Lord Byron Quotes

Congress should not establish a religion and enforce the legal observation of it by law, nor compel men to worship God in any manner contrary to their conscience, or that one sect might obtain a pre-eminence, or two combined together, and establish a religion to which they would compel others to conform

In bringing the subject of religious oppression to a wider audience, I didn't just want to kick the Catholic Church but to poke a finger in the throat of theocracy and to let it be known that people shouldn't tolerate this anymore.

Religious power, which, as I have already said, frequently identifies itself with political power, has always been a protagonist of this bitter struggle, even when it seemingly was neutral.

A union of government and religion tends to destroy government and degrade religion.

I believe in a religion that believes in freedom. Any time I have to accept a religion that won't let me fight a battle for my people, I say to hell with that religion.

To increase aid to the Pakistan government when religious freedom is not upheld is tantamount to an anti-Christian foreign policy.

When the government says to you that they want to help you be more religious, you want to run away from them as fast as possible.

Much mischief and grief will come from any alliances, holy or otherwise, between organized religious groups and the state.

The mixing of government and religion can be a threat to free government, even if no one is forced to participate.... When the government puts its imprimatur on a particular religion, it conveys a message of exclusion to all those who do not adhere to the favored beliefs.

Resolved, That we especially protest against this present attempt to force all the people to follow the religious dictates of a part of the people, as establishing a precedent for the entrance of a most dangerous complicity between Church and State, thereby subtly undermining the foundation of liberty, so carefully laid by the wisdom of our fathers.

When religion controls government, political liberty dies; and when government controls religion, religious liberty perishes.

The clergy, by getting themselves established by law and ingrafted into the machine of government, have been a very formidable engine against the civil and religious rights of man.

It is not possible in the nature of things to establish religion by human laws without perverting the design of civil law and oppressing the people.

If you elect a religious party into power, you no longer have a democracy.

Religion, too, is a weapon. What manner of weapon is religion when it becomes the government?

To speak against religion (the Christian) is breaking down the bond of good government.

It is very reasonable to worry about the harm done by organized religion, and to prefer looser and more private arrangements.

Once you attempt legislation upon religious grounds, you open the way for every kind of intolerance and religious persecution.

Resist this war on God, freedom of religion and freedom of speech.

Those who deny the existence of a supreme being have been turned into second-class citizens by a government that continuously sends messages that 'real Americans' believe in God.

I think it's really terrifying that a country based on the foundations and ideals of God, is now systematically removing God from everything. Everything!

The religion that has to be supported by law is without value, not only, but a fraud and a curse. The religious argument that has to be supported by a musket is hardly worth making.

It is difficult to discern a serious threat to religious liberty from a room of silent, thoughtful schoolchildren.

I don’t see a bit of danger from us having an established religion.

Every adult is free to choose his own religion, but fanaticism has to be fought lest freedom perish.