Separation Between Church And State Quotes - Page 6

• The sole purpose and effect of it is to exclude persecution and to secure the important right of religious liberty.

  Oliver Ellsworth

  Religious, Important, Atheism

  13 Copy quote

• I do not believe any type of religion should ever be introduced into the public schools of the United States.

  Thomas A. Edison

  Atheist, Believe, School

  16 Copy quote

• It is contrary to the principles of reason and justice that any should be compelled to contribute to the maintenance of a church with which their consciences will not permit them to join, and from which they can derive no benefit; for remedy whereof, and that equal liberty as well religious as civil, may be universally extended to all the good people of this commonwealth.

  George Mason

  Religious, Father, Justice

  8 Copy quote

• Knowledge and liberty are so prevalent in this country, that I do not believe that the United States would ever be disposed to establish one religious sect, and lay all others under legal disabilities. But as we know not what may take place hereafter, and any such test would be exceedingly injurious to the rights of free citizens, I cannot think it altogether superfluous to have added a clause, which secures us from the possibility of such oppression.

  Oliver Wolcott

  Country, Religious, Father

  24 Copy quote

• Being sectioned was the best thing that ever happened to me.

  Frank Bruno

  I Love You, Romantic, Break Up

  87 Copy quote

• A man of abilities and character, of any sect whatever, may be admitted to any office of public trust under the United States.

  Edmund Randolph

  Trust, Character, Equality

  123 Copy quote

• I do not find in orthodox Christianity one redeeming feature.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Atheist, Religion, President

  "Christianity: the One, the Many: What Christianity Might Have Been and Could Still Become, Volume 1". Book by John F. Nash (p. 11), February 14, 2008.

  13 Copy quote

  Show source

• On the dogmas of religion, as distinguished from moral principles, all mankind, from the beginning of the world to this day, have been quarrelling, fighting, burning and torturing one another, for abstractions unintelligible to themselves and to all others, and absolutely beyond the comprehension of the human mind.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Religious, Fighting, Faith Religion

  Thomas Jefferson (2010). “The Works of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence and Papers, 1816-1826”, p.42, Cosimo, Inc.

  19 Copy quote

  Show source

• The public schools shall be free from sectarian influences and, above all, free from any attitude of hostility to the adherents of any particular creed.

  Franklin D. Roosevelt

  Attitude, School, Presidential

  14 Copy quote

• Let us labor for the security of free thought, free speech, pure morals, unfettered religious sentiments, and equal rights and privileges for all men, irrespective of nationality, color, or religion;.... leave the matter of religious teaching to the family altar, the church, and the private school, supported entirely by private contribution. Keep church and state forever separate.

  Ulysses S. Grant

  Religious, Teaching, School

  228 Copy quote

• The United States have adventured upon a great and noble experiment, which is believed to have been hazarded in the absence of all previous precedent - that of total separation of Church and State. No religious establishment by law exists among us. The conscience is left free from all restraint and each is permitted to worship his Maker after his own judgement.

  John Tyler

  Religious, Law, Presidential

  94 Copy quote

• Let it be henceforth proclaimed to the world that man's conscience was created free; that he is no longer accountable to his fellow man for his religious opinions, being responsible therefore only to his God.

  John Tyler

  Religious, Men, Presidential

  Funeral oration for Thomas Jefferson, July 11, 1826.

  52 Copy quote

  Show source

• I never liked the Hierarchy of the Church-an equality in the teacher of Religion, and a dependence on the people, are republican sentiments-but if the Clergy combine, they will have their influence on Government

  Rufus King

  Teacher, Government, People

  Rufus King (1971). “The Life and Correspondence of Rufus King: 1755-1794”

  22 Copy quote

  Show source

• No tax in any amount, large or small, can be levied to support any religious activities or institutions, whatever they may be called, or whatever form they may adopt to teach or practice religion.

  Hugo Black

  Religious, Practice, Support

  "Everson v. Board of Education, 330 U.S. 1". Writing for the court, 1947.

  7 Copy quote

  Show source

• The mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately, by the grace of God.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Freedom, Grace, Liberty

  Letter to Roger C.Weightman, 24 June 1826.

  19 Copy quote

  Show source

• Creeds have been the bane of the Christian church ... made of Christendom a slaughter-house.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Christian, Religious, Father

  8 Copy quote

• Here we now have the freedom of all religions, and I hope that never again will we have a repetition of religious bigotry, as we have had in certain periods of our own history. There is no room for that kind of foolishness here.

  Harry S. Truman

  Religious, Church, Rooms

  Harry S. Truman (1960). “Mr. Citizen”

  21 Copy quote

  Show source

• The separation of church and state is extremely important to any of us who holds to the original traditions of our nation. . . . To change these traditions . . . would be harmful to our whole attitude of tolerance in the religious area. If we look at situations which have arisen in the past in Europe and other world areas, I think we will see the reason why it is wise to hold to our early traditions.

  Eleanor Roosevelt

  Wise, Religious, Attitude

  8 Copy quote

• [I]t would be unjust to our people and dangerous to our institutions to apply any portion of revenues of the nation or of the States to the support of sectarian schools.

  James A. Garfield

  School, People, Support

  Garfield, James A. (1882). “The works of James Abram Garfield. Volume 2”, p.783, Best Books on

  10 Copy quote

  Show source

• The United States has adventured upon a great and noble experiment . . . of total separation of Church and State. . . . The offices of the Government are open alike to all. No tithes are levied to support an established Hierarchy, nor is the fallible judgment of man set up as the sure and infallible creed of faith. . . . Such is the great experiment which we have tried, and . . . our system of free government would be imperfect without it.

  John Tyler

  Men, Office, Support

  41 Copy quote

• The [president] has no particle of spiritual jurisdiction. . . .

  Alexander Hamilton

  Spiritual, Church, President

  7 Copy quote

• To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical; . . . even the forcing him to support this or that teacher of his own religious persuasion, is depriving him of the comfortable liberty of giving his contributions to the particular pastor whose morals he would make his pattern. . . .

  Thomas Jefferson

  Teacher, Religious, Men

  Thomas Jefferson, Joyce Appleby, Terence Ball (1999). “Jefferson: Political Writings”, p.390, Cambridge University Press

  7 Copy quote

  Show source

• [Disestablishment was] the best thing that ever happened to the state of Connecticut. It cut the churches loose from dependence on state support. It threw them wholly on their own resources and on God.

  Lyman Beecher

  Cutting, Support, Atheism

  40 Copy quote

• We have abundant reason to rejoice that in this Land the light of truth and reason has triumphed over the power of bigotry and superstition, and that every person may here worship God according to the dictates of his own heart. In this enlightened Age and in this Land of equal liberty it is our boast, that a man's religious tenets will not forfeit the protection of the Laws, nor deprive him of the right of attaining and holding the highest Offices that are known in the United States.

  George Washington

  Religious, Heart, Men

  George Washington, Jared Sparks (1838). “The Writings of George Washington: Being His Correspondence, Addresses, Messages, and Other Papers, Official and Private”, p.202

  33 Copy quote

  Show source

• Those who live by mystery & charlatanerie, fearing you would render them useless by simplifying the Christian philosophy - the most sublime and benevolent, but most perverted system that ever shone on man - endeavored to crush your well-earned & well-deserved fame.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Atheist, Men, Insightful

  Letter to Dr. Joseph Priestley, March 21, 1801.

  107 Copy quote

  Show source