Quotes About Duty

John Locke says that whatever other tasks a government undertakes—whether humanitarian or otherwise—its primary duty is to protect its own citizens from foreign and domestic thugs. That isn't fascism; it's classical liberalism. Similarly

To deal with unconstitutional measures for filling the ranks of the army and navy, the report recommended nullification, asserting that it was the right and the duty of a state "to interpose its authority" to protect its citizens.

Three things are required of man—to worship the gods, to do no evil, and to maintain manly behavior.

a woman whom the course of years had turned sour and to whom the vows meant poverty of spirit, chastity of humour, and obedience only to some rigorous concept of duty.

His eyes were all policeman.

It's the Lord who is kind, Dottore. We merely do His service.

The first duty of the novelist is to entertain. It is a moral duty. People who read your books are sick, sad, traveling, in the hospital waiting room while someone is dying. Books are written by the alone for the alone.

We don't like to admit it, said Julian, but the idea of losing control is one that fascinates controlled people such as ourselves more than anything. All truly civilized people - the ancients no less than us - have civilized themselves through the willful repression of the old, animal self. Are we, in this room, really very different from the Greeks and the Romans? Obsessed with duty, piety, loyalty, sacrifice? All those things which are to modern tastes so chilling?

War? One can lose oneself in the joy of battle, in fighting for a glorious cause, but there are not many glorious causes for which to fight these days.

The secret was loyalty to the White House and to the Presidency, rather than to whoever happens to be occupying the office for four years, or eight.

Never be ashamed of letting men see that you want to go to heaven. Do not think it a disgrace to show that you are a servant of God. Never be afraid of doing what is right.

A holy person will seek to be faithful in all the duties and relations in life. He will not merely try to do as well as others who take no thought for their souls, but he will try to do even better, because he has higher motives and more help than they.

Let us resolve to pray much for ministers. Their office is no light one if they do their duty. They need the help of many intercessions from all praying people. They have not only their own souls to care for but also the souls of others. No wonder Paul cries, Who is adequate for these things? (2 Corinthians 2:16). If we never prayed for ministers before, let us begin to do it this day.

We live in a day of abounding vagueness and indistinctness on doctrinal subjects in religion. Now, if ever, it is the duty of all advocates of clear, well-defined, sharply-cut theology, to supply proof that their views are thoroughly borne out by Scripture.

True holiness does not make a Christian evade difficulties, but it allows him to face and overcome them. Jesus wants His people to show that His grace is not a mere greenhouse plant that can only thrive under shelter, but is a strong, hardy thing that can flourish in every circumstance of life. It is doing our duty in that condition to which God has called us – like salt in the midst of corruption and light in the midst of darkness – that is a primary element in sanctification.

God forbid that anyone should neglect present duties! To sit idly waiting for Christ, and not to attend to the business of our respective positions is not Christianity but fanaticism. Let us only remember in all our daily pursuits that we serve a Master who is coming again. If I can stir up just one Christian to think more of that second coming and to give it more prominence, I feel that this book will not have been published in vain.

Because a woman's beauty does not belong to her alone. It is a part of the bounty she brings into the world. She has a duty to share it.

I hate married men ; they never make any sacrifice to the Arts, but are always thinking of their duty to their wives and families, or some rubbish of that sort .

Freedom was traditionally understood as the power to do what one ought to do.

Once objective duty, goodness, and virtue were abandoned under the guise of scientism and secularism, the only moral map that could replace objective morality is what Daniel Callahan has called minimalistic ethics —anything is morally permissible provided only that you do not harm someone else.

Until Christians can do a better job of seeing these issues and articulating them in terms of objective duty and virtue, the Jack Kevorkians will continue to win the "debate" (if that is what we should call the media rhetoric that surrounds the framing of moral dilemmas), precisely because the Kevorkians are on the side of individual rights.

Another nice thing was that I would type out letters home for the admiral's stewards. They would then feed me the same food the admiral ate.

It only took one searing mental snapshot of a comrade and his aircraft turned to a golden blob of flame by missiles, flak, or MiGs striking from a Washington-designated "sanctuary" to convince him that his ass really did belong to Uncle, and in this one, Uncle wasn't very concerned about it.

That's the difference between good military commanders and good politicians, John Geary. You've shown me that a good military commander spends the lives of their people reluctantly and with regret, but does spend them when necessary. The good politician does the same thing with principles. There aren't any fine burials for sacrificed principles, though.