--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If America has a civic religion, the…" description: "\"If America has a civic religion, the First Amendment is its central article of faith.\" — Henry Louis Gates" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5b/henry-louis-gates-2372_amendments_if-america-has-a-civic-religion-the-firs_699686.jpg" --- # If America has a civic religion, the First Amendment is… ![“If America has a civic religion, the First Amendment is its central article of faith.” quote by Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5b/henry-louis-gates-2372_amendments_if-america-has-a-civic-religion-the-firs_699686.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5b/henry-louis-gates-2372_amendments_if-america-has-a-civic-religion-the-firs_699686.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5b/henry-louis-gates-2372_amendments_if-america-has-a-civic-religion-the-firs_699686.jpg) > “If America has a civic religion, the First Amendment is its central article of faith.” [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The First Amendment serves as a foundational belief system, akin to a religion, shaping America's civic identity. **In simple terms:** First Amendment is a core civic belief. Key Takeaway Recognize and protect fundamental freedoms. Themes law civil rights national identity Mood thoughtful respectful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - Legal education - public policy debates - citizen activism Key Concepts constitutional law civic religion Questions to Reflect On - How does viewing the Amendment as a religion affect public discourse? - What responsibilities arise from this civic belief? A Different Perspective Interpretations of the Amendment can vary, causing conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amendments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amendments/) [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Civics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civics/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [First amendment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-amendment/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [Alongside my own deep personal faith, I am a follower, as well, of our civic religion. I am a big believer in the separation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/alongside-my-own-deep-personal-faith-i-am-a-follower-as-well-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Truthfulness under oath is, by now, a matter of our civic religion, our relation to our fellow citizens rather than our relation to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rorty/truthfulness-under-oath-is-by-now-a-matter-of-our-civic-religion-our/) [Richard Rorty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rorty/) > [Civic participation over a lifetime, working in neighborhoods and communities and service of all kinds - military and civilian, full-time and part-time, national and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/civic-participation-over-a-lifetime-working-in-neighborhoods-and/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Where the preamble declares, that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/where-the-preamble-declares-that-coercion-is-a-departure-from-the/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The First Amendment of the Constitution was not written to protect the people from religion; that amendment was written to protect religion from government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-first-amendment-of-the-constitution-was-not-written-to-protect/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [“Anti-intellectualism is virtually our civic religion. "Critical thinking" may be a ubiquitous educational slogan—a vaguely defined skill we hope our children pick up on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anti-intellectualism-is-virtually-our-civic-religion-critical/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Is it not an amazing thing, that men shall attempt to investigate the mystery of the redemption, when, at the same time that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-sterne/is-it-not-an-amazing-thing-that-men-shall-attempt-to-investigate-the/) [Laurence Sterne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-sterne/) > [The balance of trade is an article of faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-balance-of-trade-is-an-article-of-faith/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [“I take it as an article of faith that the novels I've loved will live inside me forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/i-take-it-as-an-article-of-faith-that-the-novels-i-ve-loved-will-live/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [In the wealthiest nation on Earth, no one who works a full time job should have to live in poverty. That's a fundamental value…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-the-wealthiest-nation-on-earth-no-one-who-works-a-full-time-job/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No falsehood is so fatal as that which is made an article of faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/no-falsehood-is-so-fatal-as-that-which-is-made-an-article-of-faith/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Nonviolence is the first article of my faith. It is also the last article of my creed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nonviolence-is-the-first-article-of-my-faith-it-is-also-the-last/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I had been brought up in a church which decides everything and permits no doubts, so that having rejected one article of faith I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/i-had-been-brought-up-in-a-church-which-decides-everything-and/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [“In my heart reigns this one article, faith in my dear Lord Christ, the beginning, middle and end of whatever spiritual and divine thoughts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/in-my-heart-reigns-this-one-article-faith-in-my-dear-lord-christ-the/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [It's an article of faith that the novels I've loved will live inside me forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/it-s-an-article-of-faith-that-the-novels-i-ve-loved-will-live-inside/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) ## More by Henry Louis Gates > [In Ethiopia, the black people became Christians 1700 years ago, hundreds of years before Northern Europe turned to Christianity... And here, most of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/in-ethiopia-the-black-people-became-christians-1700-years-ago/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [I don't think the riots derailed the civil rights movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/i-don-t-think-the-riots-derailed-the-civil-rights-movement/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [Politicians will not put forth programs aimed at the problems of poor blacks while their turnout remains so low.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/politicians-will-not-put-forth-programs-aimed-at-the-problems-of-poor/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [I'm a tech geek. Whenever I read about something new, I think to myself, How can I take this and make it black?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/i-m-a-tech-geek-whenever-i-read-about-something-new-i-think-to-myself/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [I think that the implication of King's assassination has not been fully appreciated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/i-think-that-the-implication-of-king-s-assassination-has-not-been/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [I want to be remembered as someone who tried to bring the story of our ancestors to the broadest possible audience. I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/i-want-to-be-remembered-as-someone-who-tried-to-bring-the-story-of/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [In 1957, when I was in second grade, black children integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. We watched it on TV. