--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Family is the oldest and arguably…" description: "\"The Family is the oldest and arguably most influential religious political organization in Washington.\" — Jeff Sharlet" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d51/jeff-sharlet-22680_family_the-family-is-the-oldest-and-arguably-mo_3193612.png" --- # The Family is the oldest and arguably most influential… ![“The Family is the oldest and arguably most influential religious political organization in Washington.” quote by Jeff Sharlet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d51/jeff-sharlet-22680_family_the-family-is-the-oldest-and-arguably-mo_3193612.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d51/jeff-sharlet-22680_family_the-family-is-the-oldest-and-arguably-mo_3193612.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d51/jeff-sharlet-22680_family_the-family-is-the-oldest-and-arguably-mo_3193612.png) > “The Family is the oldest and arguably most influential religious political organization in Washington.” [Jeff Sharlet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sharlet/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The most powerful political group in Washington is a religious organization that wields influence through its deep historical roots and network. **In simple terms:** A religious group holds huge political power in Washington. Key Takeaway Recognize the influence of hidden religious networks. Themes politics religion power influence Mood critical concerned Type political investigative When to use this quote - policy lobbying - campaign financing - media influence - legislative advocacy Key Concepts institutional authority network theory cloistered elites Questions to Reflect On - What are the implications of religious groups shaping policy? - How can citizens ensure transparency? A Different Perspective Its secrecy can obscure accountability and democratic transparency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Organization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organization/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) ## Related quotes > [Indeed, one of the most successful and influential religious organizations in history, the Society of Jesus, was consciously modeled along military lines by its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-shea/indeed-one-of-the-most-successful-and-influential-religious/) [Robert Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-shea/) > [Christian Science has been enormously influential in our religious history, and the church is very powerful. It has won an extraordinary number of legal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-fraser/christian-science-has-been-enormously-influential-in-our-religious/) [Caroline Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-fraser/) > [Perhaps we should worry less about judging people for being Mormon or Baptist or Muslim or gay or straight or black or white or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charity-sunshine-tillemann-dick/perhaps-we-should-worry-less-about-judging-people-for-being-mormon-or/) [Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charity-sunshine-tillemann-dick/) > [A fanatic, either, religious or political, is the subject of strong delusions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-whately/a-fanatic-either-religious-or-political-is-the-subject-of-strong/) [Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-whately/) > [Al Qaeda is nothing more than a mutant supply chain. They're playing off the same platform as Wal-Mart and Dell. They're just not restrained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/al-qaeda-is-nothing-more-than-a-mutant-supply-chain-they-re-playing-2/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Anytime you want to get into religious or political views, that can instantly polarize people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-barnes/anytime-you-want-to-get-into-religious-or-political-views-that-can/) [Harrison Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-barnes/) > [The anything-goes passiveness of the religious and political Left is matched by the preachy moralism of the religious and political Right. The person who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brennan-manning/the-anything-goes-passiveness-of-the-religious-and-political-left-is/) [Brennan Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brennan-manning/) > [Your religious and political beliefs dont make you a good person. How you treat those different from you is what makes you a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-religious-and-political-beliefs-dont-make-you-a-good-person-how/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The test of every religious, political, or educational system is the man that it forms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/the-test-of-every-religious-political-or-educational-system-is-the-2/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [I am not religious; I am not political.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phan-thi-kim-phuc/i-am-not-religious-i-am-not-political/) [Phan Thi Kim Phuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phan-thi-kim-phuc/) > [What is al Qaeda? It's an open source religious political movement that works off the global supply chain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/what-is-al-qaeda-it-s-an-open-source-religious-political-movement/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [The world will not know liberty until all that is religious and political is transformed into something simple and human and made susceptible to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-herzen/the-world-will-not-know-liberty-until-all-that-is-religious-and/) [Alexander Herzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-herzen/) > [“The mind finds security and strength in religious and political patterns, and this is what gives stamina to the organizations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/the-mind-finds-security-and-strength-in-religious-and-political/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [“The test of every religious, political, or educational system is the men which it forms”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-fr-d-ric-amiel/the-test-of-every-religious-political-or-educational-system-is-the-3/) [Henri-Frédéric Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-fr-d-ric-amiel/) > [“In the early Middle Ages the dominant form of political organization in Western Europe was the Germanic kingdom, and the German kingdom was in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-reese-strayer/in-the-early-middle-ages-the-dominant-form-of-political-organization/) Joseph Reese Strayer ## More by Jeff Sharlet > [“That's religion in America, under constant revision.