Best conscience & religious Quotes | Short & Famous Sayings

“The great writers to whom the world owes what religious liberty it possesses, have mostly asserted freedom of conscience as an indefeasible right, and denied absolutely that a human being is accountable to others for his religious belief. Yet so natural to mankind is intolerance in whatever they really care about, that religious freedom has hardly anywhere been practically realised, except where religious indifference, which dislikes to have its peace disturbed by theological quarrels, has added its weight to the scale.”

Source: On Liberty: Mill's Works

“But I have a conscience and a religious faith, and I know that our liberties were not won without suffering, and may be lost again through our cowardice. I intend to do my duty to my country.”

Knows May Country Suffering Lost Religious Liberty Duty Conscience Cowardice Religious Faith

Book:The Land of Orange Groves and Jails: Upton Sinclair's California

Source: The Land of Orange Groves and Jails: Upton Sinclair's California

“Judge not according to the orthodox standard of a system religious, philosophical, political, but according as things promote, or fail to promote the delicacy, integrity, and authority of Conscience.”

Political Religious Failing Judging Integrity Authority Standards Conscience Philosophical Orthodox Delicacy

Author:Lord Acton

“It goes beyond mere 'acknowledgment' of religion because its sole purpose is to encourage all citizens to engage in prayer, an inherently religious exercise that serves no secular function in this context. In this instance, the government has taken sides on a matter that must be left to individual conscience.”

Matter Government Purpose Individual Left Sides Religious Prayer Taken Atheism Citizens Exercise Conscience Function Mere Positive Atheism Instance Sole Secular Acknowledgment

Author:Barbara Brandriff Crabb

“I believe that religious witness should not mobilize public authority to impose a view where a decision is inherently private in nature or where people are deeply divided about whether it is... Americans are plainly and persistently divided about abortion and the fiat of government cannot settle the issue as a matter of conscience or of conduct.”

People Should Believe Matter Government I Believe Religious Decision Views Issues Atheism Authority Conscience Positive Atheism Witness Settling Abortion Divided

Author:Edward Kennedy

“Evolution throws a wonderful light on all the struggles, eccentricities, tortuous developments of the human conscience in the past. It is the only theory of morals that does. And evolution throws just as much light on the ethical and social struggle today; and it is the only theory that does. What a strange age ours is from the religious point of view! What a hopeless age from the philosopher's point of view! Yet it is a very good age, the best that ever was. No evolutionist is a pessimist.”

“The establishment of religious freedom was no less momentous an achievement than the clearing of the great forest or the winning of independence, for the twin doctrines of separation of church and state and liberty of individual conscience are the marrow of our democracy, if not indeed America's most magnificent contribution to the freeing of Western man.”

“Two hundred years ago the forces of freedom challenged this idea. The children of the new enlightenment rose up to defy the tyranny of arrogant clergy and the censorship of pious bureaucrats. They boldly proclaimed that the state must be free from religious coercion and that religion must be free from state control. All individuals have the right to pursue the dictates of their own conscience. All citizens even have the right not to be religious at all.”

“I believe that God is the source of all the universal, timeless principles. And to Him, I give all the credit and the glory. However, to a person who is not religious, I believe they can live to the highest level of their conscience and develop spiritual intelligence that surpasses most people, including many religious people, who profess but do not practice.”

People Giving Believe Persons Spiritual I Believe Religious Levels Principles Practice Source Highest Glory Conscience Universal Including Credit Timeless Spiritual Intelligence

Author:Stephen Covey

“I have spent almost my entire adult life fighting to defend the religious liberty of every American to follow his or her faith and live according to his conscience.”

Fighting Religious Liberty Conscience Adults Religious Liberty

Author:Ted Cruz

“Conscience is that peculiar faculty of the soul which may be called the religious instinct.”

May Soul Religious Conscience Instinct Faculty Peculiar

Book:Duty, with Illustrations of Courage, Patience, and Endurance

Source: Duty, with Illustrations of Courage, Patience, and Endurance

“Yet, for I know thou art religious And hast a thing within thee called conscience, With twenty popish tricks and ceremonies Which I have seen thee careful to observe, Therefore I urge thy oath; for that I know An idiot holds his bauble for a god And keeps the oath which by that god he swears, To that I'll urge him: therefore thou shalt vow By that same god, what god soe'er it be, That thou adorest and hast in reverence, To save my boy, to nourish and bring him up, Or else I will discover naught to thee.”

