--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But one of the rather open secrets about…" description: "\"“But one of the rather open secrets about Catholicism is that plenty of Catholics don't toe the line as hard as the Vatican does. Each Catholic examine..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3c/kaya-oakes-53898_ethics_but-one-of-the-rather-open-secrets-about_370826.jpg" --- # But one of the rather open secrets about Catholicism is… ![“But one of the rather open secrets about Catholicism is that plenty of Catholics don't toe the line as hard as the Vatican does. Each Catholic examines her conscience, and if her conscience says that an abortion done to save the life of the mother keeps at least one person alive, or if a condom…” quote by Kaya Oakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3c/kaya-oakes-53898_ethics_but-one-of-the-rather-open-secrets-about_370826.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3c/kaya-oakes-53898_ethics_but-one-of-the-rather-open-secrets-about_370826.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3c/kaya-oakes-53898_ethics_but-one-of-the-rather-open-secrets-about_370826.jpg) > ““But one of the rather open secrets about Catholicism is that plenty of Catholics don't toe the line as hard as the Vatican does. Each Catholic examines her conscience, and if her conscience says that an abortion done to save the life of the mother keeps at least one person alive, or if a condom worn by a guy with AIDS keeps AIDS from spreading, or if a cancer-racked body needs to depart the world painlessly, then so be it. The God we believe in, after all, is a God of mercy and compassion.”” [Kaya Oakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaya-oakes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Catholics often prioritize personal conscience and mercy over strict institutional rules, especially in life‑and‑death moral dilemmas. **In simple terms:** Personal conscience can outweigh church authority. Key Takeaway Act with compassion, not just rule‑following. Themes morality conscience religion mercy Mood thoughtful reflective Type ethical theological When to use this quote - medical decisions - family planning - end‑of‑life care Key Concepts ethical pluralism personal autonomy Questions to Reflect On - How do you reconcile personal ethics with institutional teachings? - When should mercy override law? A Different Perspective Balancing individual conscience with communal doctrine can cause conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) ## Related quotes > [The universal elements are integrity, vision, discipline, passion, governed by conscience. Conscience has been educated through studying and pondering the universal, timeless principles of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/the-universal-elements-are-integrity-vision-discipline-passion/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [When your conscience says law is immoral, don't follow it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kevorkian/when-your-conscience-says-law-is-immoral-don-t-follow-it/) [Jack Kevorkian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kevorkian/) > [He that hath a blind conscience which sees nothing, a dead conscience which feels nothing, and a dumb conscience which says nothing, is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/he-that-hath-a-blind-conscience-which-sees-nothing-a-dead-conscience/) [Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/) > [The rights of children as individuals begin while yet they remain the foetus...Whoever has read the 'Weekly' knows I hold abortion (except to save…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-woodhull/the-rights-of-children-as-individuals-begin-while-yet-they-remain-the-2/) [Victoria Woodhull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-woodhull/) > [The old law permitted abortion to save one life when two would otherwise die. The new law permits abortion to take one life when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-ratner/the-old-law-permitted-abortion-to-save-one-life-when-two-would/) Herbert Ratner > [Ban partial-birth abortion except to save mother's life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-weller/ban-partial-birth-abortion-except-to-save-mother-s-life/) [Jerry Weller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-weller/) > [The one who acts is always without conscience; nobody has a conscience but the contemplative person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-one-who-acts-is-always-without-conscience-nobody-has-a-conscience/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [The court is really the keeper of the conscience, and the conscience is the Constitution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/the-court-is-really-the-keeper-of-the-conscience-and-the-conscience/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [You have a conscience, and a conscience is a valuable attribute, but not if it begins to make you think you were to blame…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/you-have-a-conscience-and-a-conscience-is-a-valuable-attribute-but/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [“What are the qualities of human greatness that create history? Every time, if we think far enough, it is an ability to look through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-adams/what-are-the-qualities-of-human-greatness-that-create-history-every/) Jane Adams > [But what of the voice and judgment of conscience? The difficulty is that we have a conscience behind our conscience, an intellectual one behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-brandes/but-what-of-the-voice-and-judgment-of-conscience-the-difficulty-is/) [Georg Brandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-brandes/) > [Always listen to the voice of your conscience. If your conscience conflicts with your faith, question everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/always-listen-to-the-voice-of-your-conscience-if-your-conscience/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [Meditation is the art of awareness. And once you are aware, out of your awareness your actions will arise - not out of conscience.