--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In such a performance you may lay the…" description: "\"In such a performance you may lay the foundation of national happiness only in religion, not by leaving it doubtful \"whether morals can exist without i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/benjamin-rush-9439_breeze_in-such-a-performance-you-may-lay-the-fo_2074491.png" --- # In such a performance you may lay the foundation of… ![“In such a performance you may lay the foundation of national happiness only in religion, not by leaving it doubtful "whether morals can exist without it," but by asserting that without religion morals are the effects of causes as purely physical as pleasant breezes and fruitful seasons.” quote by Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/benjamin-rush-9439_breeze_in-such-a-performance-you-may-lay-the-fo_2074491.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/benjamin-rush-9439_breeze_in-such-a-performance-you-may-lay-the-fo_2074491.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/benjamin-rush-9439_breeze_in-such-a-performance-you-may-lay-the-fo_2074491.png) > “In such a performance you may lay the foundation of national happiness only in religion, not by leaving it doubtful "whether morals can exist without it," but by asserting that without religion morals are the effects of causes as purely physical as pleasant breezes and fruitful seasons.” [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He argues morality can exist without religion, but religion provides a stable foundation for societal happiness. **In simple terms:** Morality need not depend on religion, yet religion can unify happiness. Key Takeaway Consider moral foundations beyond faith. Themes philosophy religion morality societal happiness Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical inquisitive When to use this quote - public policy debates - educational curricula - interfaith dialogues Key Concepts ethical theory secularism social cohesion Questions to Reflect On - Can societies thrive morally without religion? - What role does religion play in public ethics? A Different Perspective May overlook non-religious moral frameworks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breeze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breeze/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Morals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morals/) [Performances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performances/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Seasons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seasons/) ## Related quotes > [Morals exist in those who understand the gift of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmina-siderovski/morals-exist-in-those-who-understand-the-gift-of-life/) [Jasmina Siderovski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmina-siderovski/) > [“To see happiness of others is indeed our religion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/to-see-happiness-of-others-is-indeed-our-religion/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [To devote your life to the good of all and to the happiness of all is religion. Whatever you do for your own sake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/to-devote-your-life-to-the-good-of-all-and-to-the-happiness-of-all-is/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Since religion was so much a part of my life as a child, and since my childhood was so happy and so full of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minnie-pearl/since-religion-was-so-much-a-part-of-my-life-as-a-child-and-since-my/) [Minnie Pearl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minnie-pearl/) > [It is important to bear in mind the now commonly accepted fact that in its primitive stages, religion had nothing to do with morals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-henry-breasted/it-is-important-to-bear-in-mind-the-now-commonly-accepted-fact-that/) [James Henry Breasted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-henry-breasted/) > [You dont need religion to have morals. If you cant determine right from wrong, then you lack empathy, not religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-dont-need-religion-to-have-morals-if-you-cant-determine-right/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Religion and morals are symmetrically opposed, just like poetry and philosophy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/religion-and-morals-are-symmetrically-opposed-just-like-poetry-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's just that for so many people that I know, Christianity's this matter of ... it has everything to do with morals. Christianity is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/it-s-just-that-for-so-many-people-that-i-know-christianity-s-this/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [You don't need religion to have morals. If you can't decide right from wrong then you lack empathy, not religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kane/you-don-t-need-religion-to-have-morals-if-you-can-t-decide-right-from/) [Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kane/) > [The Lord's prayer contains the sum total of religion and morals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-lord-s-prayer-contains-the-sum-total-of-religion-and-morals/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We ought not to be over-anxious to encourage innovation in cases of doubtful improvement, for an old system must ever have two advantages over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/we-ought-not-to-be-over-anxious-to-encourage-innovation-in-cases-of/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [What we suffer from today is humility in the wrong place...The old humility was a spur that prevented a man from stopping; not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/what-we-suffer-from-today-is-humility-in-the-wrong-place-the-old/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [It is doubtful whether mankind are most indebted to those who like Bacon and Butler dig the gold from the mine of literature, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/it-is-doubtful-whether-mankind-are-most-indebted-to-those-who-like/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [“An atheist is someone who is disappointed in his search of god. He is a man who strongly needed god but couldn't find him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/an-atheist-is-someone-who-is-disappointed-in-his-search-of-god-he-is/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [Beauty's a doubtful good, a glass, a flower, Lost, faded, broken, dead within an hour; And beauty, blemish'd once, for ever's lost, In spite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/beauty-s-a-doubtful-good-a-glass-a-flower-lost-faded-broken-dead/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More by Benjamin Rush > [While the business of education in Europe consists in lectures upon the ruins of Palmyra and the antiquities of Herculaneum , or in disputes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/while-the-business-of-education-in-europe-consists-in-lectures-upon/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [Freedom can exist only in the society of knowledge. Without learning, men are incapable of knowing their rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/freedom-can-exist-only-in-the-society-of-knowledge-without-learning/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [...This large and expensive stock of drugs will be unnecessary. By...doses of...medicines...multiplying...combining them properly, 20 to 30 articles, aided by the common resources of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/this-large-and-expensive-stock-of-drugs-will-be-unnecessary-by-doses/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [Without religion, I believe that learning does real mischief to the morals and principles of mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/without-religion-i-believe-that-learning-does-real-mischief-to-the/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [ \[W\]here there is no law, there is no liberty; and nothing deserves the name of law but that which is certain and universal in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/w-here-there-is-no-law-there-is-no-liberty-and-nothing-deserves-the/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [I have alternately been called an Aristocrat and a Democrat. I am neither. I am a Christocrat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/i-have-alternately-been-called-an-aristocrat-and-a-democrat-i-am/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [ The business of education has lay\[ed\] the foundations for nurseries of wise and good men, to adapt our modes of teaching to the peculiar… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/the-business-of-education-has-lay-ed-the-foundations-for-nurseries-of/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [Let us show the world that a difference of opinion upon medical subjects is not incompatible with medical friendships; and in so doing, let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/let-us-show-the-world-that-a-difference-of-opinion-upon-medical/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/the-gates-of-hell-shall-not-prevail-against-it/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [It would seem from this fact, that man is naturally a wild animal, and that when taken from the woods, he is never happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/it-would-seem-from-this-fact-that-man-is-naturally-a-wild-animal-and/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [The only foundation for . . . a republic is to be laid in Religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/the-only-foundation-for-a-republic-is-to-be-laid-in-religion-without/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [If we were to remove the Bible from public schools we would be wasting so much time punishing crimes and taking so little pains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/if-we-were-to-remove-the-bible-from-public-schools-we-would-be/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [Let the children...be carefully instructed in the principles and obligations of the Christian religion. This is the most essential part of education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/let-the-children-be-carefully-instructed-in-the-principles-and/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [I have always considered Christianity as the strong ground of republicanism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/i-have-always-considered-christianity-as-the-strong-ground-of/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [A belief in God's universal love to all his creatures, and that he will finally restore all of them that are miserable to happiness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/a-belief-in-god-s-universal-love-to-all-his-creatures-and-that-he/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) [Explore all 72 Benjamin Rush quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) ## More Breeze quotes > [I tohhugt finding this would be so arduous but it's a breeze!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deacon/i-tohhugt-finding-this-would-be-so-arduous-but-it-s-a-breeze/) Deacon > [The sun, a red wheel, was sinking slowly in the west. 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