Knows Art Religious Boys Conscience Twenties Careful Tricks Thee Idiot Urges Reverence Swear Ceremony Vow Oath My Boys

Book:The Dramatic Works, Printed from the Text of Samuel Johnson, George Steevens and Isaac Reed

Source: The Dramatic Works, Printed from the Text of Samuel Johnson, George Steevens and Isaac Reed

“While all men within our territories are protected in worshipping the Deity according to the dictates of their consciences; it is rationally to be expected from them in return, that they will [demonstrate] the innocence of their lives and the beneficence of their actions; for no man, who is profligate in his morals, or a bad member of the civil community, can possibly be a true Christian, or a credit to his own religious society.”

Men Action Christian Religion Community Religious Moral Return Members Conscience Credit Expected Innocence Territory Protected Deities Beneficence

Author:George Washington

“It is in the name of Jesus, himself become God, that fanaticism ignominiously condemned to the stake men like Giodano Bruno, Vanini, Étienne Dolet, John Huss, Savanarola, and numerous other heroic victims; that the Inquisition ordered Galileo to belie his conscience; that thousands and thousands of unfortunates accused of witchcraft were burnt alive in popular ceremonies; it was with the express benediction of Pope Gregory XIII that the butchery of St. Bartholomew drenched Paris in blood.”

Men Evil Jesus Names Religious Alive Blood Conscience Victim Paris Stakes Heroic Pope Accused Ceremony Fanaticism Witchcraft Inquisition Benediction Butchery

Author:Camille Flammarion

“Religious freedom certainly means the right to worship God, individually and in community, as our consciences dictate. But religious liberty, by its nature, transcends places of worship and the private sphere of individuals and families.”

Mean Individual Community Religious Liberty Worship Conscience Spheres Religious Freedom Worship God Religious Liberty Places Of Worship

Book:The Allure of Goodness and Love: Pope Francis in the United States Complete Texts

Source: The Allure of Goodness and Love: Pope Francis in the United States Complete Texts

“Are you angry? Be angry at your sins, beat your soul, afflict your conscience, but strict in judgement and a terrible punisher of your own sins. This is the benefit of anger, wherefore God placed it in us.”

Inspirational Soul Christian Religious Sin Terrible Benefits Beats Conscience Angry Your Soul Judgement Orthodox Strict Punisher

Author:Saint John Chrysostom

“It is the duty of all men in society, publicly, and at stated seasons, to worship the SUPREME BEING, the great Creator and Preserver of the universe. And no subject shall be hurt, molested, or restrained, in his person, liberty, or estate, for worshipping GOD in the manner most agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience; or for his religious profession or sentiments; provided he doth not disturb the public peace, or obstruct others in their religious worship.”

Source: The Political Writings of John Adams: Representative Selections

“We should begin by setting conscience free. When all men of all religions shall enjoy equal liberty, property, and an equal chance for honors and power we may expect that improvements will be made in the human character and the state of society.”

Source: The Works of John Adams Vol. 8: Letters and State Papers 1782 - 1799

“You cannot drag a man's conscience before any tribunal, and no one is answerable for his religious opinions to any power on earth.”

Men Earth Religious Opinion Conscience Drag Tribunals

Book:Napoleon in his own words from the French of Jules Bertaut

Source: Napoleon in his own words from the French of Jules Bertaut

“There was a time when 'fear of God' meant piety, or at least conscience. Today, it more accurately describes the worldview of secular liberals who get itchy and twitchy at any reminder of our religious roots as a nation.”

Today Nations Religious Conscience Roots Secular Reminders Worldview Piety Itchy

Author:Mona Charen

“Waiving the rights of conscience, not included in the surrender implied by the social state, & more or less invaded by all Religious establishments, the simple question to be decided, is whether a support of the best & purest religion, the Christian religion itself ought not, so far at least as pecuniary means are involved, to be provided for by the Government, rather than be left to the voluntary provisions of those who profess it.”

Mean States Government Christian Left Social Religious Simple Support Rights Ought Involved Conscience Decided Surrender Establishment Provision Implied

Author:James Madison

“All of our effort should be focused on protecting the religious liberties and freedom of conscience for those Americans that profoundly disagree with the decision.”

Should Religious Decision Effort Liberty Conscience Focused Disagree Freedom And Liberty Religious Liberty

Author:Carly Fiorina

“We should foster a culture in which people's private religious beliefs, including atheists and agnostics, are respected. And that's the kind of culture that I think allows all of us, then, to believe what we want. That's freedom of conscience. That's what our Constitution guarantees.”

People Thinking Want Should Believe Kind Culture Belief Religious Conscience Constitution Including Atheist Guarantees Religious Belief

Author:Barack Obama

“Although I was brought up in a culturally and religious conservative culture, as a Baptist I was taught that no one has the right to subpoena your conscience.”

