--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Regardless of their leaders' decisions…" description: "\"“Regardless of their leaders' decisions, nation-states-their bureaucratic reach augmented by the increasingly centralized orchestration of tax revenues..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f4/brad-s-gregory-37761_cold-war_regardless-of-their-leaders-decisions-na_2379651.jpg" --- # Regardless of their leaders' decisions… ![“Regardless of their leaders' decisions, nation-states-their bureaucratic reach augmented by the increasingly centralized orchestration of tax revenues, industrial and communications technologies, military power, and police forces-controlled the churches and all expressions of religion with greater…” quote by Brad S. Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f4/brad-s-gregory-37761_cold-war_regardless-of-their-leaders-decisions-na_2379651.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f4/brad-s-gregory-37761_cold-war_regardless-of-their-leaders-decisions-na_2379651.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f4/brad-s-gregory-37761_cold-war_regardless-of-their-leaders-decisions-na_2379651.jpg) > ““Regardless of their leaders' decisions, nation-states-their bureaucratic reach augmented by the increasingly centralized orchestration of tax revenues, industrial and communications technologies, military power, and police forces-controlled the churches and all expressions of religion with greater effectiveness than had ever been possible during the Reformation era. During the Cold War, this was no less true of the United States than it was of the Soviet Union, despite the radically different ways in which these two nations regarded religion and treated religious believers.”” [Brad S. Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-s-gregory/) ## 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 that modern nation‑states wield extensive control over religious institutions, surpassing historical limits. **In simple terms:** Modern states heavily control religion. Key Takeaway Recognize state influence on faith. Themes politics religion state power history control Mood analytical critical Type theoretical historical When to use this quote - Legislation on religious groups - state‑funded religious programs - international religious policy Key Concepts Secularism institutional authority policy impact Questions to Reflect On - How does this control affect individual belief? - What can limit mitigate state overreach? A Different Perspective State control can suppress religious freedom; not all states act uniformly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cold war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold-war/) [Controlled Churches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/controlled-churches-5889557/) [Different ways](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-ways/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Reformation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reformation/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religion Greater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-greater-3995850/) [Religion Treated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-treated-2587679/) [Soviet union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soviet-union/) [States Bureaucratic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states-bureaucratic-5889558/) ## Related quotes > [Religion has treated knowledge sometimes as an enemy, sometimes as a hostage; often as a captive and more often as a child; but knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/religion-has-treated-knowledge-sometimes-as-an-enemy-sometimes-as-a/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [I think religion should be treated with ridicule, hatred, and contempt, and I claim that right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-think-religion-should-be-treated-with-ridicule-hatred-and-contempt/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [A convert's enthusiasm for his new religion is greater than that of a person who is born in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-convert-s-enthusiasm-for-his-new-religion-is-greater-than-that-of-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Our own country seemed more polarized than it's ever been and since the two terrorist attacks of 9/11, religion was in greater disrepute than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/our-own-country-seemed-more-polarized-than-it-s-ever-been-and-since/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [“The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-history-of-mankind-will-probably-show-that-no-people-has-ever/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No religion has ever been greater than its idea of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/no-religion-has-ever-been-greater-than-its-idea-of-god/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [Less power to religion, the greater power to knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hypatia-bradlaugh-bonner/less-power-to-religion-the-greater-power-to-knowledge/) [Hypatia Bradlaugh Bonner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hypatia-bradlaugh-bonner/) > [“The medieval period based its scriptural exegesis upon the Vulgate translation of the Bible. 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If we pull through this I’ll nail his dick to the wall with those logs so hard I’ll make the Reformation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-warren/that-little-shit-if-we-pull-through-this-i-ll-nail-his-dick-to-the/) [Scott Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-warren/) > [People who have reformed themselves has contributed their full share towards the reformation of their neighbor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-douglas/people-who-have-reformed-themselves-has-contributed-their-full-share/) [Norman Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-douglas/) ## More by Brad S. Gregory > [“Not only have past processes made us what we are-"modern" or "postmodern" selves, rather than "medieval" or "early modern" selves-but by explaining them we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-s-gregory/not-only-have-past-processes-made-us-what-we-are-modern-or-postmodern/) [Brad S. Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-s-gregory/) > [“According to the Gospels, Jesus did not tell his listeners to believe whatever they wished to believe as individuals, or to follow him only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-s-gregory/according-to-the-gospels-jesus-did-not-tell-his-listeners-to-believe/) [Brad S. Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-s-gregory/) > [“modern era of multivalent "secularity" and "exclusive humanism" in which we live, a shift from the premodern, socially embedded "porous self" to the meaning-constructing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-s-gregory/modern-era-of-multivalent-secularity-and-exclusive-humanism-in-which/) [Brad S. 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Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-s-gregory/) [Explore all 12 Brad S. Gregory quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-s-gregory/) ## More Cold war quotes > [“A clear look back on the Cold War's battlegrounds, along with a sense of relief that the world survived forty-five years of confrontation, evokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-clear-look-back-on-the-cold-war-s-battlegrounds-along-with-a-sense/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We have Internet now and people are not stupid. 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