--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: a man can break God's laws and be…" description: "\"a man can break God's laws and be forgiven. That's what they teach us. But when he breaks Nature's laws, there's no forgiveness - and there's no escape..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00e/martha-ostenso-23577_break_a-man-can-break-god-s-laws-and-be-forgiv_1454938.jpg" --- # a man can break God's laws and be forgiven. That's what… ![“a man can break God's laws and be forgiven. That's what they teach us. But when he breaks Nature's laws, there's no forgiveness - and there's no escape. Sooner or later he pays the penalty, or his children pay it - or his children's children. It doesn't matter much. It must be paid.” quote by Martha Ostenso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00e/martha-ostenso-23577_break_a-man-can-break-god-s-laws-and-be-forgiv_1454938.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00e/martha-ostenso-23577_break_a-man-can-break-god-s-laws-and-be-forgiv_1454938.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00e/martha-ostenso-23577_break_a-man-can-break-god-s-laws-and-be-forgiv_1454938.jpg) > “a man can break God's laws and be forgiven. That's what they teach us. But when he breaks Nature's laws, there's no forgiveness - and there's no escape. Sooner or later he pays the penalty, or his children pay it - or his children's children. It doesn't matter much. It must be paid.” [Martha Ostenso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ostenso/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Violating natural law incurs inevitable consequences, unlike moral transgressions which can be forgiven. **In simple terms:** Nature's rules are unforgiving. Key Takeaway Respect natural limits. Themes ethics nature consequence law Mood somber serious Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - policy making - environmental activism - family decisions Key Concepts environmental stewardship intergenerational justice moral philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance human error with natural law? - Can forgiveness apply to ecological damage? A Different Perspective Human actions can be mitigated through restitution. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment/) [Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [No forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/no-forgiveness/) [Penalties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/penalties/) [Sooner or later](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sooner-or-later/) ## Related quotes > [We cannot break God's laws - but we can break ourselves against them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maude-royden/we-cannot-break-god-s-laws-but-we-can-break-ourselves-against-them/) [Maude Royden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maude-royden/) > [He might let you bend, but He won't let you break! ~ God :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rayy/he-might-let-you-bend-but-he-won-t-let-you-break-god/) Rayy > [Let my heart be broken with the things that break God's heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pierce/let-my-heart-be-broken-with-the-things-that-break-god-s-heart/) Robert Pierce > [We choice our destiny to do what we want in life but remember life can hit you hard and break you up, That's how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/we-choice-our-destiny-to-do-what-we-want-in-life-but-remember-life/) Unkown > [Stop focusing on what you did in the past, and realize God loves you. Nothing you could have done would ever break God's love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/stop-focusing-on-what-you-did-in-the-past-and-realize-god-loves-you/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Whenever you try to break God's moral law, you end up breaking yourself and hurting others - all while proving His law in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/whenever-you-try-to-break-god-s-moral-law-you-end-up-breaking/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [It is only through the holes in our soul that we break out and God breaks through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/it-is-only-through-the-holes-in-our-soul-that-we-break-out-and-god/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [Please, with the God talk. Hate to break it to you, but there is no God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-stern/please-with-the-god-talk-hate-to-break-it-to-you-but-there-is-no-god/) [Howard Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-stern/) > [No matter what I'm going through, all my trials and tribulations. Nobody and nothing can break me because I have GOD with me!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-matter-what-i-m-going-through-all-my-trials-and-tribulations/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The weak can never forgive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-weak-can-never-forgive/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Forgiveness is primarily for our own sake, so that we no longer carry the burden of resentment. But to forgive does not mean we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/forgiveness-is-primarily-for-our-own-sake-so-that-we-no-longer-carry/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [What we love once, we love forever. Shall there be joy in heaven over those who repent, yet no forgiveness for them upon earth?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/what-we-love-once-we-love-forever-shall-there-be-joy-in-heaven-over/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [There is no forgiveness. For women. A man may lose his honor and regain it again. But a woman cannot. She cannot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/there-is-no-forgiveness-for-women-a-man-may-lose-his-honor-and-regain/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“This doctrine of forgiveness of sin is a premium on crime. 'Forgive us our sins' means "Let us continue in our iniquity." It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-doctrine-of-forgiveness-of-sin-is-a-premium-on-crime-forgive-us/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God may forgive sins, he said, but awkwardness has no forgiveness in heaven or earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/god-may-forgive-sins-he-said-but-awkwardness-has-no-forgiveness-in/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## More by Martha Ostenso > [The lush green of the fields became a rich gold that swayed sturdily under the wind and fell at last before the hands of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ostenso/the-lush-green-of-the-fields-became-a-rich-gold-that-swayed-sturdily/) [Martha Ostenso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ostenso/) > [Time passed so much more slowly than space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ostenso/time-passed-so-much-more-slowly-than-space/) [Martha Ostenso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ostenso/) > [Listen - man is a child of Nature. When he turns against his mother - he's done! He may not find out about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ostenso/listen-man-is-a-child-of-nature-when-he-turns-against-his-mother-he-s/) [Martha Ostenso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ostenso/) > [There is too much doing - too little being! When we begin to get strenuous, life begins to grow intolerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ostenso/there-is-too-much-doing-too-little-being-when-we-begin-to-get/) [Martha