Culture Religious Taught Conscience Conservative Baptists Subpoenas

Author:Bill Moyers

“Perhaps the dumbest of these story lines is that [Pope] Francis has re-opened conversation and debate in a Church that had been closed and claustrophobic for 35 years under John Paul II and Benedict XVI. I defy anyone who, over the last 35 years, has spent time on the campuses of Notre Dame or Georgetown, or who has read the National Catholic Reporter, or who has gone to a meeting of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, to make that claim without experiencing a twinge of conscience that says, "I should wash my mouth out with soap."”

“One can contrive a religious motivation for virtually any choice of action, from commitment to the highest ideals to support for the most horrendous atrocities. In the sacred texts, we can find uplifting calls for peace, justice and mercy, along with the most genocidal passages in the literary canon. Conscience is our guide, whatever trappings we might choose to clothe it in.”

Action Motivation Choices Religious Justice Support Conscience Commitment Mercy Uplifting

Author:Noam Chomsky

“One important theme is the extent to which one can ever correct an error, especially outside any frame of religious forgiveness. All of us have done something we regret - how we manage to remove that from our conscience, or whether that's even possible, interested me.”

Important Done Religious Regret Conscience Errors Manage Theme Remove

Author:Ian Mcewan

“Religious liberty is the first freedom in our Constitution. And whether the cause is justice for the persecuted, compassion for the needy and the sick, or mercy for the child waiting to be born, there is no greater force for good in the nation than Christian conscience in action.”

Firsts Children Action Christian Force Nations Causes Waiting Born Religious Justice Compassion Liberty Greater Conscience Mercy Sick Constitution Needy Persecuted Religious Liberty

Author:Mitt Romney

“Perhaps religious conscience upsets the designs of those who feel that the highest wisdom and authority comes from government.”

Men Feels Firsts Government Nations Religious Liberty Design Authority Highest Conscience Constitution Upset Trusted Religious Liberty

Author:Mitt Romney

“President Obama orders religious organizations to violate their conscience. I will defend religious liberty and overturn regulations that trample on our first freedom.”

Firsts Order President Religious Liberty Conscience Organization President Obama Regulation Religious Liberty

Author:Mitt Romney

“The Obama Administration's obsession with forcing mandates on the American people has now reached a new low by violating the conscience rights and religious liberties of our people.”

People Religious Liberty Rights Lows Conscience Obsession Administration Mandates Religious Liberty

Author:Marco Rubio

“Justice is conscience, not a personal conscience but the conscience of the whole of humanity. Those who clearly recognize the voice of their own conscience usually recognize also the voice of justice.”

Whole Political Humanity Peace Voice Religious Justice Conscience Social Justice Fairness Peace And Justice Peace Justice Law And Justice

Author:Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.”

“The vague and tenuous hope that God is too kind to punish the ungodly has become a deadly opiate for the consciences of millions.”

Kind War Religious Christianity Millions Conscience Judgement Vague Opiates

Book:The Knowledge of the Holy

Source: The Knowledge of the Holy

“Wide differences of opinion in matters of religious, political, and social belief must exist if conscience and intellect alike are not to be stunted, if there is to be room for healthy growth.”

Ifs Matter Political Belief Social Growth Differences Religious Rooms Opinion Healthy Diversity Conscience Intellect Wide Tolerance Differences Of Opinion

Author:Theodore Roosevelt

“The Pope is a mere tormentor of conscience. The assembly of his greased and religious crew in praying was altogether like the croaking of frogs, which edified nothing at all.”

Religious Praying Conscience Mere Mentor Pope Crew Assembly Frogs

Book:Selections from the Table Talk of Martin Luther

Source: Selections from the Table Talk of Martin Luther

“The objections to religion are of two sorts - intellectual and moral. The intellectual objection is that there is no reason to suppose any religion true; the moral objection is that religious precepts date from a time when men were more cruel than they are and therefore tend to perpetuate inhumanities which the moral conscience of the age would otherwise outgrow.”

Men Two Reason Age Death Religion Religious Moral Intellectual Conscience No Reason Objections Inhumanity Moral Conscience

Book:Why I Am Not a Christian: And Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects

Source: Why I Am Not a Christian: And Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects

“Of the liberty of conscience in matters of religious faith, of speech and of the press; of the trial by jury of the vicinage in civil and criminal cases; of the benefit of the writ of habeas corpus; of the right to keep and bear arms.... If these rights are well defined, and secured against encroachment, it is impossible that government should ever degenerate into tyranny.”

