--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In my judgment it is the duty of…" description: "\"In my judgment it is the duty of Congress, while respecting to the uttermost the conscientious convictions and religious scruples of every citizen, to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98e/james-a-garfield-3517_atheism_in-my-judgment-it-is-the-duty-of-congres_327841.jpg" --- # In my judgment it is the duty of Congress, while… ![“In my judgment it is the duty of Congress, while respecting to the uttermost the conscientious convictions and religious scruples of every citizen, to prohibit within its jurisdiction all criminal practices ... Nor can any ecclesiastical organization be safely permitted to usurp in the smallest…” quote by James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98e/james-a-garfield-3517_atheism_in-my-judgment-it-is-the-duty-of-congres_327841.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98e/james-a-garfield-3517_atheism_in-my-judgment-it-is-the-duty-of-congres_327841.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98e/james-a-garfield-3517_atheism_in-my-judgment-it-is-the-duty-of-congres_327841.jpg) > “In my judgment it is the duty of Congress, while respecting to the uttermost the conscientious convictions and religious scruples of every citizen, to prohibit within its jurisdiction all criminal practices ... Nor can any ecclesiastical organization be safely permitted to usurp in the smallest degree the functions and powers of the National Government.” [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Congress must protect religious freedom while preventing churches from assuming governmental powers. **In simple terms:** Balance religious liberty with secular governance. Key Takeaway Uphold separation of church and state. Themes religion government rights Mood thoughtful principled Type legal ethical When to use this quote - legislative drafting - court rulings - public policy Key Concepts separation of powers civil liberties Questions to Reflect On - How to draw the line between faith and law? - What safeguards ensure neutrality? A Different Perspective Complex enforcement in diverse societies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Citizens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizens/) [Congress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congress/) [Congress Respecting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congress-respecting-3076404/) [Conscientious Convictions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscientious-convictions-963867/) [Conviction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conviction/) [Degrees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/degrees/) [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Duty Congress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty-congress-963865/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Function](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/function/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/) [Judgment Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment-duty-3076405/) [Organization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organization/) [Presidential](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presidential/) [Prohibit Jurisdiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prohibit-jurisdiction-3076403/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Scruples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scruples/) [Smallest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smallest/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) ## Related quotes > [In my judgment, while it is the duty of Congress to respect to the uttermost the conscientious convictions and religious scruples of every citizen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/in-my-judgment-while-it-is-the-duty-of-congress-to-respect-to-the/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [It's our duty in Congress to bring the voices of our communities to Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-mcbath/it-s-our-duty-in-congress-to-bring-the-voices-of-our-communities-to/) [Lucy McBath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-mcbath/) > [I believe it is our duty in Congress to provide those who have served our nation with the highest level of care, and anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronny-jackson/i-believe-it-is-our-duty-in-congress-to-provide-those-who-have-served/) [Ronny Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronny-jackson/) > [It is the duty of Congress to ensure our lead regulations are up to date and consistent with modern detection methods so that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-quigley/it-is-the-duty-of-congress-to-ensure-our-lead-regulations-are-up-to/) [Mike Quigley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-quigley/) > [Some People are not to be persuaded to taste of any Creatures they have daily seen and been acquainted with, while they were alive;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-de-mandeville/some-people-are-not-to-be-persuaded-to-taste-of-any-creatures-they/) [Bernard de Mandeville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-de-mandeville/) > [I love you is unsubtle. It removes explanations, facilities, degrees, scruples.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-barthes/i-love-you-is-unsubtle-it-removes-explanations-facilities-degrees/) [Roland Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-barthes/) > [Most men only commit great crimes because of their scruples about petty ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-francois-paul-de-gondi/most-men-only-commit-great-crimes-because-of-their-scruples-about/) [Jean Francois Paul de Gondi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-francois-paul-de-gondi/) > [“You know what your problem is? You got too many scruples. One or two is okay, but you get too many of them, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/you-know-what-your-problem-is-you-got-too-many-scruples-one-or-two-is/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [We live in a world where people don't all have the same scruples, where all blows can be given, and where, in order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-sarkozy/we-live-in-a-world-where-people-don-t-all-have-the-same-scruples/) [Nicolas Sarkozy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-sarkozy/) > [The vehemence of my moral indignation surprised me. Was I beginning to have standards and principles, and, oh dear, scruples? What were they, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-dundy/the-vehemence-of-my-moral-indignation-surprised-me-was-i-beginning-to/) [Elaine Dundy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-dundy/) > [Some, merely to contradict what I had said, did not scruple to cast doubt upon things they had seen with their own eyes again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galileo-galilei/some-merely-to-contradict-what-i-had-said-did-not-scruple-to-cast/) [Galileo Galilei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galileo-galilei/) > [As for the excellent little wretches who grow up in what they are taught, with never a scruple or a query, ... they signify…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/as-for-the-excellent-little-wretches-who-grow-up-in-what-they-are/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [The greatest threat to mankind comes from the renunciation of individual scruple in favor of institutional denominators. . . . Real heroism lies, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-greatest-threat-to-mankind-comes-from-the-renunciation-of/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [It may be asserted without scruple, that no otherclass of dependants have had their character so entirely distorted