If a law commands me to sin I will break it; if it calls me to suffer, I will let it take its course unresistingly. The doctrine of blind obedience and unqualified submission to any human power, whether civil or ecclesiastical, is the doctrine of despotism, and ought to have no place among Republicans and Christians." - Meaning and context.">
QuotesCosmos
Angelina Grimké, "Appeal to the Christian Women of the South" (1836)., as quoted in Perry, Lewis (22 October 2013), Civil Disobedience: An American Tradition, page: 66, publisher: Yale University Press, ISBN: 978-0-300-12459-0
“

If a law commands me to sin I will break it; if it calls me to suffer, I will let it take its course unresistingly. The doctrine of blind obedience and unqualified submission to any human power, whether civil or ecclesiastical, is the doctrine of despotism, and ought to have no place among Republicans and Christians.

— Angelina Grimké

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "If a law commands me to sin I will break it; if it calls me to suffer, I will let it take its course unresistingly. The doctrine of blind obedience and unqualified submission to any human power, whether civil or ecclesiastical, is the doctrine of despotism, and ought to have no place among Republicans and Christians." in the context of "Angelina Grimké, "Appeal to the Christian Women of the South" (1836)., as quoted in Perry, Lewis (22 October 2013), Civil Disobedience: An American Tradition, page: 66, publisher: Yale University Press, ISBN: 978-0-300-12459-0" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "Angelina Grimké" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app

Tags

#Angelina Grimké#doctrine#ecclesiastical#unresistingly#unqualified#republicans#submission#christians#obedience#despotism#commands#whether
Angelina Grimké

About Angelina Grimké

Angelina Emily Grimké Weld (February 21, 1805 – October 26, 1879) was an American political activist, women's rights advocate, supporter of the women's suffrage movement, and besides her sister, Sarah Moore Grimké, the only known white Southern woman to be a part of the abolition movement. Her partner was the abolitionist Theodore Dwight Weld.