--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not only vain, but wicked, in a…" description: "\"It is not only vain, but wicked, in a legislator to frame laws in opposition to the laws of nature, and to arm them with the terrors of death. This is ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82b/thomas-jefferson-43_arms_it-is-not-only-vain-but-wicked-in-a-legi_2111428.jpg" --- # It is not only vain, but wicked, in a legislator to frame… ![“It is not only vain, but wicked, in a legislator to frame laws in opposition to the laws of nature, and to arm them with the terrors of death. This is truly creating crimes in order to punish them.” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82b/thomas-jefferson-43_arms_it-is-not-only-vain-but-wicked-in-a-legi_2111428.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82b/thomas-jefferson-43_arms_it-is-not-only-vain-but-wicked-in-a-legi_2111428.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82b/thomas-jefferson-43_arms_it-is-not-only-vain-but-wicked-in-a-legi_2111428.jpg) > “It is not only vain, but wicked, in a legislator to frame laws in opposition to the laws of nature, and to arm them with the terrors of death. This is truly creating crimes in order to punish them.” [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Legislators should not create laws that contradict natural law, as doing so creates crimes to punish. **In simple terms:** Laws must align with nature, not create injustice. Key Takeaway Respect natural order in lawmaking. Themes justice law nature ethics Mood serious reflective Type political ethical When to use this quote - policy drafting - environmental regulation - human rights law - criminal justice reform Key Concepts natural law legislative responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How can laws reflect natural principles? - What are the risks of ignoring nature in legislation? A Different Perspective Human nature and be complex; political compromise may require imperfect laws. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arms/) [Creating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creating/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Laws Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws-nature/) [Laws of nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws-of-nature/) [Laws Opposition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws-opposition-4264318/) [Legislator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legislator/) [Legislators](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legislators/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Opposition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposition/) [Opposition Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposition-laws-4264319/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Punishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punishment/) [Terror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terror/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Vain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vain/) [Wicked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wicked/) [Wicked Legislator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wicked-legislator-4264317/) ## Related quotes > [We have no functioning parliament in Egypt and months ago Mohammed Morsi assumed legislative functions. 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The art consists in making others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/a-legislator-must-know-how-to-take-advantage-of-even-the-defects-of/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [I think that we're just fortunate that you have an experienced legislator: 26 years of fighting for our issues in line. I mean, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-smeal/i-think-that-we-re-just-fortunate-that-you-have-an-experienced/) [Eleanor Smeal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-smeal/) > [Violence against women is as American as apple pie. I know, not only as a legislator, but from personal experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-moore/violence-against-women-is-as-american-as-apple-pie-i-know-not-only-as/) [Gwen Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwen-moore/) > [The legislator is like the navigator of a ship on the high seas. He can steer the vessel on which he sails, but he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/the-legislator-is-like-the-navigator-of-a-ship-on-the-high-seas-he/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [ Carolyn \[Maloney\] is the kind of legislator who, whether she's in the majority or the minority, whether her party is in the majority or… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-smeal/carolyn-maloney-is-the-kind-of-legislator-who-whether-she-s-in-the/) [Eleanor Smeal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-smeal/) > [The same things are best both for individuals and for states, and these are the things which the legislator ought to implant in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-same-things-are-best-both-for-individuals-and-for-states-and/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The legislator commands the future; to be feeble will avail him nothing: it is for him to will what is good and to perpetuate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/the-legislator-commands-the-future-to-be-feeble-will-avail-him/) [Louis Antoine de Saint-Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/) ## More by Thomas Jefferson > [A man has a right to use a saw, an axe, a plane, separately; may he not combine their uses on the same piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-man-has-a-right-to-use-a-saw-an-axe-a-plane-separately-may-he-not/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [ \[States and the Federal government are\] coordinate departments of one simple and integral whole... 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After the injuries we have done them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-two-principles-on-which-our-conduct-towards-the-indians-should-be/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Knowledge is power...knowled ge is safety...knowle dge is happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/knowledge-is-power-knowled-ge-is-safety-knowle-dge-is-happiness/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [There is... an artificial aristocracy founded on wealth and birth, without either virtue or talents... The artificial aristocracy is a mischievous ingredient in government,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/there-is-an-artificial-aristocracy-founded-on-wealth-and-birth/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Nothing but free argument, raillery and even ridicule will preserve the purity of religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/nothing-but-free-argument-raillery-and-even-ridicule-will-preserve/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [When the people are afraid of the government, that's tyranny. But when the government is afraid of the people, that's liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/when-the-people-are-afraid-of-the-government-that-s-tyranny-but-when/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/we-hold-these-truths-to-be-self-evident-that-all-men-are-created/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) [Explore all 2,098 Thomas Jefferson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) ## More Arms quotes > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) [Brian Reade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-reade/) > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Are we fighting?" I asked Morelli. "No. Were discussing." "Are you sure?" "Am I yelling?" Morelli asked. "Is my face purple? Are the cords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/are-we-fighting-i-asked-morelli-no-were-discussing-are-you-sure-am-i/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Comerado, this is no book,Who touches this, touches a man,(Is it night? Are we here alone?)It is I you hold, and who holds you,I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/comerado-this-is-no-book-who-touches-this-touches-a-man-is-it-night/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [Even the stove and the refrigerator looked human, I mean good human - they seemed to have arms and voices and they said, hang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/even-the-stove-and-the-refrigerator-looked-human-i-mean-good-human/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I separated the joints, the arm joints, the leg joints, and had to do two boilings. 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Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [How shall freedom be defended? By arms when it is attacked by arms, by truth when it is attacked by lies, by faith when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-macleish/how-shall-freedom-be-defended-by-arms-when-it-is-attacked-by-arms-by/) [Archibald MacLeish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-macleish/) > [You don't have to say it out loud. I already know why you like me.' 'You do, huh?' 'Yep.' He wrapped his arms around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/you-don-t-have-to-say-it-out-loud-i-already-know-why-you-like-me-you/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [Another step had her backed up against the wall, and he braced his arms on both sides of her. "I'm beginning to look forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-lindsey/another-step-had-her-backed-up-against-the-wall-and-he-braced-his/) [Johanna Lindsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-lindsey/) [Browse all 4,470 Arms quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arms/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is not only vain, but wicked, in a legislator to frame laws in opposition to the laws of nature, and to arm them with the terrors of death. 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