore-unto-caesar-the-things-which/) [George W Truett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-truett/) > [To know the will of God is the greatest knowledge! To do the will of God is the greatest achievement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-truett/to-know-the-will-of-god-is-the-greatest-knowledge-to-do-the-will-of/) [George W Truett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-truett/) > [There is no failure in God's will, and no success outside of God's will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-truett/there-is-no-failure-in-god-s-will-and-no-success-outside-of-god-s-will/) [George W Truett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-truett/) > [I find no fault in Him."...You can find fault in anyone else, but you can find no fault in Jesus. Holy, harmless, undefiled, sinless:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-truett/i-find-no-fault-in-him-you-can-find-fault-in-anyone-else-but-you-can/) [George W Truett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-truett/) [Explore all 10 George W Truett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-truett/) ## More Absolutes quotes > [At the centre of the human heart is the longing for an absolute good, a longing which is always there and is never appeased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/at-the-centre-of-the-human-heart-is-the-longing-for-an-absolute-good/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [There is no perfect justice, just as there is no absolute in ethics. But there is perfect injustice, and we know it when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/there-is-no-perfect-justice-just-as-there-is-no-absolute-in-ethics/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [If you live in a material universe where acquiring things is very important to you, then family is an absolute deterrent to maintaining that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/if-you-live-in-a-material-universe-where-acquiring-things-is-very/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) > [ Their \[the U.S.’s\] defense budget in absolute figures is almost 25 times bigger than Russia’s. This is what in defense is referred to as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/their-the-u-s-s-defense-budget-in-absolute-figures-is-almost-25-times/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [This separation was absolute in our original Republic. But the sky-godders do not give up easily. In the 1950s they actually got the phrase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/this-separation-was-absolute-in-our-original-republic-but-the-sky/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Conservative political opinion in America cleaves to the tradition of the judge as passive interpreter, believing that his absolute loyalty to authoritative law is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/learned-hand/conservative-political-opinion-in-america-cleaves-to-the-tradition-of/) [Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/) > [So many times we come to Jesus in worship and ask Him for things that He already IS and has already done... What a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-nockels/so-many-times-we-come-to-jesus-in-worship-and-ask-him-for-things-that/) [Christy Nockels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christy-nockels/) > [Those are decisions only the Lord will make. I believe the love of God is absolute. He said he gave his son for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/those-are-decisions-only-the-lord-will-make-i-believe-the-love-of-god/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [“The Gods know what it is to be eternal, and they love to toy with mortals who use absolutes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/the-gods-know-what-it-is-to-be-eternal-and-they-love-to-toy-with/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [Anarchy is the stepping stone to absolute power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/anarchy-is-the-stepping-stone-to-absolute-power/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [I was asked the other day if I would be interested in the Nobel Prize, but I think that for me it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-was-asked-the-other-day-if-i-would-be-interested-in-the-nobel-prize/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [The only "definitive truth" for Buddhism is the absolute negation of any one truth as the Definitive Truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-only-definitive-truth-for-buddhism-is-the-absolute-negation-of/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [The nature of the Absolute is neither perceptible nor imperceptible; and with phenomena it is just the same. But to one who has discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huangbo-xiyun/the-nature-of-the-absolute-is-neither-perceptible-nor-imperceptible/) [Huangbo Xiyun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huangbo-xiyun/) > [Joining a company is an act that calls for absolute loyalty in big matters and little ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-watson/joining-a-company-is-an-act-that-calls-for-absolute-loyalty-in-big/) [Thomas Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-watson/) > [In fine, a life of good or evil, the hope of Heaven or the despair of Hell, Faustus stands as a reminder that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-fine-a-life-of-good-or-evil-the-hope-of-heaven-or-the-despair-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 2,016 Absolutes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Our contention is not for mere toleration, but for absolute liberty. 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