“People of faith should not invoke the power of the state to decide what everyone can believe or think or read or do. In such cases, like abortion or prayer or prohibition or sexual identity, the proper role of religion is to appeal to the free conscience of each person, not the coercive rule of secular law.” PeopleThinkingShouldBelievePersonsStatesLawPrayerRolesCasesAtheismIdentityConscienceAppealsAbortionSecularProhibitionInvoke Author:Edward Kennedy
“The separation of church and state can sometimes be frustrating for women and men of deep religious faith. They may be tempted to misuse government in order to impose a value which they cannot persuade others to accept. But once we succumb to that temptation, we step onto a slippery slope where everyone's freedom is at risk.” MenMaySometimesStatesGovernmentValuesOrderChurchReligiousAcceptingStepsRiskMen And WomenSeparationTemptationTemptedFrustratingReligious FaithChurch And StateSeparation Of Church And StateSlipperyMisuseSlopesSlippery Slope Author:Edward Kennedy
“The real transgression occurs when religion wants government to tell citizens how to live uniquely personal parts of their lives. The failure of Prohibition proves the futility of such an attempt when a majority or even a substantial minority happens to disagree. Some questions may be inherently individual ones, or people may be sharply divided about whether they are. In such cases, like Prohibition and abortion, the proper role of religion is to appeal to the conscience of the individual, not the coercive power of the state.” PeopleWantMayRealStatesGovernmentHappensIndividualRolesCasesCitizensProveConscienceMajorityAppealsAbortionMinoritiesDividedDisagreeProhibitionFutilityTransgression Author:Edward Kennedy
“In the United States Senate, one of the things I observed in the early days - and it's still used - and that is that you take someone's argument and then you misrepresent it and misstate and disagree with it. And it's very effective. I've done it myself a number of times. But eventually, eventually people catch on.” PeopleStillsStatesDoneUsedFreedomUnitedNumbersLibertyUnited StatesArgumentDisagreeSenate Author:Edward Kennedy
“Separation of church and state cannot mean an absolute separation between moral principles and political power.” MeanStatesPoliticalChurchMoralPrinciplesAbsolutesSeparationChurch And StateSeparation Of Church And StatePolitical PowerMoral Principles Author:Edward Kennedy
“I had the privilege of chairing Judge Samuel Alito confirmation hearing in 1990. And at that time, he had practiced law for 14 years, but only represented one client, the United States government.” YearsStatesGovernmentLawUnitedUnited StatesJudgingPrivilegeHearingClientsState GovernmentConfirmationUnited States Government Author:Edward Kennedy
“As Justice Sandra Day O'Connor stated, even a state of war is not a blank check for a president to do whatever he wants.” WantWarStatesPresidentJusticeChecksBlankSandra Day O ConnorBlank Check Author:Edward Kennedy
“What we have in the United States is not so much a health-care system as a disease-care system.” StatesCarePoliticsUnitedUnited StatesDiseaseHealth CareHealth Care System Author:Edward Kennedy
