--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The upright, honest-hearted man Who…" description: "\"The upright, honest-hearted man Who strives to do the best he can, Need never fear the church's ban Or hell's damnation.\" — Robert Burns" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/robert-burns-1511_bans_the-upright-honest-hearted-man-who-striv_1137722.png" --- # The upright, honest-hearted man Who strives to do the best… ![“The upright, honest-hearted man Who strives to do the best he can, Need never fear the church's ban Or hell's damnation.” quote by Robert Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/robert-burns-1511_bans_the-upright-honest-hearted-man-who-striv_1137722.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/robert-burns-1511_bans_the-upright-honest-hearted-man-who-striv_1137722.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/robert-burns-1511_bans_the-upright-honest-hearted-man-who-striv_1137722.png) > “The upright, honest-hearted man Who strives to do the best he can, Need never fear the church's ban Or hell's damnation.” [Robert Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-burns/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A moral claim that a virtuous person need not fear institutional punishment or divine retribution because integrity protects them. **In simple terms:** An honest man need not fear church or hell. Key Takeaway Live with integrity to find inner peace. Themes morality integrity faith freedom Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal conduct - religious criticism - legal contexts Key Concepts Ethical philosophy spiritual assurance social autonomy Questions to Reflect On - Can integrity truly protect against all external judgments? - What are the limits of moral confidence? A Different Perspective Even honesty may not shield from societal oppression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bans/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Damnation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/damnation/) [Do the best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/do-the-best/) [Hearted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hearted/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Honest Hearted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest-hearted-3157127/) [Man Strives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-strives-2615722/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Never fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never-fear/) [Strife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strife/) [Strive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strive/) [Strives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strives/) [Strives Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strives-best-3157126/) [Upright Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/upright-honest-3157125/) ## Related quotes > [Man strives for glory, honor, fame, so that all the world may know his name. Amasses wealth by brain and hand. Becomes a power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/man-strives-for-glory-honor-fame-so-that-all-the-world-may-know-his/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A man can have nothing but what he strives for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-man-can-have-nothing-but-what-he-strives-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is not possible to know how far the influence of any amiable, honest-hearted duty-doing man flies out into the world, but it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/it-is-not-possible-to-know-how-far-the-influence-of-any-amiable/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“It happens that way when a man strives to become the centre of attention, to bring sensational news somewhere.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bulgakov/it-happens-that-way-when-a-man-strives-to-become-the-centre-of/) [Mikhail Bulgakov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bulgakov/) > [Externally China desires independence, internally she seeks to maintain her existence as a nation; China therefore strives to loose the bonds that bind her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiang-kai-shek/externally-china-desires-independence-internally-she-seeks-to/) [Chiang Kai-shek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiang-kai-shek/) > [“More important than success is the individual who strives towards his goal. It is the effort which counts. The goal is just a finish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-amit-abraham/more-important-than-success-is-the-individual-who-strives-towards-his/) [Dr. Amit Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-amit-abraham/) > [I don't think anyone strives to be anything negative. I just think that it's our nature to only focus on a few things in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/i-don-t-think-anyone-strives-to-be-anything-negative-i-just-think/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [For there is no one so great or mighty that he can avoid the misery that will rise up against him when he resists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/for-there-is-no-one-so-great-or-mighty-that-he-can-avoid-the-misery/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [Our contemporary society is experimenting with the diminishment of caregivers for children. Some children are raised through crucial stages of life by only one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gurian/our-contemporary-society-is-experimenting-with-the-diminishment-of/) [Michael Gurian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gurian/) > [Every individual strives to grow and exclude, to the extremities of the universe, and to impose the law of its being on every other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/every-individual-strives-to-grow-and-exclude-to-the-extremities-of/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [We can always redeem the man who aspires and strives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/we-can-always-redeem-the-man-who-aspires-and-strives/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“She strives, understanding the futility of it, for perfection.