“Moral decay first hampers and then strangles honest government, regular commerce, and even the ability to take genuine pleasure in the goods of this world. Compulsion is applied from above as self-discipline relaxes below, and the last liberties expire under the weight of a unitary state.... Since religion has lost its empire over the souls of men, the most prominent boundary that divided good from evil is overthrown; kings and nations are guided by chance and none can say where are the natural limits of despotism and the bound of license.” MenWorldFirstsSoulSelfStatesGovernmentLastsEvilLostNationsNaturalChanceAbilityPleasureLibertyMoralHonestThis WorldKingsDisciplineLimitsWeightBoundsCorruptionBoundariesGenuineRelaxEmpiresGoodsDividedDecayCommerceSelf DisciplineLicenseCompulsionDespotismProminentHamperMoral DecayHonest Government Author:Russell Kirk
“The Bishops of the Philippines have asked that this year be set aside as the ‘Year of the Poor.’ I hope that this prophetic summons will challenge everyone, at all levels of society, to reject every form of corruption which diverts resources from the poor, and to make concerted efforts to ensure the inclusion of every man and woman and child in the life of the community.” MenYearsChildrenFormCommunityChallengesPoorLevelsEffortMen And WomenResourcesCorruptionEvery ManRejectsInclusionBishopsPropheticPhilippines Author:Pope Francis
“It is true that so far as wealth gives time for ideal ends and exercise to ideal energies, wealth is better than poverty and ought to be chosen. But wealth does this in only a portion of the actual cases. Elsewhere the desire to gain wealth and the fear to lose it are our chief breeders of cowardice and propagators of corruption. There must be thousands of conjunctures in which a wealth-bound man must be a slave, whilst a man for whom poverty has no terrors becomes a freeman.” MenGivingDoeEndsDesireEnergyLosesWealthPovertyCasesOughtExerciseGainsIdealsSlaveBoundsTerrorCorruptionChosenChiefsPortionsCowardiceElsewhereBe A SlaveFreemanBreeders Book:The Varieties of Religious Experience Source: The Varieties of Religious Experience
“The lust of gold succeeds the rage of conquest; The lust of gold, unfeeling and remorseless! The last corruption of degenerate man.” MenLastsSucceedGoldCorruptionRageLustConquestDegeneratesUnfeelingRemorseless Book:The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.: With Murphy's Essay Source: The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.: With Murphy's Essay