John Locke Quotes

If heretics be altogether uprooted by death, this is not contrary to Our Lord's command

It is one of those problems of human nature, which may be noted down, but not solved; - although Ralph felt no remorse at that moment for his conduct towards the innocent, true-hearted girl; although his libertine clients had done precisely what he had expected, precisely what he most wished, and precisely what would tend most to his advantage, still he hated them for doing it, from the very bottom of his soul.

Some have deplored Lincoln's indifference to Christianity. But it was not religion, it was religiosity that put him off.

The Republican consciousness has no integrity and it falls apart once you check it out. If you're a Christian, why would you want to fry this dude?

There is not enough religion in the world even to destroy religion.

There is no pestilence in a state like a zeal for religion, independent of morality.

I just felt sick. I was actually executing people. I knew it was wrong, and I should have voted against it. But I didn’t.

My faith teaches that life is sacred. That's why I personally oppose the death penalty. But I take my oath of office seriously, and I'll enforce the death penalty... because it's the law.

It is better to be an outspoken atheist than a hypocrite.

Slaughter and justice cannot dwell together.

I'm disappointed that my own Catholic Church has decided that capital punishment is wrong. Which is pretty hypocritical if you think about it, because they wouldn't even have a religion if it wasn't for capital punishment.

The worst thing about religion was religious people.

You know, look, if I could strangle these people and not go to hell and get executed, I would, but I can't.

Most people approve of capital punishment, but most people wouldn't do the hangman's job.

Just look at the faces of the great Christians! They are the faces of great haters.

Deep down in me I knowed it was a lie, and He knowed it. You can't pray a lie - I found that out.

It comes back to the old question: How can the Bible be so wise in some places and so barbaric in others? And why should we put any faith in a book that includes such brutality?

But, brothers, this biting of their toe-nails over what is the CAUSE of badness is what turns me into a fine laughing malchick. They don't go into what is the cause of GOODNESS, so why of the other shop?

Our emotions may cry for vengeance in the wake of a horrible crime, but we know that killing the criminal will not undo the crime, will not prevent similar crimes by others, does not benefit the victim, destroys human life and brutalizes society. If we are to still violence, we must cherish life. Executions cheapen life.

We are all sinners. But may the Lord not let us be hypocrites. Hypocrites don’t know the meaning of forgiveness, joy and the love of God.

If the world knew what I was doing, they would hang me from the highest tree.

The existence of the soldier, next to capital punishment, is the most grievous vestige of barbarism which survives among men.

As the warden of San Quentin, I presided over four executions. After each one, someone on the staff would ask, 'Is the world safer because of what we did tonight?' We knew the answer: No.

People in religions that teach that believers in other faiths are condemned, for example, tend to have lower life satisfaction. People who believe in heaven and hell tend to be less happy than those believe only in heaven.

I'm opposed to the death penalty not because I think it's unconstitutional per se-although I think it's been applied in ways that are unconstitutional-but it really is a moral view, and that is that the taking of life is not the way to handle even the most significant of crimes...Who amongst anyone is not above redemption? I think we have to be careful in executing final judgment. The one thing my faith teaches me-I don't get to play God. I think you are short-cutting the whole process of redemption...I don't want to be the person that stops that process from taking place.