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-coover/she-strives-understanding-the-futility-of-it-for-perfection/) [Robert Coover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-coover/) > [The one who always strives, That one can be redeemed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-one-who-always-strives-that-one-can-be-redeemed/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [We all have Tumblr, and we all have Instagram and everything. People care so much about it because, now, any random can be famous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorde/we-all-have-tumblr-and-we-all-have-instagram-and-everything-people/) [Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorde/) > [God loves to help him who strives to help himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/god-loves-to-help-him-who-strives-to-help-himself/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) ## More by Robert Burns > [Some wee short hour ayont the twal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burns/some-wee-short-hour-ayont-the-twal/) [Robert Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-burns/) > [The snowdrop and primrose our woodlands adorn, and violets bathe in the wet o' the morn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burns/the-snowdrop-and-primrose-our-woodlands-adorn-and-violets-bathe-in/) [Robert Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-burns/) > [Oh my luve's like a red, red rose, That's newly sprung in June; Oh my luve's like the melodie That's sweetly played in tune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burns/oh-my-luve-s-like-a-red-red-rose-that-s-newly-sprung-in-june-oh-my/) [Robert Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-burns/) > [Again rejoicing Nature sees Her robe assume its vernal hues Her leafy locks wave in the breeze, All freshly steep'd in the morning dews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burns/again-rejoicing-nature-sees-her-robe-assume-its-vernal-hues-her-leafy/) [Robert Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-burns/) > [Gin a body meet a body Coming thro' the rye, Gin a body kiss a body— Need a body cry?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burns/gin-a-body-meet-a-body-coming-thro-the-rye-gin-a-body-kiss-a-body/) [Robert Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-burns/) > [“O wad some Power the giftie gie us To see oursels as ithers see us!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burns/o-wad-some-power-the-giftie-gie-us-to-see-oursels-as-ithers-see-us/) [Robert Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-burns/) > [Liberty's in every blow! Let us do or die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burns/liberty-s-in-every-blow-let-us-do-or-die/) [Robert Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-burns/) > [Dare to be honest and fear no labor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burns/dare-to-be-honest-and-fear-no-labor/) [Robert Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-burns/) > [Look abroad through Nature's range, Nature's mighty law is change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burns/look-abroad-through-nature-s-range-nature-s-mighty-law-is-change/) [Robert Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-burns/) > [ “All-cheering Plenty, with her flowing horn, Led yellow Autumn, wreath'd with nodding corn." \[ Brigs of Ayr \]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burns/all-cheering-plenty-with-her-flowing-horn-led-yellow-autumn-wreath-d/) [Robert Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-burns/) > [To make three guineas do the work of five.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burns/to-make-three-guineas-do-the-work-of-five/) [Robert Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-burns/) > [Some books are lies frae end to end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burns/some-books-are-lies-frae-end-to-end/) [Robert Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-burns/) > [Who made the heart, 'tis He alone Decidedly can try us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burns/who-made-the-heart-tis-he-alone-decidedly-can-try-us/) [Robert Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-burns/) > [Nursing her wrath to keep it warm.--Robert Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burns/nursing-her-wrath-to-keep-it-warm-robert-burns/) [Robert Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-burns/) > [It is cruelty to be humane to rebels, and humanity is cruelty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burns/it-is-cruelty-to-be-humane-to-rebels-and-humanity-is-cruelty/) [Robert Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-burns/) [Explore all 233 Robert Burns quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-burns/) ## More Bans quotes > [ Ben Carson also denounced \[Donald\] Trump's ban all Muslims proposal saying we do not and would not advocate being selective on one's religion. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/ben-carson-also-denounced-donald-trump-s-ban-all-muslims-proposal/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [Why dost thou shrink from my approach, O Man? Why dost thou ever flee in fear, and cling To my false rival, Life? I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-wheeler-wilcox/why-dost-thou-shrink-from-my-approach-o-man-why-dost-thou-ever-flee/) [Ella Wheeler Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-wheeler-wilcox/) > [I want to break up the Wall Street banks. Hillary Clinton doesn't. I want to raise the minimum wage to 15 bucks an hour.