About this quote

The line separates words from real action and calls out empty virtue. If beliefs do not make how you treat the small and near better, they are failing you. Ask yourself: are your values improving the lives you touch? Abraham Lincoln demands faith be judged by kindness, so stop hiding behind ritual and start showing care.

When to use it

• Tell a relative who defends harsh behavior with piety: 'I care not for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it' — if your faith isn't making you kinder, change your behavior now.
• Use it in a staff meeting to demand practical kindness: if policies don't make employees' families and pets better off, rewrite them.
• Hold yourself up to the line before defending tradition: ask whether daily actions actually help the people and animals around you, and fix what doesn't.
• Bring it into a community discussion to push programs that turn belief into help, not just words.