Andrew Scheer Quotes

The past history of the Christian Church should be a solemn warning to us never to permit an alliance to be formed between the priesthood and the civil magistracy—between church and state powers.

The only time I every fear religion is when it has the power of the state behind it.

Intrude not yourself into ecclesiastical matters.

These men were religious when the spirit of religion was buried in forms and ceremonies, and when the priesthood had armed itself with the civil powers to put down all opposition, and suppress all freedom, intellectual, civil, and religious.

The Roman Catholics must know as well as we do that 'Popery' when encouraged by government has always been dangerous to the liberties of the people.

There the union of Church and State tends strongly to paralyze some of the members of the body of Christ. Here there is no such influence to destroy spiritual life and power.

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

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.

How hurtful to religion and the state is the concession to ministers of religion of any power of issuing decrees or transacting the business of government.

Nothing is more dreaded than the national government meddling with religion.

The church, by reason of her role and competence, is not identified with any political community nor is it tied to any political system

We do not believe that any religious society has authority to try men on the right of property or life, to take from them this world's goods, or to put them in jeopardy of either life or limb, or to inflict any physical punishment upon them. They can only excommunicate them from their society, and withdraw from their fellowship.

Zealous groups threaten to infringe civil liberties when they seek government support to impose their own religious views on non-adherents. 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.

Religion and Government will both exist in greater purity, the less they are mixed together.

If government can answer for individuals at the day of judgment, let men be controlled by it in religious matters; otherwise let men be free.

It was under a solemn consciousness of the dangers from ecclesiastical ambition, the bigotry of spiritual pride, and the intolerance of sects, thus exemplified in our domestic, as well as in foreign annals, that it was deemed advisable to exclude from the national government all power to act upon the subject.

The settled opinion here is, that religion is essentially distinct from civil Government, and exempt from its cognizance; that a connection between them is injurious to both.

Among the best traitors Ireland has ever had, Mother Church ranks at the very top, a massive obstacle in the path to equality and freedom. She has been a force for conservatism, not on the basis of preserving Catholic doctrine or preventing the corruption of her children, but simply to ward off threats to her own security and influence.

Turn a Christian society into an established church and it is no longer a voluntary assembly for the worship of God; it is a powerful corporation full of such sentiments and passions as usually distinguish these bodies: a dread of innovation, an attachment to abuses, a propensity to tyranny and oppression.

The church state-wall must be kept high and impregnable. We could not approve the slightest breach.

The day that this country ceases to be free for irreligion it will cease to be free for religion—except for the sect that can win political power.

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

There could be no issue between the Church and the State. The Church, as such, has nothing to do with political affairs. On the other hand, the State has nothing to do with the faith or inner organization of the Church

Declare church and state forever separate and distinct; but each free within their proper spheres.

The church must be the critic and guide of the state, and never its tool.