--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Merely to resist evil with evil by hating…" description: "\"Merely to resist evil with evil by hating those who hate us and seeking to destroy them, is actually no resistance at all. It is active and purposeful ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c88/thomas-merton-231_active_merely-to-resist-evil-with-evil-by-hatin_3030314.jpg" --- # Merely to resist evil with evil by hating those who hate… ![“Merely to resist evil with evil by hating those who hate us and seeking to destroy them, is actually no resistance at all. It is active and purposeful collaboration in evil that brings the Christian into direct and intimate contact with the same source of evil and hatred which inspires the acts of…” quote by Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c88/thomas-merton-231_active_merely-to-resist-evil-with-evil-by-hatin_3030314.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c88/thomas-merton-231_active_merely-to-resist-evil-with-evil-by-hatin_3030314.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c88/thomas-merton-231_active_merely-to-resist-evil-with-evil-by-hatin_3030314.jpg) > “Merely to resist evil with evil by hating those who hate us and seeking to destroy them, is actually no resistance at all. It is active and purposeful collaboration in evil that brings the Christian into direct and intimate contact with the same source of evil and hatred which inspires the acts of his enemy. It leads in practice to a denial of Christ and to the service of hatred rather than love.” [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Responding to hatred with hatred deepens one's connection to evil and undermines love and spiritual integrity. **In simple terms:** Hating back fuels evil. Key Takeaway Choose love over retaliation. Themes love spirituality ethics nonviolence Mood reflective serious Type moral spiritual When to use this quote - personal conflict - social activism - interfaith dialogue - community building Key Concepts Christianity moral philosophy evil hatred Questions to Reflect On - How can you transform hatred into compassion? - What practices help maintain love under attack? A Different Perspective It may be difficult to practice love when faced with intense personal harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Collaboration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collaboration/) [Denial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denial/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Hatred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hatred/) [Intimate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intimate/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Resistance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resistance/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [Of all evils of war the greatest is the purely spiritual evil: the hatred, the injustice, the repudiation of truth, the artificial conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/of-all-evils-of-war-the-greatest-is-the-purely-spiritual-evil-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [There is no fire like passion: there is no evil and hatred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/there-is-no-fire-like-passion-there-is-no-evil-and-hatred/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [What is evil? Killing is evil, lying is evil, slandering is evil, abuse is evil, gossip is evil, envy is evil, hatred is evil,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-evil-killing-is-evil-lying-is-evil-slandering-is-evil-abuse/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is true that I am a person with black pockets of evil and hatred in my heart. There are underground places inside of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-barry/it-is-true-that-i-am-a-person-with-black-pockets-of-evil-and-hatred/) [Lynda Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-barry/) > [ The most personal thing I've put in \[Touch of Evil\] is my hatred of the abuse of police power. It's better to see a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-welles/the-most-personal-thing-i-ve-put-in-touch-of-evil-is-my-hatred-of-the/) [Orson Welles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-welles/) > [We are now living in a world where we've got to hide to love. But violence, evil and hatred are practice publicly. We live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sessah-odai-sadick/we-are-now-living-in-a-world-where-we-ve-got-to-hide-to-love-but/) [Sessah-Odai Sadick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sessah-odai-sadick/) > [The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference. Indifference creates evil. Hatred is evil itself. Indifference is what allows evil to be strong,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/the-opposite-of-love-is-not-hate-but-indifference-indifference/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [These are roots of all evil, hatred and greed, for money, for the construction and for the sale of weapons. This should make us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/these-are-roots-of-all-evil-hatred-and-greed-for-money-for-the/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/this-is-why-you-must-take-up-the-full-armor-of-god-so-that-you-may-be/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps your right check, turn the other to him also.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-i-tell-you-not-to-resist-an-evil-person-but-whoever-slaps-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Christ said, "Resist not evil", and we do not understand it until we discover that it is not only moral but actually the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/christ-said-resist-not-evil-and-we-do-not-understand-it-until-we/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Did not Jesus say, resist not evil — with evil? Is not war the worst form of that evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-parker/did-not-jesus-say-resist-not-evil-with-evil-is-not-war-the-worst-form/) [Theodore Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-parker/) > [Bind to you friends of your own kind, friends who will encourage you, stand with you, live as you desire to live, who will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/bind-to-you-friends-of-your-own-kind-friends-who-will-encourage-you/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [When struck on one cheek to turn the other, is really joining a conspiracy to secure the triumph of brutality. 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