“..(T)here are two opposite reasons for being a democrat. You may think all men so good that they deserve a share in the government of the commonwealth, and so wise that the commonwealth needs their advice. That is, in my opinion, the false, romantic doctrine of democracy. On the other hand, you may believe fallen men to be so wicked that not one of them can be trusted with any irresponsible power over his fellows.” ThinkingMenNeedsBelieveMayTwoReasonHandsGovernmentOpinionDemocracyWiseShareAdviceDeserveOppositesFellowsDemocratDoctrineFallenWickedTrustedIrresponsibleCommonwealthTwo Opposites Author:C. S. Lewis
“Compelling a man by law to pay his money to elect candidates or advocate law or doctrines he is against differs only in degree, if at all, from compelling him by law to speak for a candidate, a party, or a cause he is against. The very reason for the First Amendment is to make the people of this country free to think, speak, write and worship as they wish, not as the Government commands.” PeopleIfsThinkingMenWritingFirstsCountryReasonGovernmentLawSpeakWishCausesPartyPayLibertyDegreesWorshipDoctrineCommandCandidatesAmendmentsCompellingFirst Amendment Author:Hugo Black
“From the standpoint of freedom of speech and the press, it is enough to point out that the state has no legitimate interest in protecting any or all religions from views distasteful to them... It is not the business of government to suppress real or imagined attacks upon a particular religious doctrine.” RealStatesEnoughGovernmentInterestReligiousViewsLibertyParticularSpeechPressesDoctrineFreedom Of SpeechStandpointDistasteful Author:Tom C. Clark
“The success of those doctrines would also subvert the Federal Constitution, change the character of the Federal Government, and destroy our rights in respect to slavery.” CharacterGovernmentRightsRespectConstitutionSlaveryDoctrineFederal Government Author:John Henninger Reagan
“The First Amendment provides the only kind of security system that can preserve a free government - one that leaves the way wide open for people to favor, discuss, advocate, or incite causes and doctrines however obnoxious and antagonistic such views may be to the rest of us.” PeopleWayFirstsKindMayGovernmentCausesViewsSecurityWideFavorsDoctrinePreservesAmendmentsFirst AmendmentObnoxiousFree GovernmentSecurity Systems Author:Hugo Black
“The doctrine of the Declaration of Independence predicated upon the glory of man and the corresponding duty to society that the rights of citizens ought to be protected with every power and resource of the state, and a government that does any less is false to the teachings of that great document - false to the name American.” MenDoeStatesGovernmentNamesRightsTeachingDutyOughtCitizensGloryResourcesIndependenceDoctrineProtectedDocumentsDeclarationDeclaration Of IndependenceCorresponding Author:Calvin Coolidge
“All doctrines relating to the creation of the world, the government of man by superior beings, and his destiny after death, are conjectures which have been given out as facts, handed down with many adornments by tradition, and accepted by posterity as "revealed religion". They are theories more or less rational which uncivilised men have devised in order to explain the facts of life, and which civilised men believe that they believe.” MenWorldBelieveHas BeensFactsGovernmentOrderGivenDestinyCreationTheoryTraditionAcceptedDoctrineSuperiorsRationalPosterityAfter DeathFacts Of LifeCivilisedConjectureAdornmentCreation Of The World Book:The Martyrdom of Man Source: The Martyrdom of Man
“The people = government doctrine is equivalent to political infantilism -- an agreement to pretend that the citizen's wishes animate each restriction or exaction inflicted upon him.” PeopleGovernmentPoliticalWishCitizensDoctrineAgreementRestriction Book:Freedom in Chains: The Rise of the State and the Demise of the Citizen Source: Freedom in Chains: The Rise of the State and the Demise of the Citizen
“Way down deep the American people are afraid of an entangling relationship between formal religions - or whole bodies of religious belief - and government. Apart from constitutional law and religious doctrine, there is a sense that tells us it's wrong to presume to speak for God or to claim God's sanction of our particular legislation and his rejection of all other positions. Most of us are offended when we see religion being trivialized by its appearance in political throw-away pamphlets.” PeopleWayWholeBodyGovernmentLawPoliticalBeliefSpeakReligiousAtheismPositionParticularClaimsAppearancePositive AtheismDoctrineRejectionFormalLegislationOffendedSanctionsReligious BeliefConstitutional Law Author:Mario Cuomo
“As I conceive this doctrine to be a gross misrepresentation of the character and moral government of God, and to affect many other articles in the scheme of Christianity, greatly disfiguring and depraving it; I shall show, ... that it has no countenance whatever in reason, or the Scriptures; and, therefore, that the whole doctrine of atonement, with every modification of it, has been a departure from the primitive and genuine doctrine of Christianity.” Has BeensReasonWholeCharacterShowsGovernmentMoralChristianityAtheismPositive AtheismScriptureGenuineDoctrineArticlesPrimitiveSchemesGrossAtonementDepartureCountenanceModificationMisrepresentation Author:Joseph Priestley