Ostenso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ostenso/) > [There was nothing so real on the prairie as winter, nothing so memorable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ostenso/there-was-nothing-so-real-on-the-prairie-as-winter-nothing-so/) [Martha Ostenso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ostenso/) > [“Work did not destroy the loneliness; work was only a fog in which they moved so that they might not see the loneliness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ostenso/work-did-not-destroy-the-loneliness-work-was-only-a-fog-in-which-they/) [Martha Ostenso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ostenso/) > [It's remarkable - most remarkable, the way these people manage, from time to time, a tragedy or a near-tragedy to break the even tenor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ostenso/it-s-remarkable-most-remarkable-the-way-these-people-manage-from-time/) [Martha Ostenso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ostenso/) > [once a man had thrust his hands into the soil and knew the grit of it between his teeth, he felt something rise within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ostenso/once-a-man-had-thrust-his-hands-into-the-soil-and-knew-the-grit-of-it/) [Martha Ostenso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ostenso/) > [Religion is passionate, reckless, destructive, idol-smashing. It's a martyr burning at the stake. It's a crown of thorns and a cross.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ostenso/religion-is-passionate-reckless-destructive-idol-smashing-it-s-a/) [Martha Ostenso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ostenso/) > [Here and there on the branch of an oak a congress of leaves still clung, rigid as flakes of bronze.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ostenso/here-and-there-on-the-branch-of-an-oak-a-congress-of-leaves-still/) [Martha Ostenso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ostenso/) > [You have stirred the soil with your plow, my friend. It will never be the same again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ostenso/you-have-stirred-the-soil-with-your-plow-my-friend-it-will-never-be/) [Martha Ostenso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ostenso/) > [Growing old was simply a process of drawing closer to that ultimate independence called death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ostenso/growing-old-was-simply-a-process-of-drawing-closer-to-that-ultimate/) [Martha Ostenso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ostenso/) > [God, what pathetic creatures had inherited the earth, to walk a little while with their eyes upon the stars and turn their gaze too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ostenso/god-what-pathetic-creatures-had-inherited-the-earth-to-walk-a-little/) [Martha Ostenso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ostenso/) > [Ah, life, life, how madly, how cruelly it raced along your pulses!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ostenso/ah-life-life-how-madly-how-cruelly-it-raced-along-your-pulses/) [Martha Ostenso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ostenso/) > [I don't see as it matters much how well you mean if it's harm you're doin'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ostenso/i-don-t-see-as-it-matters-much-how-well-you-mean-if-it-s-harm-you-re/) [Martha Ostenso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ostenso/) [Explore all 25 Martha Ostenso quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ostenso/) ## More Break quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [Things are going well in Germany because the economy is booming and as an export-driven nation, we are profiting from the fact that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/things-are-going-well-in-germany-because-the-economy-is-booming-and/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [There were songs that we cut out after we chose the name, because 'Praise Break' turned out to be an underlying concept that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-caesar/there-were-songs-that-we-cut-out-after-we-chose-the-name-because/) [Daniel Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-caesar/) > [“He didn't break my heart. No one can break your heart except you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-didn-t-break-my-heart-no-one-can-break-your-heart-except-you/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [“She couldn't break the orbit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/she-couldn-t-break-the-orbit/) [Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/) > [Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/your-pain-is-the-breaking-of-the-shell-that-encloses-your/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [Must I go bound while you go free Must I love a manwho doesn't love me Must I be born with so little art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/must-i-go-bound-while-you-go-free-must-i-love-a-manwho-doesn-t-love/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I hadn't worked for a year when I had my Prison Break audition and it was the easiest audition I've ever had. I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/i-hadn-t-worked-for-a-year-when-i-had-my-prison-break-audition-and-it/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [If you strike upon a thought that baffles you, break off from that entanglement and try another, so shall your wits be fresh to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/if-you-strike-upon-a-thought-that-baffles-you-break-off-from-that/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [“A hole ain’t nothing either, but you can still break your neck in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-donati/a-hole-ain-t-nothing-either-but-you-can-still-break-your-neck-in-it/) [Sara Donati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-donati/) > [“I break things, a lot of things, but I don’t want one of them to be you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/i-break-things-a-lot-of-things-but-i-don-t-want-one-of-them-to-be-you/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [Motor racing's less of a sport these days than a commercial break doing 150 mph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dunne/motor-racing-s-less-of-a-sport-these-days-than-a-commercial-break/) Peter Dunne > [Much like teaching art to young art students age 10 to 15 or so on, you have to break it down into bite-sized pieces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/much-like-teaching-art-to-young-art-students-age-10-to-15-or-so-on/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [The purpose is to be in gratitude forever. Live with applied consciousness, prosperity will break through the walls, flood you with it. You do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/the-purpose-is-to-be-in-gratitude-forever-live-with-applied/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [Never break another man's rice bowl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akio-morita/never-break-another-man-s-rice-bowl/) [Akio Morita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akio-morita/) Browse all 8,188 Break quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "a man can break God's laws and be forgiven. That's what they teach us. But when he breaks Nature's laws, there's no forgiveness - and there's no escape. Sooner or later he pays the penalty, or his children pay it - or his children's children. It doesn't matter much. 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