Founding America Quotes:

The only foundation for . . . a republic is to be laid in Religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments.

topic: Bible, God, Religious, Christian Heritage, Founding America

- Benjamin Rush

source: Benjamin Rush (1806). “Essays, Literary, Moral and Philosophical ...”, p.8

topic: Bible, God, Religious, Moral Virtues, Morality And Religion

We have this day restored the Sovereign to Whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and from the rising to the setting of the sun, let His kingdom come.

- Samuel Adams

topic: Bible, God, Patriotic, Kingdom Come, Patriotic Religious

I ... [rely] upon the merits of Jesus Christ for a pardon of all my sins.

- Samuel Adams

topic: Bible, God, Religious, Founding America, Founding Fathers Religious

Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.

- George Washington

topic: Education, Wisdom, Religious, Indulge, Founding

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

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.

source: Virginia. General Assembly. House of Delegates, J. W. Randolph, James Madison (1850). “The Virginia Report of 1799-1800: Touching the Alien and Sedition Laws; Together with the Virginia Resolutions of December 21, 1798, Including the Debate and Proceedings Thereon in the House of Delegates of Virginia and Other Documents Illustrative of the Report and Resolutions”, p.136

topic: Exercise, Secular Society, Law, Redress, Founding

- Benjamin Franklin

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

[N]o religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

I have sworn upon the altar of God Eternal, hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man", "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man", and "I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.

source: James Madison (1836). “The Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution: As Recommended by the General Convention at Philadelphia in 1787. Together with the Journal of the Federal Convention, Luther Martin's Letter, Yates's Minutes, Congressional Opinions, Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of '98-'99, and Other Illustrations of the Constitution”, p.204

topic: Religious, Atheist, Faith Religion, Anti Religious, Atheistic

My heart trembles when I reflect that God is just

topic: Change, Men, Mind, Individual Liberty, Theocracy

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.

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

They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

topic: Bible, God, Religious, Moral Decay, Liberty And Justice

- Benjamin Franklin

topic: Inspirational, Happiness, Peace, Social Democracy, Power Corruption

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

- Benjamin Franklin

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

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. That the most acceptable service we render to him is in doing good to his other children. That the soul of man is immortal, and will be treated with justice in another life respecting its conduct in this. These I take to be the fundamental points in all sound religion. --Benjamin Franklin

- W. Cleon Skousen

source: W. Cleon Skousen “The Making of America”, Verity Publishing

topic: Children, Believe, Men, Deism, Our Founding Fathers

Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprise.... During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? More or less, in all places, pride and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and servility in laity; in both, superstition, bigotry, and persecution.

In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed.

topic: Religious, Ignorance, Pride, Shackles, Deism

- Noah Webster

topic: Christian, Children, Views, Christian Patriotic, Founding America

The only foundation of a free Constitution, is pure Virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People, in a great Measure, than they have it now. They may change their Rulers, and the forms of Government, but they will not obtain a lasting Liberty.

The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country.

source: Letter to Zabdiel Adams, "Letters of Delegates to Congress: Volume 4", memory.loc.gov. June 21, 1776.

topic: Government, People, Liberty, Moral Virtues, Morality And Religion

- Calvin Coolidge

topic: Country, Teaching, 4th Of July, Inspirational Patriotic, Patriotic Religious

The soul of man is immortal and imperishable.

- Plato

topic: Men, Soul, Immortal, Soul Man, Deism

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.

I almost shudder at the thought of alluding to the most fatal example of the abuses of grief which the history of mankind has preserved - the Cross. Consider what calamities that engine of grief has produced!

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

source: Letter to Thomas Jefferson, founders.archives.gov. September 03, 1816.

topic: Grief, Faith Religion, Historical, Deism, Our Founding Fathers

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?

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

Take not from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned.

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

We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution is designed only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for any other.

topic: Bread, Mouths, Labor, Inaugural, Inaugural Address

...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.

topic: Religious, Revenge, Ambition, Strong Government, Moral Virtues

- 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

Now 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; and that those principles of liberty are as unalterable as human nature and our terrestrial, mundane system.

Question with boldness even the existence of a god.

source: Thomas Jefferson (1861). “Correspondence”, p.152

topic: Believe, Liberty, Principles, Moral Ethics, Founding America

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.

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