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Absolve Quotes

Words on guilt, blame, and letting go of both.

This collection gathers quotes on absolving — sometimes rightly, sometimes as an excuse — drawn from reflections on history, politics, and personal duty. Several lines question who really deserves to be let off the hook.

The risk of the Holocaust is not that it will be forgotten, but that it will be embalmed and surrounded by monuments and used to absolve all future sins.

Quotes by Zygmunt Bauman

If we allow the consideration of heathen morality and heathen religion to absolve us from the duty of preaching the gospel we are really deposing Christ from His throne in our own souls.

Quotes by Roland Allen

White shall not neutralize the black, nor good compensate bad in man, absolve him so: life's business being just the terrible choice.

Quotes by Robert Browning

Of course, Third World leaders love you. By ascribing third world ills to First World sins, you absolve them of blame for their countries' failure to advance.

Quotes by John McCarthy

Behavior Quotes

Here's the teaching point, if you're teaching kids about intelligence and policy: Intelligence does not absolve policymakers of responsibility to ask tough questions, and it doesn't absolve them of having curiosity about the consequences of their actions.

Quotes by George Tenet

Condemn me. It does not matter. History will absolve me.

Quotes by Fidel Castro

You know, punk bands now sell with one record - their first or second record - sell 10 times the amount of records than the Ramones did throughout their career with 20-something records. That's why I go over to Johnny...

Quotes by Eddie Vedder

The First Amendment is often inconvenient. But that is beside the point. Inconvenience does not absolve the government of its obligation to tolerate speech.

Quotes by Anthony Kennedy

Forgiveness is enshrined in the Lord's prayer - forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. These scriptures point to the power of forgiveness not only as a way to absolve transgressions but to ensure that the person extending...

Quotes by Anthea Butler

Beside Quotes

Perpetrators absolve their harmful behavior as serving worthy causes.

Quotes by Albert Bandura

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the word 'absolve' mean in the quotes on this page?
Here it's used in its core sense of releasing someone from blame, guilt, or an obligation they might otherwise be held to. The quotes range from moral philosophy to sharp political commentary, all circling the same question of who gets let off the hook and why.
Why do these absolve quotes tend to carry a critical edge?
Most of them are warnings rather than comfort, cautioning against using history, ideology, or convenient reasoning to excuse present failures. That skeptical tone is part of what makes the topic distinctive compared to lighter, more affirming quote collections.
Is there a religious dimension to any of these quotes?
Yes, one addresses whether tolerance of other beliefs can excuse someone from the responsibility of sharing their own faith. It treats the tension seriously rather than resolving it neatly, which is typical of how this topic handles moral trade-offs.
How does this connect to quotes about duty?
Several of these lines frame absolving someone as the opposite of holding them to a duty, so the two ideas are closely linked. Readers interested in that contrast may also enjoy the Duty quotes page.
Who would find these quotes most useful?
Anyone writing or thinking about accountability, whether in politics, business ethics, or personal relationships, will find language here that names the problem precisely. The quotes are also a good fit for the Business page when the context is corporate or economic blame-shifting.

For more on how people justify or explain their actions, see quotes on behavior and business ethics. Both sets complement the moral questions raised here.