“I am now speaking of rights under the Constitution, and not of moral or religious rights. I do not discuss the morals of the people of Missouri, but let them settle that matter for themselves. I hold that the people of the slaveholding States are civilized men as well as ourselves, that they bear consciences as well as we, and that they are accountable to God and their posterity and not to us. It is for them to decide therefore the moral and religious right of the slavery question for themselves within their own limits.”

People Men Wells Matter States Religious Moral Rights Bears Limits Conscience Constitution Slavery Settling Abortion Civilized Posterity Missouri Religious Rights

Author:Stephen A. Douglas

“I have often expressed my sentiments, that every man, conducting himself as a good citizen, and being accountable to God alone for his religious opinions, ought to be protected in worshipping the Deity according to the dictates of his own conscience.”

Source: The Writings of George Washington: Being His Correspondence, Addresses, Messages, and Other Papers, Official and Private

“The religion then of every man must be left to the conviction and conscience of every man; and it is the right of every man to exercise it as these may dictate.”

Men Life Inspirational May Left Religious Liberty Exercise Conscience Conviction Every Man Federalist Religious Liberty Federalist Papers Religious Truth

Book:Selected Writings of James Madison

Source: Selected Writings of James Madison

“While we are contending for our own liberty, we should be very cautious not to violate the conscience of others, ever considering that God alone is the judge of the hearts of men, and to Him only in this case are they answerable.”

Men Should Heart Religious Freedom Liberty Cases Judging Conscience Considering Cautious Contending

Book:Maxims of Washington: Political, Social, Moral, and Religious

Source: Maxims of Washington: Political, Social, Moral, and Religious

“Driven from every other corner of the earth, freedom of thought and the right of private judgment in matters of conscience direct their course to this happy country as their last asylum.”

Country Matter Earth Lasts America Happiness Courses Religious Freedom Liberty Judgment Conscience Direct Corners Driven Freedom Of Thought Asylums

Author:Samuel Adams

“The liberty enjoyed by the people of these states of worshiping Almighty God agreebly to their conscience, is not only among the choicest of their blessings, but also of their rights.”

People States Religious Liberty Rights Blessing Conscience Enjoyed Almighty Almighty God

Book:The Writings of George Washington: pt. V. Speeches and messages to Congress, proclamations, and addresses

Source: The Writings of George Washington: pt. V. Speeches and messages to Congress, proclamations, and addresses

“The civil rights of none, shall be abridged on account of religious belief or worship, nor shall any national religion be established, nor shall the full and equal rights of conscience be in any manner, or on any pretext infringed.”

Belief Religious Liberty Rights Equal Worship Conscience Accounts Civil Rights Equal Rights Religious Belief Bill Of Rights Pretext Religion And Government First Amendment Rights Religious Rights

Book:Selected Writings of James Madison

Source: Selected Writings of James Madison

“Conscience is the most sacred of all property.”

Religious Liberty Evolution Conscience Sacred Property Positive Atheism Federalist Federalist Papers Religious Truth

Book:1829-1836

Source: 1829-1836

“That all persons living in this province, who confess and acknowledge the one Almighty and eternal God, to be the Creator, Upholder and Ruler of the world; and that hold themselves obliged in conscience to live peaceably and justly in civil society, shall, in no ways, be molested or prejudiced for their religious persuasion, or practice, in manners of faith and worship, nor shall they be compelled, at any time, to frequent or maintain any religious worship, place or ministry whatever.”

World Way Persons Religious Liberty Practice Eternal Worship Conscience Creator Manners Acknowledge Rulers Ministry Almighty Persuasion Compelled Obliged Provinces Civil Society

Author:William Penn

“[I]t is impossible for those, who believe in the truth of Christianity, as a divine revelation, to doubt, that it is the especial duty of government to foster, and encourage it among all the citizens and subjects. This is a point wholly distinct from that of the right of private judgment in matters of religion, and of the freedom of public worship according to the dictates of one's conscience.”

Believe Matter Government Religious Liberty Christianity Doubt Impossible Subjects Divine Duty Citizens Judgment Worship Conscience Revelations Divine Revelation

Author:Joseph Story

“The lessons of the First Amendment are as urgent in the modern world as the 18th Century when it was written. One timeless lesson is that if citizens are subjected to state-sponsored religious exercises, the State disavows its own duty to guard and respect that sphere of inviolable conscience and belief which is the mark of a free people.”

“Should we not press it home upon our consciences that the sole object of our conversion was not the salvation of our own souls, but that we might become co-workers with our Lord and Master in the conversion of the world?”

Source: Send the Light: Lottie Moon's Letters and Other Writings

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Conscience Quotes