Lewis B. Smedes Quotes

The essence of justice is mercy.

Nothing can make injustice just but mercy.

Every serious moral philosophy, every decent legal system and every ethical organization cares deeply about intention…It’s an elementary aspect of parenting, friendship, courtship and marriage. A hallmark of injustice is indifference to intention. Most of what is cruel, intolerant, stupid and misjudged in life stems from that indifference.

He who is only just is cruel. Who on earth could live were all judged justly?

Justice that love gives is a surrender, justice that law gives is a punishment.

To me, I think justice is part of forgiving, if it is well done with love.

Society needs both justice and compassion, a head and a heart, if it is to be civilised.

I'd like to be remembered as somebody who tried to promote justice.

It is indeed hard for the strong to be just to the weak, but acting justly always has its rewards.

Knowledge without justice ought to be called cunning rather than wisdom.

One threatens the innocent who spares the guilty.

The severest justice may not always be the best policy.

In primitive Buddhism, in primitive Christianity, in the writings of some of the Moslem teachers, in the early movements of the Reform, and especially in the ethical and philosophical movements of the last century and of our own times, the total abandonment of the idea of revenge, or of "due reward" — of good for good and evil for evil — is affirmed more and more vigorously. The higher conception of "no revenge for wrongs," and of freely giving more than one expects to receive from his neighbors, is proclaimed as being the real principle of morality — a principle superior to mere equivalence, equity, or justice, and more conducive to happiness … In its wide extension, even at the present time, we also see the best guarantee of a still loftier evolution of our race.

Compassion towards the wicked – is cruelty to all beings.

We must not permit our respect for the dead or our sympathy for part of the living to lead us into an act of injustice to the balance of the living.

Justice should not admit a public's thirst for pure revenge.

Mercy detached from justice grows unmerciful.

Let me say the good are often punished unfairly.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

Justice is the sum of all moral duty.

Be just before you are generous.

The first requisite of civilization is that of justice.

Not to help justice in her need would be an impiety.

He who is not just is severe, he who is not wise is sad.

Injustice is censured because the censures are afraid of suffering, and not from any fear which they have of doing injustice.