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/in-1957-when-i-was-in-second-grade-black-children-integrated-central/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [Since the day Martin Luther King was killed, the black middle classes have almost quadrupled, but the percentage of black children living on or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/since-the-day-martin-luther-king-was-killed-the-black-middle-classes/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [Diversity doesn't mean black and white only.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/diversity-doesn-t-mean-black-and-white-only/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [Because Lincoln is so closely identified with what it is to be American, everyone wants to claim him, to rewrite his story to satisfy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/because-lincoln-is-so-closely-identified-with-what-it-is-to-be/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [My grandfather was coloured, my father was Negro, and I am Black.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/my-grandfather-was-coloured-my-father-was-negro-and-i-am-black/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [Wherever you go in the history of America, there have been Black people making contributions, but their contributions have been obscured, lost, buried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/wherever-you-go-in-the-history-of-america-there-have-been-black/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [The act of writing for the slave constituted the act of creating a public, historical self, not only the self of the individual author…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/the-act-of-writing-for-the-slave-constituted-the-act-of-creating-a/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [You can say I had a severe case of 'Roots' envy. I wanted to be like Alex Haley, and I wanted to be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/you-can-say-i-had-a-severe-case-of-roots-envy-i-wanted-to-be-like/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [In America one drop of black ancestry makes you black.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/in-america-one-drop-of-black-ancestry-makes-you-black/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) [Explore all 169 Henry Louis Gates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) ## More Amendments quotes > [This separation was absolute in our original Republic. But the sky-godders do not give up easily. In the 1950s they actually got the phrase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/this-separation-was-absolute-in-our-original-republic-but-the-sky/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [The First Amendment makes confidence in the common sense of our people and in the maturity of their judgement the great postulate of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/the-first-amendment-makes-confidence-in-the-common-sense-of-our/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [Anybody who pretends that how you read the 10th and 11th Amendment doesn't have a fundamental impact on the things we care about is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/anybody-who-pretends-that-how-you-read-the-10th-and-11th-amendment/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [I have a lot of guns on my ranch. I don't use them for hunting. I'm not a hunter. It's for protection. The Second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-norris/i-have-a-lot-of-guns-on-my-ranch-i-don-t-use-them-for-hunting-i-m-not/) [Chuck Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-norris/) > [All human situations have their inconveniences. We feel those of the present but neither see nor feel those of the future; and hence we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/all-human-situations-have-their-inconveniences-we-feel-those-of-the/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [If, in the opinion of the people, the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/if-in-the-opinion-of-the-people-the-distribution-or-modification-of/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [The First Amendment exists to protect our religious liberty--to ensure that all Americans are able to seek out worship God with all our hearts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/the-first-amendment-exists-to-protect-our-religious-liberty-to-ensure/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [Laws that forbid the carrying of arms . . . disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/laws-that-forbid-the-carrying-of-arms-disarm-only-those-who-are/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [As civil rulers, not having their duty to the people duly before them, may attempt to tyrannize,... The people are confirmed by the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tench-coxe/as-civil-rulers-not-having-their-duty-to-the-people-duly-before-them/) [Tench Coxe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tench-coxe/) > [The lessons of the First Amendment are as urgent in the modern world as the 18th Century when it was written. One timeless lesson…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-kennedy/the-lessons-of-the-first-amendment-are-as-urgent-in-the-modern-world/) [Anthony Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-kennedy/) > [The American people intuitively understand this, which is why the majority of Catholics practice birth control and some of those opposed to gay marriage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-american-people-intuitively-understand-this-which-is-why-the/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I think the reality is that copyright law has for a very long time been a tiny little part of American jurisprudence, far removed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/i-think-the-reality-is-that-copyright-law-has-for-a-very-long-time/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/what-country-can-preserve-its-liberties-if-its-rulers-are-not-warned/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The First Amendment defends all forms of speech including hate speech, which is why groups like Ku Klux Klan are allowed to utter their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/the-first-amendment-defends-all-forms-of-speech-including-hate-speech/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [The Second Amendment has no place in modern society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/the-second-amendment-has-no-place-in-modern-society/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) [Browse all 709 Amendments quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amendments/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If America has a civic religion, the First Amendment is its central article of faith.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Louis Gates" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/if-america-has-a-civic-religion-the-first-amendment-is-its-central/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Amendments" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/if-america-has-a-civic-religion-the-first-amendment-is-its-central/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5b/henry-louis-gates-2372_amendments_if-america-has-a-civic-religion-the-firs_699686.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5b/henry-louis-gates-2372_amendments_if-america-has-a-civic-religion-the-firs_699686.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5b/henry-louis-gates-2372_amendments_if-america-has-a-civic-religion-the-firs_699686.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If America has a civic religion, the First Amendment is its central article of faith.” — Henry Louis Gates", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Henry Louis Gates", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If America has a civic religion,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/if-america-has-a-civic-religion-the-first-amendment-is-its-central/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/if-america-has-a-civic-religion-the-first-amendment-is-its-central/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```