American Founding Fathers Quotes:

This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it.

topic: Support, Religion, Atheism, Obliged, Laws And Government

The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as his father, in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter.

topic: Religious, Insightful, Liberty, Anti Religious, Founding

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.

topic: Jesus, Father, Brain, Minerva, World Religions

- George Washington

topic: Religious, Heart, Men, Forfeit, Christian Church

The doctrines of Jesus are simple, and tend to all the happiness of man.

Christianity neither is, nor ever was a part of the common law.

topic: Jesus, Simple, Men, Deism, Deist

My heart trembles when I reflect that God is just

topic: Religious, Law, Presidential, Christian Right, Christianity And Government

Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and pure (and) which insures to the good eternal happiness, are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments.

topic: God, Patriotic, Heart, Social Injustice, Justice And Injustice

- Charles Carroll of Carrollton

topic: Christian, Government, Sublime, Christian Morality, Founding Fathers Religion

Question with boldness even the existence of a god.

Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between church and State.

topic: Existence, Boldness, Evidence Of God, Theism, World Religions

I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my own church.

topic: Religious, Wall, Lying, Religious Faith, State Government

- Thomas Paine

topic: Atheist, Pain, Fear, Anti Religious, Religious Faith

Rulers who wished to subvert the public liberty, may have found an established Clergy convenient auxiliaries. A just Government instituted to secure & perpetuate it needs them not.

- James Madison

source: James Madison, Ralph Ketcham “Selected Writings of James Madison”, Hackett Publishing

topic: Government, Atheism, Liberty, Christian Father, Christianity And Government

But how has it happened that millions of fables, tales, legends have been blended with both Jewish and Christian revelation that have made them the most bloody religion that ever existed?

The Christian religion is, above all the religions that ever prevailed or existed in ancient or modern times, the religion of wisdom, virtue, equity and humanity.

source: John Adams, Charles Francis Adams (1856). “The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations”, p.235

topic: Christian, Religious, Faith Religion, Christian Atheist, Christian Father

The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.

source: John Adams, Charles Francis Adams (1851). “The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations”, p.421

topic: Bible, God, Christian, Our Founding Fathers, Christianity From Founding Fathers

I have examined all religions, and the result is that the Bible is the best book in the world.

source: John Adams (2015). “The Works of John Adams Vol. 10: Letters and State Papers 1811 - 1825”, p.38, Jazzybee Verlag

topic: Bible, God, Religious, One Nation Under God, Dependence On God

Where the preamble declares, that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed by inserting "Jesus Christ," so that it would read "A departure from the plan of Jesus Christ, the holy author of our religion;" the insertion was rejected by the great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mohammedan, the Hindoo and Infidel of every denomination.

topic: Bible, God, Religious, Religion And Politics, Our Founding Fathers

The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason: The Morning Daylight appears plainer when you put out your Candle.

source: "Autobiography of Thomas Jefferson". Book by Thomas Jefferson, 1821.

topic: Christian, Religious, Jesus, Infidel, Preamble

Difference of opinion is advantageous in religion. The several sects perform the office of a Censor - over each other.

topic: Morning, Eye, Atheism, Anti Religious, Religious Faith

And I have no doubt that every new example will succeed, as every past one has done, in showing that religion and Government will both exist in greater purity, the less they are mixed together.

source: Thomas Jefferson, Jean M. Yarbrough (1963). “The Essential Jefferson”, p.128, Hackett Publishing

topic: Life, Differences, Office, Uniformity, Our Founding Fathers

- James Madison

source: James Madison, David B. Mattern (1997). “James Madison's "Advice to My Country"”, p.89, University of Virginia Press

topic: Past, Government, Doubt, Our Founding Fathers, Religion And Government

The hocus-pocus phantasm of a God, like another Cerberus, with one body and three heads, had its birth and growth in the blood of thousands and thousands of martyrs.

A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy. While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but when once they lose their virtue then will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or internal invader.

topic: Religious, Blood, Growth, Our Founding Fathers, Cerberus

- Samuel Adams

topic: Patriotic, America, People, Founding, Our Founding Fathers

When a citizen gives his suffrage to a man of known immorality he abuses his trust; he sacrifices not only his own interest, but that of his neighbor; he betrays the interest of his country.

- Noah Webster

topic: Country, Sacrifice, Men, Not Voting, Suffrage

It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself.

Among the sayings and discourses imputed to him (i.e. Jesus) by his biographers, I find many passages of fine imagination, correct morality, and of the most lovely benevolence; and others again of so much ignorance, so much absurdity, so much untruth, charlatanism, and imposture, as to pronounce it impossible that such contradictions should have proceeded from the same being.

topic: Truth, Freedom, Mistake, State Government, Deism

It is not to be understood that I am with him (Jesus Christ) in all his doctrines. I am a Materialist; he takes the side of Spiritualism; he preaches the efficacy of repentance toward forgiveness of sin; I require a counterpoise of good works to redeem it.

topic: Religious, Jesus, Ignorance, Moral Beliefs, Morality And Religion

Without religion this world would be something not fit to be mentioned in polite company, I mean Hell.

source: Thomas Jefferson (2002). “Democracy”

topic: Jesus, Sides, Doctrine, Efficacy, Christian Father

...if the citizens neglect their Duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted; laws will be made, not for the public good so much as for selfish or local purposes; corrupt or incompetent men will be appointed to execute the Laws; the public revenues will be squandered on unworthy men; and the rights of the citizen will be violated or disregarded.

source: John Adams, Charles Francis Adams (1856). “The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations”, p.254

topic: Religious, Mean, Would Be, Religion Christian, Future Of America

- Noah Webster

source: Noah Webster (1835). “Instructive and Entertaining Lessons for Youth: With Rules for Reading with Propriety, Illustrated by Examples: Designed for Use in Schools and Families”, p.230

topic: Selfish, Men, Law, Squandering, Not Voting

Of all the tyrannies that affect mankind, tyranny in religion is the worst.

- Thomas Paine

topic: Christian, Religious, Religion, Christian Atheist, Founding Fathers Anti Religion

I have lived, Sir, a long time and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth -- that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings that "except the Lord build they labor in vain that build it." I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel

Here is my Creed. I believe in one God, the Creator of the Universe. That He governs it by His Providence. That He ought to be worshipped.

topic: Believe, Fall, Writing, Morality And Religion, Deist

I firmly believe this ... that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better, than the builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing governments by human wisdom and leave it to chance, war and conquest.

topic: Believe, Creeds, Providence, Deism, Our Founding Fathers