The doctrines of Jesus are simple, and tend to all the happiness of man. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
[A] spirit of justice and friendly accomodation...is our duty and our interest to cultivate with all nations. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
What has been the effect of religious coercion? To make half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
The selfish spirit of commerce knows no country, and feels no passion of principle but that of gain — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
If your letters are as long as the bible, they will appear short to me. Only let them be brim full of… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
Our particular principles of religion are a subject of accountability to God alone. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
Erecting the 'wall of separation between church and state'... is absolutely essential in a free society. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
Neither Pagan nor Mahamedan nor Jew ought to be excluded from the civil rights of the Commonwealth because of his religion. -quoting… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
He, who steadily observes those moral precepts in which all religions concur, will never be questioned at the gates of heaven as… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
No experiment can be more interesting than that we are now trying, and which we trust will end in establishing the fact,… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
life is of no value but as it brings gratifications. among the most valuable of these is rational society. it informs the… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
I am myself an empiric in natural philosophy, suffering my faith to go no further than my facts. I am pleased, however,… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
I am an Epicurean. I consider the genuine (not the imputed) doctrines of Epicurus as containing everything rational in moral philosophy which… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
[O]ur rules can have authority over such natural rights only as we have submitted to them. The rights of conscience we never… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
“I hope they pardoned them. The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that i wish it to… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
Turning, then, from this loathsome combination of church and state, and weeping over the follies of our fellow men, who yield themselves… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
I should . . . prefer swallowing one incomprehensibility rather than two. It requires one effort only to admit the single incomprehensibility… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
Reading, reflection and time have convinced me that the interests of society require the observation of those moral precepts only in which… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
Your sect [the Jews] by its sufferings has furnished a remarkable proof of the universal point of religious insolence, inherent in every… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
The doctrines of Jesus are simple and tend all to the happiness of man, that there is only one God and God… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
When, in short, we shall have unlearned everything which has been taught since his [Jesus'] day, and got back to the pure… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
By a declaration of rights, I mean one which shall stipulate freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of commerce against… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
The clergy ... believe that any portion of power confided to me [as President] will be exerted in opposition to their schemes.… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
Man, once surrendering his reason, has no remaining guard against absurdities the most monstrous. . . . — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
I am for freedom of religion, and against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendency of one sect over another. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
“Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and opressions of the body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
The office of reformer of the superstitions of a nation is ever dangerous. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
The selfish spirit of commerce, which knows no country, and feels no passion or principle but that of gain. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
Creeds have been the bane of the Christian church ... made of Christendom a slaughter-house. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
Politics, like religion, hold up the torches of martyrdom to the reformers of error. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
The protection of our citizens, the spirit and honor of our country, require that force should be interposed to a certain degree. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
The advocate of religious freedom is to expect neither peace nor forgiveness from [the clergy]. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call on her tribunal for every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
I consider ethics, as well as religion, as supplements to law in the government of man. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
The Christian god is a being of terrific character - cruel, vindictive, capricious and unjust. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
In every country and in every age, the priest has been hostile to liberty. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
Civil officials have no business meddling in private religious affairs. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
“Our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions any more than our opinions in physics or geometry...” — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
A man has a right to use a saw, an axe, a plane, separately; may he not combine their uses on the same piece… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
[States and the Federal government are] coordinate departments of one simple and integral whole... The one is the domestic, the other the foreign branch… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
I am for freedom of religion, and against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendency of one sect over another. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
Single acts of tyranny may be ascribed to the accidental opinion of a day; but a series of oppressions, begun at a distinguished period… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
“Perceiving the order of nature to be that individual happiness shall be inseparable from the practice of virtue, I am willing to hope it… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
Free government is founded in jealousy, and not in confidence; it is jealousy, and not confidence, which prescribes limited constitutions, to bind down those… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
Though you cannot see, when you take one step, what will be the next, yet follow truth, justice, and plain dealing, and never fear… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
The two principles on which our conduct towards the Indians should be founded are justice and fear. After the injuries we have done them,… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
There is... an artificial aristocracy founded on wealth and birth, without either virtue or talents... The artificial aristocracy is a mischievous ingredient in government,… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
Nothing but free argument, raillery and even ridicule will preserve the purity of religion. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
When the people are afraid of the government, that's tyranny. But when the government is afraid of the people, that's liberty. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights,… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
![“[A] spirit of justice and friendly accomodation...is our duty and our interest to cultivate with all nations.” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a93/thomas-jefferson-43_duty_a-spirit-of-justice-and-friendly-accomod_794646.jpg)
![“[O]ur rules can have authority over such natural rights only as we have submitted to them. The rights of conscience we never submitted, we could not submit. We are answerable for them to our God.” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c72/thomas-jefferson-43_authority_o-ur-rules-can-have-authority-over-such_2895951.jpg)
![“Your sect [the Jews] by its sufferings has furnished a remarkable proof of the universal point of religious insolence, inherent in every sect, disclaimed by all while feeble and practised by all when in power. Our laws have applied the only antidote to this vice, protecting our religions, as they…” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29c/thomas-jefferson-43_antidote_your-sect-the-jews-by-its-sufferings-has_433645.jpg)
![“When, in short, we shall have unlearned everything which has been taught since his [Jesus'] day, and got back to the pure and simple doctrines he inculcated, we shall then be truly and worthily his disciples: and my opinion is that if nothing had ever been added to what flowed purely from his…” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/641/thomas-jefferson-43_christian_when-in-short-we-shall-have-unlearned-ev_1786682.jpg)
![“The clergy ... believe that any portion of power confided to me [as President] will be exerted in opposition to their schemes. And they believe rightly: for I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man. But this is all they have to fear…” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/thomas-jefferson-43_altars_the-clergy-believe-that-any-portion-of-p_1301853.jpg)
![“The advocate of religious freedom is to expect neither peace nor forgiveness from [the clergy].” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/thomas-jefferson-43_christianity_the-advocate-of-religious-freedom-is-to_1177884.jpg)
