Screwtape Letters:
"Your man has been accustomed, ever since he was a boy, to have a dozen incompatible philosophies dancing together inside his head."
"The trouble about argument is that it moves the whole struggle onto the Enemy's own ground." - "Remember, He is not like you, a pure spirit. Never having been a human. (Oh that abominable advantage of the Enemy's!)"
"Aggravate that most useful human characteristic, the horror and the neglect of the obvious"
"It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: In reality our best work is keeping things out." ... cont. " The simplest is to turn their gaze away from Him, towards themselves."
"A moderated religion is as good for us as no religion at all. -And more amusing."
"The enemy wants to bring man to a state of mind in which he could design the best cathedral in the world, and know it to be the best, and rejoice in the fact, without being anymore (or less) or otherwise glad at having done it than he would be if it had been done, by another."
"For as things are, your man has now discovered the dangerous truth that these attacks don't last forever."
"It is the business of these great masters to produce in every age a general misdirection of what may be called sexual 'taste.' This they do by working through the small circle of popular artists, dressmakers, actresses, and advertisers who determine the fashionable type."
"In the first place they all tend to direct men's devotion to something which does not exist, for each 'historical Jesus' is unhistorical." ... cont. "We thus distract men's minds from who He is, and what He did."
"To be greatly and effectively wicked, a man needs some virtue."
"A chasity or honesty, or mercy, which yields to danger will be chaste or honest or merciful only on conditions."
"For remember, the act of cowardice is all that matters; the emotion of fear is, in itself, no sin, and though we enjoy it, does us no good."
Many other great quotes throughout. I feel like I got a lot out of this book. A nice and unique perspective shift on the demonic. Highly recommend.
"Your man has been accustomed, ever since he was a boy, to have a dozen incompatible philosophies dancing together inside his head."
"The trouble about argument is that it moves the whole struggle onto the Enemy's own ground." - "Remember, He is not like you, a pure spirit. Never having been a human. (Oh that abominable advantage of the Enemy's!)"
"Aggravate that most useful human characteristic, the horror and the neglect of the obvious"
"It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: In reality our best work is keeping things out." ... cont. " The simplest is to turn their gaze away from Him, towards themselves."
"A moderated religion is as good for us as no religion at all. -And more amusing."
"The enemy wants to bring man to a state of mind in which he could design the best cathedral in the world, and know it to be the best, and rejoice in the fact, without being anymore (or less) or otherwise glad at having done it than he would be if it had been done, by another."
"For as things are, your man has now discovered the dangerous truth that these attacks don't last forever."
"It is the business of these great masters to produce in every age a general misdirection of what may be called sexual 'taste.' This they do by working through the small circle of popular artists, dressmakers, actresses, and advertisers who determine the fashionable type."
"In the first place they all tend to direct men's devotion to something which does not exist, for each 'historical Jesus' is unhistorical." ... cont. "We thus distract men's minds from who He is, and what He did."
"To be greatly and effectively wicked, a man needs some virtue."
"A chasity or honesty, or mercy, which yields to danger will be chaste or honest or merciful only on conditions."
"For remember, the act of cowardice is all that matters; the emotion of fear is, in itself, no sin, and though we enjoy it, does us no good."
Many other great quotes throughout. I feel like I got a lot out of this book. A nice and unique perspective shift on the demonic. Highly recommend.
