Russian Orthodox Church Quotes

The first revolt is against the supreme tyranny of theology, of the phantom of God. As long as we have a master in heaven, we will be slaves on earth.

Religion can never reform mankind because religion is slavery.

There is no greater mindlessness and absurdity than to force conscience and the spirit with external power.

The doctrine of blind obedience and unqualified submission to any human power, whether civil or ecclesiastical, is the doctrine of despotism, and ought to have no place among Republicans and Christians.

See, it's no in between: you're either free or you're a slave.

Where annual elections end where slavery begins.

If you turn the other cheek, you can be enslaved for 1,000 years.

Anytime you turn on your own concept of God, you are no longer a free man. No one needs to put chains on your body, because the chains are on your mind.

Dictators free themselves, but they enslave the people.

To depend upon the Will of a Man is Slavery.

I would prefer to be a citizen of an independent country rather than Emperor of an enslaved one.

Excess of liberty, whether it lies in state or individuals, seems only to pass into excess of slavery.

Tyrants are seldom free; the cares and the instruments of their tyranny enslave them.

Free men have arms; slaves do not.

Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.

Patriotism ... for rulers is nothing else than a tool for achieving their power-hungry and money-hungry goals, and for the ruled it means renouncing their human dignity, reason, conscience, and slavish submission to those in power. ... Patriotism is slavery.

The tyrant is only the slave turned inside out.

Liberty without socialism is privilege and injustice; socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality.

I would rather hew wood than be a king under the conditions of the King of England.

I will never abuse power if elected.... This country [Russia] can never again fall under the influence of a dictator.

They [the clergy] believe that any power confided in me will be executed in opposition to their schemes. And they believe rightly. For I have sworn on the alter of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.

To disarm the people—that was the best and most effective way to enslave them.

And who can doubt that it will lead to the worst disorders when minds created free by God are compelled to submit slavishly to an outside will? When we are told to deny our senses and subject them to the whim of others? When people devoid of whatsoever competence are made judges over experts and are granted authority to treat them as they please? These are the novelties which are apt to bring about the ruin of commonwealths and the subversion of the state.

The Slavs like liberty; they cannot bear unlimited rulers, and are not easily brought to submission

Would you rather lead an army of slaves?