--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My opinion is that it is a very…" description: "\"“My opinion is that it is a very extraordinary thing for anyone to be upset by such a topic. Why should anyone be shattered by the though of hell? It i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d4/thomas-merton-231_compassion_my-opinion-is-that-it-is-a-very-extraord_513830.jpg" --- # My opinion is that it is a very extraordinary thing for… ![“My opinion is that it is a very extraordinary thing for anyone to be upset by such a topic. Why should anyone be shattered by the though of hell? It is not compulsory for anyone to go there. Those who do, do so by their own choice, and against the will of God, and they can only get into hell by…” quote by Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d4/thomas-merton-231_compassion_my-opinion-is-that-it-is-a-very-extraord_513830.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d4/thomas-merton-231_compassion_my-opinion-is-that-it-is-a-very-extraord_513830.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d4/thomas-merton-231_compassion_my-opinion-is-that-it-is-a-very-extraord_513830.jpg) > ““My opinion is that it is a very extraordinary thing for anyone to be upset by such a topic. Why should anyone be shattered by the though of hell? It is not compulsory for anyone to go there. Those who do, do so by their own choice, and against the will of God, and they can only get into hell by defying and resisting all the work of Providence and grace. It is their own will that takes them there, not God's. In damning them He is only ratifying their own decision--a decision which He has left entirely to their own choice. Nor will He ever hold our weakness alone responsible for our damnation. Our weakness should not terrify us: it is the source of our strength. Libenter gloriabor in infirmitatibus meis ut inhabitet in me virtus Christi. Power is made perfect in infirmity, and our very helplessness is all the more potent a claim on that Divine Mercy Who calls to Himself the poor, the little ones, the heavily burdened.”” [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. Human suffering is a choice, and weakness can become a source of divine strength **In simple terms:** Our choices shape destiny; weakness can be strength Key Takeaway Embrace responsibility for choices and find strength in vulnerability Themes free will theology suffering Mood reflective serious Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - personal crisis - spiritual counseling - ethical decision making Key Concepts divine mercy grace human agency Questions to Reflect On - Do you see weakness as a source of power? - How does personal choice affect moral responsibility? A Different Perspective Assumes all have equal agency, ignoring systemic constraints ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choice God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice-god-422641/) [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Damnation Weakness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/damnation-weakness-4347962/) [Divine mercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine-mercy/) [God Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-hell-584949/) [Hell Compulsory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell-compulsory-4347961/) [Responsible Damnation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsible-damnation-4347963/) ## Related quotes > [“It is a pity that the beautiful Christian metaphor “salvation” has come to be so hackneyed and therefore so despised. It has been turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/it-is-a-pity-that-the-beautiful-christian-metaphor-salvation-has-come/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“Even God has a hell: his love of Mankind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/even-god-has-a-hell-his-love-of-mankind/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“If man could do what in his wildest self-worship he can imagine, the grand result would be that he would be his own God,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/if-man-could-do-what-in-his-wildest-self-worship-he-can-imagine-the/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [If there is a God what the hell is He for?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/if-there-is-a-god-what-the-hell-is-he-for/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“To some believers, being on the pill or using a condom is a nonverbal way of telling God to go to hell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/to-some-believers-being-on-the-pill-or-using-a-condom-is-a-nonverbal/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [I hear Glenn Hoddle has found God. That must have been one hell of a pass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-davies/i-hear-glenn-hoddle-has-found-god-that-must-have-been-one-hell-of-a/) [Bob Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-davies/) > [“God and Hell both damn it,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilith-saintcrow/god-and-hell-both-damn-it/) [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) > [God with you all is well, but without you all is hell!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-with-you-all-is-well-but-without-you-all-is-hell/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God will take you through hell, just to get you to heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-i/god-will-take-you-through-hell-just-to-get-you-to-heaven/) [T.I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-i/) > [“Let’s show Dr. God what hell feels like.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/let-s-show-dr-god-what-hell-feels-like/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [The God of Hell should be held in loathing, contempt and scorn. A God who threatens eternal pain should be hated, not loved -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/the-god-of-hell-should-be-held-in-loathing-contempt-and-scorn-a-god/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [There is no book which tells of a more infamous monster than the Old Testament, with its Jehovah of murder and cruelty and revenge,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-h-gardener/there-is-no-book-which-tells-of-a-more-infamous-monster-than-the-old/) [Helen H. Gardener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-h-gardener/) > [The Secular City, having legislated and litigated itself out of any entanglement with the City of God, would be a hell upon earth .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-kirk/the-secular-city-having-legislated-and-litigated-itself-out-of-any/) [Russell Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-kirk/) > [“If even God has a hell, which is his love for mankind, then any man has his hell within easy reach, and that's his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/if-even-god-has-a-hell-which-is-his-love-for-mankind-then-any-man-has/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Think of Jonathan Edwards who thundered the terrors of God and what Hell was like until men grasped their seats and hung on to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-g-lake/think-of-jonathan-edwards-who-thundered-the-terrors-of-god-and-what/) [John G. Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-g-lake/) ## More by Thomas Merton > [“Let no one hope to find in contemplation an escape from conflict, from anguish or from doubt. On the contrary, the deep, inexpressible certitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/let-no-one-hope-to-find-in-contemplation-an-escape-from-conflict-from/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [If nothing that can be seen can either be God or represent Him to us as He is, then to find God we must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/if-nothing-that-can-be-seen-can-either-be-god-or-represent-him-to-us/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [It is almost impossible to overestimate the value of true humility and its power in the spiritual life. For the beginning of humility is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/it-is-almost-impossible-to-overestimate-the-value-of-true-humility/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [We are not perfectly free until we live in pure hope. For when our hope is pure, it no longer trusts exclusively in human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/we-are-not-perfectly-free-until-we-live-in-pure-hope-for-when-our/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [The desire to kill is like the desire to attack another with an ingot of red -hot iron: I have to pick up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-desire-to-kill-is-like-the-desire-to-attack-another-with-an-ingot/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [To enter into the realm of contemplation one must in a certain sense die: but this death is in fact the entrance to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/to-enter-into-the-realm-of-contemplation-one-must-in-a-certain-sense/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [The mission of Christian humility in social life is not merely to edify, but to keep minds open to many alternatives. The rigidity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-mission-of-christian-humility-in-social-life-is-not-merely-to/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Peace cannot be built on exclusivism, absolutism, and intolerance. But neither can it be built on vague liberal slogans and pious programs gestated in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/peace-cannot-be-built-on-exclusivism-absolutism-and-intolerance-but/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Things that are good are good, and if one is responding to that goodness one is in contact with a truth from which one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/things-that-are-good-are-good-and-if-one-is-responding-to-that/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Love winter when the plant says nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/love-winter-when-the-plant-says-nothing/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [The logic of worldly success rests on a fallacy: the strange error that our perfection depends on the thoughts and opinions and applause of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-logic-of-worldly-success-rests-on-a-fallacy-the-strange-error/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“The wisdom of the flesh is a judgement that the ordinary ends of our natural appetites are the goods to which the whole of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-wisdom-of-the-flesh-is-a-judgement-that-the-ordinary-ends-of-our/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [I will no longer wound myself with the thoughts and questions that have surrounded me like thorns: that is a penance You do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/i-will-no-longer-wound-myself-with-the-thoughts-and-questions-that/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [If you write for God you will reach many men and bring them joy. If you write for men--you may make some money and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/if-you-write-for-god-you-will-reach-many-men-and-bring-them-joy-if/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“Contemplation means rest, suspension of activity, withdrawal into the mysterious interior solitude in which the soul is absorbed in the immense and fruitful silence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/contemplation-means-rest-suspension-of-activity-withdrawal-into-the/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) [Explore all 851 Thomas Merton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) ## More Compassion quotes > [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [“I fight with love and kindness as my weapons and compassion as my defense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/i-fight-with-love-and-kindness-as-my-weapons-and-compassion-as-my/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. That's as powerful as stirring their sorrow, stirring their compassion, because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-really-enjoy-making-people-laugh-i-ve-discovered-that-s-a-great/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [“If you refuse to use physical force, then you will be at the mercy of your oppressor!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/segun-magbagbeola/if-you-refuse-to-use-physical-force-then-you-will-be-at-the-mercy-of/) [Segun Magbagbeola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/segun-magbagbeola/) > [For some reason, we are truly convinced that if we criticize ourselves, the criticism will lead to change. If we are harsh, we believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/for-some-reason-we-are-truly-convinced-that-if-we-criticize-ourselves/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) > [I could not have slept tonight if I had left that helpless little creature to perish on the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-could-not-have-slept-tonight-if-i-had-left-that-helpless-little/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [We are puzzled and bewildered whenever we see suffering in this world because we have become accustomed to the mercy and the long-suffering of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/we-are-puzzled-and-bewildered-whenever-we-see-suffering-in-this-world/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [“Helpers in every corner, helpers in every hood. That's how we'll make the move, to reform from rude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/helpers-in-every-corner-helpers-in-every-hood-that-s-how-we-ll-make/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [There are a number of qualities which are important for mental peace, but from the little experience I have, I believe that one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/there-are-a-number-of-qualities-which-are-important-for-mental-peace/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [May the gods have mercy on whoever pisses them off, because Zarek and Jericho will have none for them. (Madoc) You’d better be glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/may-the-gods-have-mercy-on-whoever-pisses-them-off-because-zarek-and/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [When you need empathy, you cannot give empathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/when-you-need-empathy-you-cannot-give-empathy/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. Fear would be transmuted into weary resignation; failure would no longer generate guilt but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/but-victimhood-was-seductive-a-release-from-responsibility-and-caring/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [“la ilaha ilallah muhammadun rasulullah, alaihi salatullah wa alihi wal ahibba "shine your mercy like the sun, and be gracious as the earth let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-al-habib/la-ilaha-ilallah-muhammadun-rasulullah-alaihi-salatullah-wa-alihi-wal/) [Talib al Habib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talib-al-habib/) > [The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/the-love-for-all-living-creatures-is-the-most-noble-attribute-of-man/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) [Browse all 9,892 Compassion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“My opinion is that it is a very extraordinary thing for anyone to be upset by such a topic. 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