--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We need religion, government, and laws to…" description: "\"“We need religion, government, and laws to force a level of control over our baser natures. I intend to strip away the disease that is intelligence, to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/260/james-rollins-7397_nature_we-need-religion-government-and-laws-to_626574.png" --- # We need religion, government, and laws to force a level of… ![“We need religion, government, and laws to force a level of control over our baser natures. I intend to strip away the disease that is intelligence, to rip away the deception that allows humanity to believe itself mightier and more deserving of this planet.” quote by James Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/260/james-rollins-7397_nature_we-need-religion-government-and-laws-to_626574.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/260/james-rollins-7397_nature_we-need-religion-government-and-laws-to_626574.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/260/james-rollins-7397_nature_we-need-religion-government-and-laws-to_626574.png) > ““We need religion, government, and laws to force a level of control over our baser natures. I intend to strip away the disease that is intelligence, to rip away the deception that allows humanity to believe itself mightier and more deserving of this planet.”” [James Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rollins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that human intellect and moral belief are dangerous, suggesting that external structures like religion, government, and law are needed to restrain humanity’s selfish impulses. **In simple terms:** Intelligence can be a disease; control is needed. Key Takeaway Question the role of institutions in curbing human excess. Themes power control human nature intelligence morality Mood cautious critical reflective Type philosophical political ethical When to use this quote - political policy - education reform - environmental regulation - leadership training Key Concepts philosophy political theory ethics Questions to Reflect On - Do we need to limit intelligence for safety? - How can we balance freedom with responsibility? A Different Perspective Intelligence also drives innovation and problem solving, not just hubris. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [It’s against the rules of humanity to believe there is nothing we can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/it-s-against-the-rules-of-humanity-to-believe-there-is-nothing-we-can/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [It would be nice to feel that we are a better world, a world of more compassion and a world of more humanity, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-walters/it-would-be-nice-to-feel-that-we-are-a-better-world-a-world-of-more/) [Barbara Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-walters/) > [“I want to have faith in strangers. I want to have faith in what we're all going to do next. But I'm worried. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-want-to-have-faith-in-strangers-i-want-to-have-faith-in-what-we-re-2/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [I do not care what philosophy you take up; only I am ready to prove here that throughout the whole of India, there runs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/i-do-not-care-what-philosophy-you-take-up-only-i-am-ready-to-prove/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [For me, forgiveness and compassion are always linked: how do we hold people accountable for wrongdoing and yet at the same time remain in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/for-me-forgiveness-and-compassion-are-always-linked-how-do-we-hold/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [We must come to understand the deep mutual connection or kinship between the various forms of our spirituality. We must recollect our original spiritual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/we-must-come-to-understand-the-deep-mutual-connection-or-kinship/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [Life taught me not to trust anyone but I still choose to trust, because I still believe in humanity, I still believe in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prem-tihan-shafiq-2/life-taught-me-not-to-trust-anyone-but-i-still-choose-to-trust/) Prem Tihan Shafiq > [“Because when you’ve been around forever, you have to find something outside yourself to believe in or go mad. I believe in humanity. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tellulah-darling/because-when-you-ve-been-around-forever-you-have-to-find-something/) [Tellulah Darling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tellulah-darling/) > [“What kind of world will we see if our planet is filled with the people of one heart...? The reason why we fight or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marth/what-kind-of-world-will-we-see-if-our-planet-is-filled-with-the/) Marth > [There are large numbers of people who simply don't have the values and vision necessary to be part of an inter-dependent world. They think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-clinton/there-are-large-numbers-of-people-who-simply-don-t-have-the-values/) [Bill Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-clinton/) > [“The hope that we have in Christ is so gloriously wonderful, why would we ever keep it to ourselves? When we refuse to communicate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/britt-merrick/the-hope-that-we-have-in-christ-is-so-gloriously-wonderful-why-would/) [Britt Merrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/britt-merrick/) > [the separation of church and state grew out of a desire, not so much to protect government from religion, but to protect religion from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/the-separation-of-church-and-state-grew-out-of-a-desire-not-so-much/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [Religion, too, is a weapon. What manner of weapon is religion when it becomes the government?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/religion-too-is-a-weapon-what-manner-of-weapon-is-religion-when-it/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Strongly guarded as is the separation between Religion and Government in the Constitution of the United States, the danger of encroachment by Ecclesiastical Bodies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/strongly-guarded-as-is-the-separation-between-religion-and-government/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) ## More by James Rollins > [“She handed him her gun. “Down,” she ordered. “Shoot anybody that comes into view.” “What about you?” “No, don’t shoot me.” “I mean where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rollins/she-handed-him-her-gun-down-she-ordered-shoot-anybody-that-comes-into/) [James Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rollins/) > [I don't actually have a one wellspring of inspiration. Though I'm most often inspired while reading - both fiction and nonfiction. I subscribe to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rollins/i-don-t-actually-have-a-one-wellspring-of-inspiration-though-i-m-most/) [James Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rollins/) > [“It is high time Americans grew accustomed to our traditions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rollins/it-is-high-time-americans-grew-accustomed-to-our-traditions/) [James Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rollins/) > [“We are star-stuff. We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rollins/we-are-star-stuff-we-are-a-way-for-the-cosmos-to-know-itself/) [James Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rollins/) > [With two books a year, I don't have time for writer's block.