--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The basic function of law is to restrain…" description: "\"“The basic function of law is to restrain (Rom. 13:1-4) not to regenerate, and when the function of the law is changed from the restraint of evil to th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e3/r-j-rushdoony-8903_justice_the-basic-function-of-law-is-to-restrain_3161541.png" --- # The basic function of law is to restrain (Rom. 13:1-4) not… ![“The basic function of law is to restrain (Rom. 13:1-4) not to regenerate, and when the function of the law is changed from the restraint of evil to the regeneration of man and society, then law itself begins to break down, because an impossible burden is being placed upon it...Only as we return to…” quote by R.J. Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e3/r-j-rushdoony-8903_justice_the-basic-function-of-law-is-to-restrain_3161541.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e3/r-j-rushdoony-8903_justice_the-basic-function-of-law-is-to-restrain_3161541.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e3/r-j-rushdoony-8903_justice_the-basic-function-of-law-is-to-restrain_3161541.png) > ““The basic function of law is to restrain (Rom. 13:1-4) not to regenerate, and when the function of the law is changed from the restraint of evil to the regeneration of man and society, then law itself begins to break down, because an impossible burden is being placed upon it...Only as we return to a Biblical foundation for law shall we again have a return to justice and order under law.”” [R.J. Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Law's purpose is to restrain evil; when it tries to regenerate humanity, it becomes ineffective. **In simple terms:** Law should limit, not rebuild. Key Takeaway Focus on law's restraining role. Themes law society justice Mood critical analytical Type theoretical political When to use this quote - legal reform - policy making - community governance Key Concepts jurisprudence theology social order Questions to Reflect On - Is a purely restraining law sufficient for justice? - Can law evolve without losing its core purpose? A Different Perspective Law cannot fulfill both restraint and regeneration simultaneously. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Function Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/function-law-312782/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Law Begins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-begins-5514233/) [Law Restrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-restrain-5717019/) [Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws/) [Order Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order-law-879842/) ## Related quotes > [The law can seem remote, arcane, the stuff of specialists. But it isn't, because for those of us who live in democracies, the law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shereen-el-feki/the-law-can-seem-remote-arcane-the-stuff-of-specialists-but-it-isn-t/) [Shereen El Feki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shereen-el-feki/) > [The function of the law is not to provide justice or to preserve freedom. 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Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/) > [ “\[T\]he more man accepts his limitations, the better is he enabled to know things truly.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-rushdoony/t-he-more-man-accepts-his-limitations-the-better-is-he-enabled-to/) [R.J. Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/) > [“Our character is revealed under pressure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-rushdoony/our-character-is-revealed-under-pressure/) [R.J. Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/) > [“Problems are a part of life in a fallen world, and they are necessary part of it, necessary to our testing and to our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-rushdoony/problems-are-a-part-of-life-in-a-fallen-world-and-they-are-necessary/) [R.J. Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/) [Explore all 77 R.J. Rushdoony quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/) ## More Justice quotes > [Never fight on the wrong side; you might win but the burden of guilt is more than a loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilian-salan/never-fight-on-the-wrong-side-you-might-win-but-the-burden-of-guilt/) [Lilian Salan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilian-salan/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [“Crime and punishment can be summed up in two classifications: there are bad people and there are people who get into bad situations. 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