--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We may first observe that communism and…" description: "\"We may first observe that communism and socialism--which we shall hereafter group together and dub Statism--cannot live with Christianity nor with any ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30b/j-reuben-clark-15679_authority_we-may-first-observe-that-communism-and_976599.jpg" --- # We may first observe that communism and socialism--which… ![“We may first observe that communism and socialism--which we shall hereafter group together and dub Statism--cannot live with Christianity nor with any religion that postulates a Creator such as the Declaration of Independence recognizes. The slaves of Statism must know no power, no authority, no…” quote by J. Reuben Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30b/j-reuben-clark-15679_authority_we-may-first-observe-that-communism-and_976599.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30b/j-reuben-clark-15679_authority_we-may-first-observe-that-communism-and_976599.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30b/j-reuben-clark-15679_authority_we-may-first-observe-that-communism-and_976599.jpg) > “We may first observe that communism and socialism--which we shall hereafter group together and dub Statism--cannot live with Christianity nor with any religion that postulates a Creator such as the Declaration of Independence recognizes. The slaves of Statism must know no power, no authority, no source of blessing, no God, but the State…” [J. Reuben Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-reuben-clark/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Communism and socialism reject divine authority, making them incompatible with Christianity and any belief in a Creator. **In simple terms:** Statism opposes religion and God. Key Takeaway Recognize the conflict between state ideologies and faith. Themes religion politics ideology freedom authority Mood thoughtful critical reflective Type philosophical political religious When to use this quote - political discourse - religious education - public policy - personal belief systems Key Concepts theism secularism state power human rights Questions to Reflect On - How do societies balance religious freedom with secular governance? - Can moral values exist without reference to a higher power? A Different Perspective Statism may claim moral neutrality, but it still imposes its own worldview. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Blessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blessing/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Communism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communism/) [Communism and socialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communism-and-socialism/) [Communism Socialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communism-socialism-1441959/) [Creator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creator/) [Declaration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/declaration/) [Declaration of independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/declaration-of-independence/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/groups/) [Hereafter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hereafter/) [Independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independence/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Slaves Statism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slaves-statism-1910987/) [Socialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/socialism/) [Socialism Shall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/socialism-shall-1910988/) [Source](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/source/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Statism Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statism-know-1910986/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) ## Related quotes > [There is no difference between communism and socialism, except in the means of achieving the same ultimate end: communism proposes to enslave men by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/there-is-no-difference-between-communism-and-socialism-except-in-the/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Communism and socialism, programs for intellectual control over society ... fascism, a program for the social control of intellect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-pirsig/communism-and-socialism-programs-for-intellectual-control-over/) [Robert M. 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Conservatives are individuals and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/liberalism-communism-socialism-are-about-denying-individual-liberty/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [“The difference between communism and socialism is that under socialism central planning ends with a gun in your face, whereas under communism central planning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-d-williamson/the-difference-between-communism-and-socialism-is-that-under/) [Kevin D. Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-d-williamson/) > [“Scholars and enlightened always want to define the differences between communism, socialism, fascism and other economic or political systems. It really doesn't matter to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-danishevsky/scholars-and-enlightened-always-want-to-define-the-differences/) [Jake Danishevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-danishevsky/) > [A Jesuit once wrote a note to Father Arrupe, his superior general, asking him about the relative value of communism, socialism and capitalism. Father…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/a-jesuit-once-wrote-a-note-to-father-arrupe-his-superior-general/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [If you contrast the productivity that comes from a networked or capitalist distribution of resources versus a centralized planning system, frequently referred to as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/if-you-contrast-the-productivity-that-comes-from-a-networked-or/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [I can understand Communism, but not Socialism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lajos-kossuth/i-can-understand-communism-but-not-socialism/) [Lajos Kossuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lajos-kossuth/) > [Under communism (socialism), there is no incentive to supply people with anything they need or want, including safety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-reisman/under-communism-socialism-there-is-no-incentive-to-supply-people-with/) [George Reisman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-reisman/) > [“...it was the very government and the way they treated us that started us on that road. For example, in my case, when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/domitila-barrios-de-chungara/it-was-the-very-government-and-the-way-they-treated-us-that-started/) [Domitila Barrios de Chungara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/domitila-barrios-de-chungara/) > [No one should suffer from the great delusion that any form of communism or socialism which promotes the dictatorship of the few instead of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-e-wilson/no-one-should-suffer-from-the-great-delusion-that-any-form-of/) [Charles E. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-e-wilson/) > [The greatest factors making for communism, socialism or anarchy among a free people are the excesses of capital. The talk of the agitator does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/the-greatest-factors-making-for-communism-socialism-or-anarchy-among/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [In fact, there is an academic blackout about the atrocities perpetrated in the name of communism and socialism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/in-fact-there-is-an-academic-blackout-about-the-atrocities/) [Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/) ## More by J. Reuben Clark > [“Let all your activities, everything that you do in life, let them all lead unto this great fundamental fact, that Jesus is the Christ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-reuben-clark/let-all-your-activities-everything-that-you-do-in-life-let-them-all/) [J. Reuben Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-reuben-clark/) > [Let us avoid debt as we would avoid a plague...Let every head of every household see to it that he has on hand enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-reuben-clark/let-us-avoid-debt-as-we-would-avoid-a-plague-let-every-head-of-every/) [J. 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Reuben Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-reuben-clark/) > [Let us again clothe ourselves with these proved and sterling virtues - honesty, truthfulness, chastity, sobriety, temperance, industry, and thrift; let us discard all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-reuben-clark/let-us-again-clothe-ourselves-with-these-proved-and-sterling-virtues/) [J. Reuben Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-reuben-clark/) > [Not only does the Charter Organization not prevent future wars, but it makes it practically certain that we shall have future wars, and as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-reuben-clark/not-only-does-the-charter-organization-not-prevent-future-wars-but-it/) [J. Reuben Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-reuben-clark/) > [I believe American manhood is too valuable to be sacrificed on foreign soil for foreign issues and causes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-reuben-clark/i-believe-american-manhood-is-too-valuable-to-be-sacrificed-on/) [J. 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Reuben Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-reuben-clark/) > [“My rule now is, never read anything that is not worth remembering.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-reuben-clark/my-rule-now-is-never-read-anything-that-is-not-worth-remembering/) [J. Reuben Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-reuben-clark/) [Explore all 42 J. Reuben Clark quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-reuben-clark/) ## More Authority quotes > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. 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