Atheism Quote by James Madison
“The general government is proscribed from the interfering, in any manner whatsoever, in matters respecting religion; and it may be thought to do this, in ascertaining who, and who are not, ministers of the gospel.”
About This Quote
Source Document: The Bill of Rights, Amendment I, United States Constitution, 1791
The government must not interfere with religious practice or determine who qualifies as a religious leader.
In simple terms: No state control over religion.
Key Takeaway
Protect religious freedom.
Themes
religious liberty
government limits
separation of church and state
Mood
respectful
protective
Type
legal
political
When to use this quote
- church services
- faith communities
- legal disputes over religious status
- government policy making
Key Concepts
constitutional law
civil rights
theocracy
religious authority
Questions to Reflect On
- How should a pluralistic society define “interference”?
- What mechanisms ensure fair assessment of religious leadership?
A Different Perspective
Enforcement can be vague, leading to disputes over what counts as “interference”.
![“For the Christ of whom I speak has been revealed in this, the Dispensation of the Fulness [sic] of Times. He, together with His Father, appeared to the boy Joseph Smith in the year 1820, and when Joseph left the grove that day, he knew more of the nature of God than all the learned ministers of…” quote by Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ee0/gordon-b-hinckley-331_age_for-the-christ-of-whom-i-speak-has-been_3142909.jpg)
![“Ministers of the Gospel are excluded [from serving as Visitors of the county Elementary Schools] to avoid jealousy from the other sects, were the public education committed to the ministers of a particular one; and with more reason than in the case of their exclusion from the legislative and…” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/760/thomas-jefferson-43_cases_ministers-of-the-gospel-are-excluded-fro_628946.jpg)
![“It is certain that every class is interested in [educational] establishments which give to the human mind its highest improvements, and to every Country its truest and most durable celebrity.” quote by James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/964/james-madison-373_certain_it-is-certain-that-every-class-is-intere_22217.jpg)
