Brides Quote by Sam Harris
“We read the Golden Rule and judge it to be a brilliant distillation of many of our ethical impulses. And then we come across another of God’s teachings on morality: if a man discovers on his wedding night that his bride is not a virgin, he must stone her to death on her father’s doorstep (Deuteronomy 22:13-21).”
About This Quote
Source Book: The End of Faith, 2004
The quote highlights a moral inconsistency: a revered ethical principle clashes with a harsh ancient law.
In simple terms: Moral teachings can contradict each other.
Key Takeaway
Question and reconcile conflicting moral teachings.
Themes
ethics
religion
inconsistency
Mood
critical
thought‑provoking
Type
philosophical
analytical
When to use this quote
- legal systems
- interfaith dialogue
- personal belief
- education
Key Concepts
moral philosophy
scriptural interpretation
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you resolve conflicting moral directives?
- Can ancient laws be reinterpreted for modern ethics?
A Different Perspective
Historical context may explain but not excuse the contradiction.
![“Moderates in every faith are obliged to loosely interpret (or simply ignore) much of their canons in the interests of living in the modern world. [...] The first thing to observe about the moderate’s retreat from scriptural literalism is that it draws its inspiration not from scripture but from…” quote by Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b44/sam-harris-457_bible_moderates-in-every-faith-are-obliged-to_6967.jpg)