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rollins/with-two-books-a-year-i-don-t-have-time-for-writer-s-block/) [James Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rollins/) > [I subscribe to National Geographic, Scientific American, Discover, and a slew of other magazines. And it is while reading articles for pleasure and interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rollins/i-subscribe-to-national-geographic-scientific-american-discover-and-a/) [James Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rollins/) > [“Are we at the cusp of a second Great Leap Forward? Or are we doomed to fall backward once again?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rollins/are-we-at-the-cusp-of-a-second-great-leap-forward-or-are-we-doomed-to/) [James Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rollins/) > [“He knew he probably sounded like an idiot to the scholars, but sometimes an idiot’s perspective ended up getting more things done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rollins/he-knew-he-probably-sounded-like-an-idiot-to-the-scholars-but/) [James Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rollins/) > [“And what of our own universe? The newest conjecture is that all that we experience—from the tiniest vibrating string of energy to that massive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rollins/and-what-of-our-own-universe-the-newest-conjecture-is-that-all-that/) [James Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rollins/) > [“The holy relics were granted to Rainald von Dassel, Archbishop of Cologne (1159–67), following Emperor Barbarossa’s sacking of the city of Milan. Such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rollins/the-holy-relics-were-granted-to-rainald-von-dassel-archbishop-of/) [James Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rollins/) > [I've mis-signed many a book Rollins or Clemens. My readers quickly become aware. Booksellers will often promote me under both names, and I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rollins/i-ve-mis-signed-many-a-book-rollins-or-clemens-my-readers-quickly/) [James Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rollins/) > [When mankind pushes, natures sometimes pushes back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rollins/when-mankind-pushes-natures-sometimes-pushes-back/) [James Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rollins/) > [I think the worst and most insidious procrastination for me is research. I will be looking for some bit of fact or figure to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rollins/i-think-the-worst-and-most-insidious-procrastination-for-me-is/) [James Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rollins/) > [“according to Native American legends, dogs with different-colored eyes could see both heaven and earth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rollins/according-to-native-american-legends-dogs-with-different-colored-eyes/) [James Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rollins/) > [I'm pretty disciplined to keep the momentum of a story going by writing everyday, even if it's only a couple paragraphs or a page…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rollins/i-m-pretty-disciplined-to-keep-the-momentum-of-a-story-going-by/) [James Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rollins/) [Explore all 91 James Rollins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rollins/) ## More Nature quotes > [It is indeed a surprising and fortunate fact that nature can be expressed by relatively low-order mathematical functions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-carnap/it-is-indeed-a-surprising-and-fortunate-fact-that-nature-can-be/) [Rudolf Carnap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-carnap/) > [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Borrow trouble for yourself, if that's your nature, but don't lend it to your neighbours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/borrow-trouble-for-yourself-if-that-s-your-nature-but-don-t-lend-it/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [There is no human nature, since there is no god to conceive it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/there-is-no-human-nature-since-there-is-no-god-to-conceive-it/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [“Men mistook measurement for understanding. And they always had to put themselves at the center of everything. That was their greatest conceit. The earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/men-mistook-measurement-for-understanding-and-they-always-had-to-put/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“She was, he knew- and had known very early, he supposed- one of those rare and always lovely humans whose moral nature was so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/she-was-he-knew-and-had-known-very-early-he-supposed-one-of-those/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [“When the water covers the earth the sun will vanish the darkess and the cold will come.When the last dragon and the last Elf…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silvana-de-mari/when-the-water-covers-the-earth-the-sun-will-vanish-the-darkess-and/) [Silvana de Mari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silvana-de-mari/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [“It is not the force of the wind, but the depth of the roots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/it-is-not-the-force-of-the-wind-but-the-depth-of-the-roots/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) [Browse all 47,383 Nature quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We need religion, government, and laws to force a level of control over our baser natures. I intend to strip away the disease that is intelligence, to rip away the deception that allows humanity to believe itself mightier and more deserving of this planet.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Rollins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rollins/we-need-religion-government-and-laws-to-force-a-level-of-control-over/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Nature" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rollins/we-need-religion-government-and-laws-to-force-a-level-of-control-over/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/260/james-rollins-7397_nature_we-need-religion-government-and-laws-to_626574.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/260/james-rollins-7397_nature_we-need-religion-government-and-laws-to_626574.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/260/james-rollins-7397_nature_we-need-religion-government-and-laws-to_626574.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We need religion, government, and laws to force a level of control over our baser natures. I intend to strip…” — James Rollins", "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": "James Rollins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rollins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“We need religion, government, and laws...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rollins/we-need-religion-government-and-laws-to-force-a-level-of-control-over/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rollins/we-need-religion-government-and-laws-to-force-a-level-of-control-over/#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 } } ] } ```