"Moreover, it is well to remember that these movements never achieve the end they nominally have in view. They do nothing whatsoever except to increase among the men of the various churches the spirit of sectarian intolerance which is base and unlovely in any civilization, but which is utterly revolting among a free people that profess the principles we profess. No such movement can ever permanently succeed here. All that it does is for a decade or so to greatly increase the spirit of theological animosity, both among the people to whom it appeals and among the people whom it assails. Furthermore, it has in the past invariably resulted, in so far as it was successful at all, in putting unworthy men into office; for there is nothing that a man of loose principles and of evil practices in public life so desires as the chance to distract attention from his own shortcomings and misdeeds by exciting and inflaming theological and sectarian prejudice."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Theodore Roosevelt, Address to the Knights of Columbus, Carnegie Hall, New York (12 October 1915)
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Freedom_of_religion
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Freedom of religion
69 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Freedom of religion →
Related Quotes
"King Piyadasi (Ashok) dear to the Gods, honours all sects, the ascetics (hermits) or those who dwell at home, he hono…"
"The King allows such freedom that every man may come and go and live according to his own creed, without suffering an…"
"The "establishment of religion" clause of the First Amendment means at least this: Neither a state nor the Federal Go…"
"… I learned something I’ll never forget: You’re never too young for your voice to matter. If I had stayed silent, not…"
"When Servetus fought with reasons and writings, he should have been repulsed by reasons and writings."
"It is true that Calvin and his fellow pastors in Geneva were involved in the death of Servetus. However, it would be …"
"I for one would never be a party, unless the law were clear, to saying to any man who put forward his views on those …"
"When we, Constantine and Licinius, emperors, had an interview at Milan, and conferred together with respect to the go…"
"They [the Pilgrims] believed in freedom of thought for themselves and for all other people who believed exactly as th…"
"Matters of orthodoxy and heterodoxy should be left to theologians, clerics, and philosophers—not to state authorities…"