Best government & positive-atheism Quotes

“I believe in the Constitution. The Constitution says that government isn't supposed to be infusing religion into our society, and so I asked to have that upheld.”

Believe Government I Believe Atheism Constitution I Believe In Positive Atheism Supposed To Be Our Society

Author:Michael Newdow

“The reasoning isn't crazy. It's technically correct. If you're being true to the idea that government must not take positions on religious questions, then the Ninth Circuit opinion is quite persuasive.”

Ifs Ideas Government Religious Opinion Atheism Crazy Position Positive Atheism Being True Reasoning Circuits Persuasive

Author:Jack Balkin

“It is wrong for a secular government to promote prayer. We think the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional. What if the president declared a National Day of Cursing God because He failed us on September 11? Americans would say, "You've overstepped your authority." That's how we feel when he promotes prayer.”

Ifs Thinking Feels Government President Prayer Atheism Authority Positive Atheism What If Secular September September 11 Cursing Unconstitutional National Day Of Prayer

Author:Dan Barker

“Look at the posture of prayer. It is the posture of slavery, of bowing before your master. We are a proudly rebellious country. We kicked out the master. Now here comes the government telling us to humbly bow again.”

Looks Country Government Prayer Atheism Masters Slavery Positive Atheism Bows Rebellious Posture

Author:Dan Barker

“The "establishment of religion" clause of the First Amendment means at least this: Neither a state nor the Federal Government can set up a church. Neither can pass laws which aid one religion, aid all religions, or prefer one religion over another. Neither can force nor influence a person to go to or to remain away from church against his will or force him to profess a belief or disbelief in any religion.”

“The Chief Justice's ... main point seemed to be that the references to God in the Pledge of Allegiance aren't really religious and therefore are not that important - something I would think would offend Christians who think it should stay because it is religious and does matter. Too many Christians appear to be desperate to shore up their failing confidence in their own religious beliefs by having the government officially endorse those beliefs.”

“We urge all people to recognize that religious freedom requires not trying to use the power of government to force religious ideas on others.”

People Trying Ideas Use Government Force Religious Atheism Positive Atheism Urges Religious Freedom

Author:Ed Buckner

“The government ought to stay out of the prayer business.”

Government Prayer Atheism Ought Positive Atheism

Book:Jimmy Carter

Source: Jimmy Carter

“Of the six men who have done most to make America the wonder and the joy she is to all of us, not one could be the citizen of a government so constituted; for Washington and Franklin and Jefferson, certainly the three mightiest leaders in our early history, were heretics in their day, Deists, as men called them; and Garrison and Lincoln and Sumner, certainly the three mightiest in these later times, would all be disfranchised by the proposed amendment. Lincoln could not have taken the oath of office had such a clause been in the Constitution.”

Men Done Government America Joy Three Leader Wonder Taken Atheism Citizens Office Six Constitution Positive Atheism Amendments Oath Franklin Heretic X Men Clauses Deist Oath Of Office

Author:John Chadwick

“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

“In fact, it is because the nature of prayer is so personal and can have such a powerful effect on a community that the government may not use its authority to try to influence an individual's decision on whether and when to pray.”

Trying May Facts Use Government Individual Community Prayer Decision Powerful Atheism Influence Effects Praying Authority Positive Atheism

Author:Barbara Brandriff Crabb

“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.”

“Nonbelievers are protected by the religion clauses of the Constitution not because secular humanism is a religion, which it is not, but because when the government acts on the basis of religion it discriminates against those who do not "believe" in the governmentally favored manner.”

Believe Government Atheism Bases Constitution Humanism Positive Atheism Protected Secular Clauses Secular Humanism

Author:Norman Dorsen

“Zealous groups threaten to infringe civil liberties when they seek government support to impose their own religious views on nonadherents. This has taken many forms, including attempts to introduce organized prayer in public schools, to outlaw birth control and abortion, and to use public tax revenues to finance religious schools.”

“Once one accepts the premise of the Declaration of Independence - that governments derive "their just powers from the consent of the governed" - it follows that the governed must, in order to exercise their right of consent, have full freedom of expression.”

Government Order Accepting Atheism Expression Exercise Independence Positive Atheism Consent Declaration Premises Freedom Of Expression Declaration Of Independence Consent Of The Governed

Author:Thomas I. Emerson

“We are a religious nation because we do not have a state religion, because the government guarantees freedom of religion but has no role in religion, because not only do we tolerate our religious differences, we celebrate them.”

States Government Nations Differences Religious Roles Atheism Positive Atheism Celebrate Guarantees Tolerate Freedom Of Religion Religious Differences

Book:Ferraro: My Story

Source: Ferraro: My Story

“The Government of India had imprisoned Mr. Gandhi and they had been sitting outside his cell door begging him to help them out of their difficulties.”

Helping Government Doors Atheism Sitting India Difficulty Positive Atheism Cells Begging

Author:Winston Churchill

“What good deed can government do for religion? The best deed of all: leave it free and unencumbered, burdened by neither enmity nor amity.”

Government Atheism Deeds Positive Atheism Good Deeds Enmity Amity

Author:Edwin Gaustad

“Obey; this may be right; but beware of reverence.... Government is nothing but regulated force; force is its appropriate claim upon your attention. It is the business of individuals to persuade; the tendency of concentrated strength, is only to give consistency and permanence to an influence more compendious than persuasion.”

Giving May Government Individual Force Attention Atheism Influence Claims Positive Atheism Tendencies Appropriate Reverence Consistency Persuasion Permanence

Book:Enquiry Concerning Political Justice and Its Influence on Morals and Happiness

Source: Enquiry Concerning Political Justice and Its Influence on Morals and Happiness

“If I could have my way I would place the Deity on half-pay as the Government of this Country did the subaltern officers.”

Ifs Way Country Government Pay Half Atheism Positive Atheism My Way If I Could Officers Deities

Author:George Holyoake

“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

“This issue is whether or not our government should be infusing religion into the public schools. Our churches are very strong in this nation and I think that's great and everybody should have the ability to worship as he or she sees fit. I choose to worship not believing in God and government should not thrust a religious idea down my throat.”

“I feel like I am not an American in the eyes of my government because of their religious beliefs. I think that is un-American.”

Thinking Feels Government Eye Belief Religious Atheism Positive Atheism Religious Belief

Author:Michael Newdow

“Most people I know I think agree and even many theists agree with this. We don't want government involved. When atheists become the majority in this country, I don't think the theists are going to be glad to have "one nation under no God" inserted in the Pledge of Allegiance.”

People Thinking Knows Want Country Government Nations Atheism Involved Agree Majority Atheist Positive Atheism Glad Pledge Allegiance Theist Pledge Of Allegiance

Author:Michael Newdow

“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.”

“The United States furnishes the first example in history of a government deliberately depriving itself of all legislative control of religion.”

Firsts States Government United United States Atheism Example Positive Atheism Depriving

Book:Church and State in the United States ; Or, The American Idea of Religious Liberty and Its Practical Effects: With Official Documents

Source: Church and State in the United States ; Or, The American Idea of Religious Liberty and Its Practical Effects: With Official Documents

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Government Quotes