from its natural proportions by their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-vaughan/it-may-be-asserted-without-scruple-that-no-otherclass-of-dependants/) [Bill Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-vaughan/) > [He would be guilty of mortal sin, because he exposes himself to the danger of grievously offending God. Hence, before he acts he must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alphonsus-liguori/he-would-be-guilty-of-mortal-sin-because-he-exposes-himself-to-the/) [Alphonsus Liguori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alphonsus-liguori/) ## More by James A. Garfield > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [If wrinkles must be written on our brows, let them not be written upon the heart. The spirit should never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/if-wrinkles-must-be-written-on-our-brows-let-them-not-be-written-upon/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [The world's history is a divine poem, of which the history of every nation is a canto, and every man a word. Its strains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/the-world-s-history-is-a-divine-poem-of-which-the-history-of-every/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [Coercion is the basis of every law in the universe,--human or divine. A law is not law without coercion behind it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/coercion-is-the-basis-of-every-law-in-the-universe-human-or-divine-a/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [There are men and women who make the world better just by being the kind of people they are. They have the gift of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/there-are-men-and-women-who-make-the-world-better-just-by-being-the/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [..remember that under our institutions there was no middle ground for the negro race between slavery and equal citizenship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/remember-that-under-our-institutions-there-was-no-middle-ground-for/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [Whomsoever controls the volume of money in any country is absolute master of all industry and commerce and when you realize that the entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/whomsoever-controls-the-volume-of-money-in-any-country-is-absolute/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [“Jika kerut merut mesti tertera di dahi kita, biarlah mereka tidak tertera di hati kita. Jiwa kita jangan pernah menjadi tua.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/jika-kerut-merut-mesti-tertera-di-dahi-kita-biarlah-mereka-tidak/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [The men who succeed best in public life are those who take the risk of standing by their own convictions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/the-men-who-succeed-best-in-public-life-are-those-who-take-the-risk/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [In the long, fierce struggle for freedom of opinion, the press, like the Church, counted its martyrs by thousands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/in-the-long-fierce-struggle-for-freedom-of-opinion-the-press-like-the/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [Now more than ever the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/now-more-than-ever-the-people-are-responsible-for-the-character-of/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [Nobody but radicals have ever accomplished anything in a great crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/nobody-but-radicals-have-ever-accomplished-anything-in-a-great-crisis/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [Battles are never the end of war; for the dead must be buried and the cost of the conflict must be paid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/battles-are-never-the-end-of-war-for-the-dead-must-be-buried-and-the/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [Men are tending to materialism. Houses, lands, and worldly goods attract their attention, and as a mirage lure them on to death. Christianity, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/men-are-tending-to-materialism-houses-lands-and-worldly-goods-attract/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [“If wrinkles must be written on our brow, let them not be written on our heart. The spirit should not grow old.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/if-wrinkles-must-be-written-on-our-brow-let-them-not-be-written-on/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) [Explore all 128 James A. Garfield quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) ## More Atheism quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [No philosophy, no religion, has ever brought so glad a message to the world as this good news of Atheism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-besant/no-philosophy-no-religion-has-ever-brought-so-glad-a-message-to-the/) [Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-besant/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [God speaks through me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/god-speaks-through-me/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestations of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/a-knowledge-of-the-existence-of-something-we-cannot-penetrate-of-the/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [You cannot ... transmute some incoherent mixture of words into sense merely by introducing the three-letter word "God" to be its grammatical subject.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-flew/you-cannot-transmute-some-incoherent-mixture-of-words-into-sense/) [Antony Flew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-flew/) > [Many humanists have argued that happiness involves a combination of hedonism and creative moral development; that an exuberant life fuses excellence and enjoyment, meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/many-humanists-have-argued-that-happiness-involves-a-combination-of/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [If, with all the time at my disposal, with all the wealth of the resources of this vast universe, to do with as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/if-with-all-the-time-at-my-disposal-with-all-the-wealth-of-the/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [Do you think that was kind? Do you think it was godlike? What would you think of a physician, if a woman came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-h-gardener/do-you-think-that-was-kind-do-you-think-it-was-godlike-what-would-you/) [Helen H. Gardener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-h-gardener/) > [Science can destroy religion by ignoring it as well as by disproving its tenets. No one ever demonstrated, so far as I am aware,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/science-can-destroy-religion-by-ignoring-it-as-well-as-by-disproving/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [Honest investigation is utterly impossible within the pale of any church, for the reason, that if you think the church is right you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/honest-investigation-is-utterly-impossible-within-the-pale-of-any/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) [Browse all 4,769 Atheism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In my judgment it is the duty of Congress, while respecting to the uttermost the conscientious convictions and religious scruples of every citizen, to prohibit within its jurisdiction all criminal practices ... Nor can any ecclesiastical organization be safely permitted to usurp in the smallest degree the functions and powers of the National Government.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James A. 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