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/i-want-to-break-up-the-wall-street-banks-hillary-clinton-doesn-t-i/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [Art penetrates, no matter how many bans you put out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mawra-hocane/art-penetrates-no-matter-how-many-bans-you-put-out/) [Mawra Hocane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mawra-hocane/) > [The American people intuitively understand this, which is why the majority of Catholics practice birth control and some of those opposed to gay marriage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-american-people-intuitively-understand-this-which-is-why-the/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [In every state of the Union, Fundamentalists still fight to ban all the science they dislike and prosecute all who teach it. To them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-anton-wilson/in-every-state-of-the-union-fundamentalists-still-fight-to-ban-all/) [Robert Anton Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-anton-wilson/) > [My argument is focused on the fact that a relatively small percentage of the world's Muslim countries are impacted by this order. Stated differently,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-b-rivkin/my-argument-is-focused-on-the-fact-that-a-relatively-small-percentage/) [David B. Rivkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-b-rivkin/) > [It is cruel for you to leave your daughter, so full of hopeand resolve, to suffer the humiliations of disfranchisement she already feels so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-b-anthony/it-is-cruel-for-you-to-leave-your-daughter-so-full-of-hopeand-resolve/) [Susan B. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-b-anthony/) > [Banning guns, drugs, alcohol, premarital sex, political incorrectness, and gay marriage hasn't worked. We should ban Life. So long as even one of us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/banning-guns-drugs-alcohol-premarital-sex-political-incorrectness-and/) [Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/) > [The most damaging prejudice consists of banning any kind of investigation of nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-most-damaging-prejudice-consists-of-banning-any-kind-of/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [When observers look back 50 years from now, the arguments supporting Florida's ban on same-sex marriage, though just as sincerely held \[as views of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lewis-hinkle/when-observers-look-back-50-years-from-now-the-arguments-supporting/) [Robert Lewis Hinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lewis-hinkle/) > [The bill would ban human cloning, and any attempts at human cloning, for both reproductive purposes and medical research. Also forbidden is the importing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-calvert/the-bill-would-ban-human-cloning-and-any-attempts-at-human-cloning/) [Ken Calvert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-calvert/) > [We should totally ban for-profit charters. For-profit's first obligation is to its stockholders, not to its children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ravitch/we-should-totally-ban-for-profit-charters-for-profit-s-first/) [Diane Ravitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ravitch/) > [I have been asked what would I ban immediately if I could. Advertising.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-westwood/i-have-been-asked-what-would-i-ban-immediately-if-i-could-advertising/) [Vivienne Westwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-westwood/) > [Lacking its own ingenuity, the parasite fears the visionary. What it cannot plagiarize, it seeks to censor. What it cannot regulate, it seeks to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-ryan/lacking-its-own-ingenuity-the-parasite-fears-the-visionary-what-it/) [Andrew Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-ryan/) [Browse all 318 Bans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bans/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The upright, honest-hearted man Who strives to do the best he can, Need never fear the church's ban Or hell's damnation.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert Burns" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burns/the-upright-honest-hearted-man-who-strives-to-do-the-best-he-can-need/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bans" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burns/the-upright-honest-hearted-man-who-strives-to-do-the-best-he-can-need/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/robert-burns-1511_bans_the-upright-honest-hearted-man-who-striv_1137722.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/robert-burns-1511_bans_the-upright-honest-hearted-man-who-striv_1137722.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/robert-burns-1511_bans_the-upright-honest-hearted-man-who-striv_1137722.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The upright, honest-hearted man Who strives to do the best he can, Need never fear the church's ban Or…” — Robert Burns", "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": "Robert Burns", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-burns/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The upright, honest-hearted man Who strives...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burns/the-upright-honest-hearted-man-who-strives-to-do-the-best-he-can-need/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burns/the-upright-honest-hearted-man-who-strives-to-do-the-best-he-can-need/#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 } } ] } ```