John F. Kennedy Quotes

Senator, when you took your oath of office, you placed your hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution. You didn't place your hand on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible.

I am sworn to uphold the Constitution as Andy Johnson understands it and interprets it.

As members of Congress, we take an oath to uphold the Constitution and bear true faith and allegiance to the United States, not the Republican or Democratic party. I have been willing to stand up to my own leadership when it's in the national interest.

Although he's regularly asked to do so, God does not take sides in American politics.

Americans deserve an attorney general that will be honest with them, they deserve an attorney general who will uphold the basic standards of political independence and accountability.

The manifest object of the men who framed the institutions of this country, was to have a State without religion and a Church without politics—that is to say, they meant that one should never be used as an engine for the purposes of the other.... For that reason they built up a wall of complete and perfect partition between the two.

He must be one that respects the Cause, and not the persons in all his Administrations…. If his Affections Oversway his judgment at any time, they will be a crooked Bias, that will turn him out of the way, and that shall be justice in one man's case, which will not be so in another. He must be one whom neither Flattery nor Bribery may be able to remove out of his way. Finally, he must be one who prefers the publick Benefit above all private and separate Interests whatsoever

We are political creatures but once we U. S. Attorneys get into office we must no longer be political.

You have to go where the truth takes you, and that doesn't always take you in exactly the same place where people you speak to might want, or suspects may want. That's your ultimate obligation.

As all presidents must, Trump swore an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, and to faithfully execute his office and the laws in accordance with the Constitution. That oath requires putting the national interests above his personal interests.

When I was sworn into office, I took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and I take that responsibility very seriously.

What is important to me is that I'm not accountable to and not controlled by party leadership. At the end of the day, I'm able to make my own decisions according to what's best for the community and the constituents I represent. It doesn't depend on what the partisanship is to the right or to the left.

Look, Bill Barr can choose to be a lying partisan hack. It just means he needs to go work for the Trump campaign but he can't be attorney general. That's a position that requires independence, integrity, an oath to the constitution.

It is interesting to ask whether there's any general reason why being religious might make you do nice things or indeed nasty things. It's possible that people do nice things because they're religious. One reason might be they're hoping for a reward in Heaven, which is not a very noble reason.

It is difficult for me to regard anyone who obeys no moral principle in his conduct to be a religious man.

No man is allowed to be a judge in his own cause; because his interest would certainly bias his judgment, and, not improbably, corrupt his integrity. With equal, nay with greater reason, a body of men are unfit to be both judges and parties at the same time.

Freedom of religion has been replaced by freedom from religion.

A public man has no right to let his actions be determined by particular interests. He does the same thing as a judge who accepts a bribe. Like a judge he must consider what is right, not what is advantageous to a party or class.

No tax in any amount, large or small, can be levied to support any religious activities or institutions, whatever they may be called, or whatever form they may adopt to teach or practice religion.

Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation deserts the oaths . . . ?

In an average moral universal society, good people will try to do the right thing, and psychotic people will do wicked things. But if you want to make good people do wicked things, you need them to be religious.

Performance of one's duties should be independent of public opinion.

Many people are trying to remove religion from public life. Under the banner of pluralism, cultural and political leaders are seeking to push all talk about God out of the public arena.

It is alleged by men of loose principles , or defective views of the subject, that religion and morality are not necessary or important qualifications for political station. When a citizen gives his vote to a man of immorality , he abuses his civic responsibilty. He sacrifices not only his own interest but that of his neighbor, and he betrays the interest of his country.