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/meditation-is-the-art-of-awareness-and-once-you-are-aware-out-of-your/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“I believe that I have a conscience. My conscience is God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-lim/i-believe-that-i-have-a-conscience-my-conscience-is-god/) Louisa Lim > [An overblown conscience is an empty conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pascal-bruckner/an-overblown-conscience-is-an-empty-conscience/) [Pascal Bruckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pascal-bruckner/) ## More by Kaya Oakes > [“Do we talk about feeling neglected and rejected by the Church? Yes. Do we bash a bishop or two, talk a little trash about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaya-oakes/do-we-talk-about-feeling-neglected-and-rejected-by-the-church-yes-do/) [Kaya Oakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaya-oakes/) > [“There has been something missing from this experience of Catholicism that I've plunged into to such a surprising depth. It's the women.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaya-oakes/there-has-been-something-missing-from-this-experience-of-catholicism/) [Kaya Oakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaya-oakes/) > [“I hear what they're saying about faith, about the priests at our church and how they relate to women, about the bishops and cardinals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaya-oakes/i-hear-what-they-re-saying-about-faith-about-the-priests-at-our/) [Kaya Oakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaya-oakes/) > [“What matters is that like a rather large proportion of straight Catholics, I think gay people are pretty much the same as everyone else.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaya-oakes/what-matters-is-that-like-a-rather-large-proportion-of-straight/) [Kaya Oakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaya-oakes/) > [“As we've seen way too many times throughout history, the meaning of the Bible can be twisted and manipulated by anyone with an agenda.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaya-oakes/as-we-ve-seen-way-too-many-times-throughout-history-the-meaning-of/) [Kaya Oakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaya-oakes/) [Explore all 6 Kaya Oakes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaya-oakes/) ## More Conscience quotes > [Self-respect and a clear conscience are powerful components of integrity and are the basis for enriching your relationships with others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/self-respect-and-a-clear-conscience-are-powerful-components-of/) [Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/) > [“Knowledge without conscience is but the ruin of the soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabelaise/knowledge-without-conscience-is-but-the-ruin-of-the-soul/) Rabelaise > [Writing adds up to the conscience of our times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-firrell/writing-adds-up-to-the-conscience-of-our-times/) [Martin Firrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-firrell/) > [My conscience is really active. So I feel bad about spending excess amount of money on things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/my-conscience-is-really-active-so-i-feel-bad-about-spending-excess/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) > [Let us be thankful for health and competence, and, above all, for a quiet conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izaak-walton/let-us-be-thankful-for-health-and-competence-and-above-all-for-a/) [Izaak Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izaak-walton/) > [Making money doesn't oblige people to forfeit their honor or their conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-rothschild/making-money-doesn-t-oblige-people-to-forfeit-their-honor-or-their/) [Guy de Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-rothschild/) > [“If we cannot be happy and powerful and prey on others, we invent conscience and prey on ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/if-we-cannot-be-happy-and-powerful-and-prey-on-others-we-invent/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [The God in whose hands are all our days and ways, did cast into my hand one day a book of Martin Luthers; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/the-god-in-whose-hands-are-all-our-days-and-ways-did-cast-into-my/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [My morals are important to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-parrish/my-morals-are-important-to-me/) [Hunter Parrish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-parrish/) > [Being tolerant does not mean that I share another ones belief. But it does mean that I acknowledge another ones right to believe, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/being-tolerant-does-not-mean-that-i-share-another-ones-belief-but-it/) [Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) > [Never can true courage dwell with them, Who, playing tricks with conscience, dare not look At their own vices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/never-can-true-courage-dwell-with-them-who-playing-tricks-with/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/) [John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/) > [I've worked with people who are much further to the left than I am and much further to the right than I am. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/i-ve-worked-with-people-who-are-much-further-to-the-left-than-i-am/) [Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) > [If all the world hated you and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved of you and absolved you from guilt, you would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/if-all-the-world-hated-you-and-believed-you-wicked-while-your-own/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [ \[D\]on't grow old. With age comes caution, which is another name for cowardice… Whatever else you do in life, don't cultivate a conscience. Without… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesketh-pearson/d-on-t-grow-old-with-age-comes-caution-which-is-another-name-for/) [Hesketh Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesketh-pearson/) [Browse all 3,490 Conscience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But one of the rather open secrets about Catholicism is that plenty of Catholics don't toe the line as hard as the Vatican does. Each Catholic examines her conscience, and if her conscience says that an abortion done to save the life of the mother keeps at least one person alive, or if a condom worn by a guy with AIDS keeps AIDS from spreading, or if a cancer-racked body needs to depart the world painlessly, then so be it. 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