Sam Ervin Quotes

American Politician

Sam Ervin was an American politician born on September 27, 1896, and passed away on April 23, 1985. He played a significant role in the American political scene and was renowned for his contributions to the judicial and legislative fields.

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All Atheism Government Religious Church Positive Atheism States Political Taxes Amendments Believe

Famous Sam Ervin Quotes

“Religious faith is not a storm cellar to which men and women can flee for refuge from the storms of life. It is instead, an inner spiritual strength which enables them to face those storms with hope and serenity.”

Men Faces Spiritual Religious Men And Women Angel Storm Serenity Refuge Religious Faith Cellars Storms Of Life Spiritual Strength

Book:Humor of a Country Lawyer

Source: Humor of a Country Lawyer

“I've always been worried about people who are willing to work for nothing. Sometimes that's all you get from them, nothing.”

People Sometimes Business Willing Worried

Author:Sam Ervin

“Polygraph tests are 20th-century witchcraft.”

Science Century Tests 20th Century Witchcraft Polygraph

Author:Sam Ervin

“When religion controls government, political liberty dies; and when government controls religion, religious liberty perishes.”

Government Political Dies Religious Liberty Religious Liberty

Author:Sam Ervin

“There is nothing in the Constitution that authorizes or makes it the official duty of a president to have anything to do with criminal activities.”

President Duty Activity Constitution Criminals Officials

Author:Sam Ervin

“I used to think that the Civil War was our country's greatest tragedy, but I do remember that there were some redeeming features in the Civil War in that there was some spirit of sacrifice and heroism displayed on both sides. I see no redeeming features in Watergate.”

Thinking War Country Remember Used Spirit Sides Sacrifice Tragedy Our Country Features Civil War Heroism Both Sides Redeeming Watergate

Author:Sam Ervin

“Humor makes our heavy burdens light and smoothes the rough spots in our pathways.”

Light Burden Heavy Spots Rough Pathways Heavy Burdens

Author:Sam Ervin

“Divine right went out with the American Revolution and doesn't belong to the White House aides. What meat do they eat that makes them grow so great?”

House Grows White Divine Revolution Meat White House American Revolution Divine Right

Author:Sam Ervin

“Recalling an old magistrate's words to a young attorney, The rain it raineth on the just And also on the unjust fella; But chiefly on the just, because The unjust steals the just's umbrella.”

Young Rain Injustice Stealing Unjust Attorney Umbrella Magistrates Fellas

Author:Sam Ervin

“A leader is someone who helps improve the lives of other people.”

People Helping Leader Lives Of Others

Author:Sam Ervin

“A judicial activist is a judge who interprets the Constitution to mean what it would have said if he, instead of the Founding Fathers, had written it.”

Ifs Mean Said Father Written Judging Constitution Activist Founding Judicial

Book:Humor of a Country Lawyer

Source: Humor of a Country Lawyer

“A school prayer amendment would confer upon public school boards a power the First Amendment now denies to Congress and the states, that is, the power to establish religion.”

Firsts States School Prayer Atheism Congress Deny Positive Atheism Boards Amendments Public School First Amendment School Board

Author:Sam Ervin

“What James Madison and the other men of his generation had in mind when they wrote the First Amendment was that there should be no official relationship of any character between government and any church or many churches, and no levying of taxes for the support of any church, or many churches, or all churches, or any institution conducted by any of them.”

Men Should Mind Firsts Character Government Church Support Generations Atheism Taxes Institutions Positive Atheism Officials Amendments First Amendment Madison

Author:Sam Ervin

“I believe in a wall between church and state so high that no one can climb over it. When religion controls government, political liberty dies; and when government controls religion, religious liberty perishes. Every American has the constitutional right not to be taxed or have his tax money expended for the establishment of religion. For too long the issue of government aid to church related organizations has been a divisive force in our society and in the Congress. It has erected communication barriers among our religions and fostered intolerance.”

“Government is contemptuous of true religion when it confiscates the taxes of Caesar to finance the things of God.”

Government Atheism Taxes Positive Atheism Finance True Religion Contemptuous

Author:Sam Ervin

“If religious freedom is to endure in America, the responsibility for teaching religion to public school children must be left to the homes and churches of our land, where this responsibility rightfully belongs. It must not be assumed by the government through the agency of the public school system.”

“The Supreme Court has made God unconstitutional.”

Made Court Scary Supreme Supreme Court Unconstitutional

Author:Sam Ervin

“The President seems to extend executive privilege way out past the atmosphere. What he says is executive privilege is nothing but executive poppycock.”

Way Seems Past President Privilege Atmosphere Executives

Author:Sam Ervin

“I believe in a wall between church and state so high that no one can climb over it.”

Believe States I Believe Church Wall I Believe In Climbs Over It Church And State

Author:Sam Ervin

“Political freedom cannot exist in any land where religion controls the state, and religious freedom cannot exist in any land where the state controls religion.”

States Political Religious Land Religious Freedom Political Freedom

Author:Sam Ervin

About the Author

Born: September 27, 1896
Died: April 23, 1985
Known for: American Politician
Quotes: 20

Books & Sources

Humor of a Country LawyerRelated source material

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