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sharlet/that-s-religion-in-america-under-constant-revision/) [Jeff Sharlet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sharlet/) > [“What did “good government” really mean? Langlie and his brotherhood promised an end to political corruption. (There’s no evidence that Langlie ever even took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sharlet/what-did-good-government-really-mean-langlie-and-his-brotherhood/) [Jeff Sharlet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sharlet/) > [My favorite forgotten President in American history is James Buchanan, who in defending really robust and sharp-elbowed debates said, "I like the noise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sharlet/my-favorite-forgotten-president-in-american-history-is-james-buchanan/) [Jeff Sharlet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sharlet/) > [Elite fundamentalism has always been on the corporate side of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sharlet/elite-fundamentalism-has-always-been-on-the-corporate-side-of-things/) [Jeff Sharlet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sharlet/) > [There are real radical Muslim groups out there that really are pretty villainous. You don't have to make them up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sharlet/there-are-real-radical-muslim-groups-out-there-that-really-are-pretty/) [Jeff Sharlet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sharlet/) > [“It's a familiar moment to students of history: the late stage of empire, hairline fractures shooting through the foundations of society. They're like cracks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sharlet/it-s-a-familiar-moment-to-students-of-history-the-late-stage-of/) [Jeff Sharlet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sharlet/) > [What the Cold War did was provide a fairly clearly defined enemy and it's easy to organize around that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sharlet/what-the-cold-war-did-was-provide-a-fairly-clearly-defined-enemy-and/) [Jeff Sharlet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sharlet/) > [The Family in particular, but also other really \*\*\*\* conservatives come to call what is "Biblical Capitalism." The idea that capitalism is ordained in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sharlet/the-family-in-particular-but-also-other-really-conservatives-come-to/) [Jeff Sharlet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sharlet/) > [ “Like Jerry Falwell and \[Tim\] LaHaye, \[Pat\] Robertson is a minister who advocates a Bible-based, pro-family agenda. Robertson, a faith healer, also claims to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sharlet/like-jerry-falwell-and-tim-lahaye-pat-robertson-is-a-minister-who/) [Jeff Sharlet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sharlet/) > [Whoever is holding the power says, "Yeah, let's keep things civil and quiet." Whoever's outside say's, "No, I'm not going to keep things civil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sharlet/whoever-is-holding-the-power-says-yeah-let-s-keep-things-civil-and/) [Jeff Sharlet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sharlet/) > [“American fundamentalism’s original sentiments were as radically democratic in theory as they have become repressive in practice, its dream not that of Christian theocracy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sharlet/american-fundamentalism-s-original-sentiments-were-as-radically/) [Jeff Sharlet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sharlet/) > [“To him, homosexuality is only a symbol for what he learned from the Family is a greater plague: government by people, not by God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sharlet/to-him-homosexuality-is-only-a-symbol-for-what-he-learned-from-the/) [Jeff Sharlet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sharlet/) > [You can recruit the populace conservatism for the interests of corporate conservatism that the two things can be married into one unholy union.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sharlet/you-can-recruit-the-populace-conservatism-for-the-interests-of/) [Jeff Sharlet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sharlet/) > [The Cold War was really the great struggle of the 20th Century and it shaped American political life from top to bottom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sharlet/the-cold-war-was-really-the-great-struggle-of-the-20th-century-and-it/) [Jeff Sharlet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sharlet/) > [America is going to start happening outside of the parties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sharlet/america-is-going-to-start-happening-outside-of-the-parties/) [Jeff Sharlet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sharlet/) [Explore all 27 Jeff Sharlet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sharlet/) ## More Family quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“ever day Maureen is Selfish To her friend and Family One she get mad at her friend and family and She need to Grad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-andeson/ever-day-maureen-is-selfish-to-her-friend-and-family-one-she-get-mad/) Maureen Andeson > [Our concept of a family holiday was going to a guest house in the Lake district or Wales where walking was part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/our-concept-of-a-family-holiday-was-going-to-a-guest-house-in-the/) [Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/) > [“So Jace is my actual family," Kit said. "But I can't go live with him, because him and his hot girlfriend are going off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/so-jace-is-my-actual-family-kit-said-but-i-can-t-go-live-with-him/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/i-have-friends-and-family-that-identify-as-lgbtq/) [Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/) > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [“She knew how to play him so very well. He slipped his hand around hers. "Friends," he repeated roughly. Her smile was bright enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-smith/she-knew-how-to-play-him-so-very-well-he-slipped-his-hand-around-hers/) [Kathryn Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-smith/) > [As a family, we all loved the Flyers. To me, rooting for the Flyers were how I bonded with my dad especially.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-f-goldberg/as-a-family-we-all-loved-the-flyers-to-me-rooting-for-the-flyers-were/) [Adam F. Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-f-goldberg/) > [The people have always been family to me here in Las Vegas. The people have always been very, very kind to me, and it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-cunningham/the-people-have-always-been-family-to-me-here-in-las-vegas-the-people/) [Randall Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-cunningham/) > [“Your relationship with your brother will be, in many ways, the most complex and bewildering of all the interpersonal connections you will form. An…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-currie-jr/your-relationship-with-your-brother-will-be-in-many-ways-the-most/) [Ron Currie Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-currie-jr/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Family over friends, because real friends are family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/family-over-friends-because-real-friends-are-family/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 36,913 Family quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Family is the oldest and arguably most influential religious political organization in Washington.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jeff Sharlet" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sharlet/the-family-is-the-oldest-and-arguably-most-influential-religious/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Family" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sharlet/the-family-is-the-oldest-and-arguably-most-influential-religious/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d51/jeff-sharlet-22680_family_the-family-is-the-oldest-and-arguably-mo_3193612.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d51/jeff-sharlet-22680_family_the-family-is-the-oldest-and-arguably-mo_3193612.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d51/jeff-sharlet-22680_family_the-family-is-the-oldest-and-arguably-mo_3193612.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The Family is the oldest and arguably most influential religious political organization in Washington.” — Jeff Sharlet", "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": "Jeff Sharlet", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sharlet/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The Family is the oldest and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sharlet/the-family-is-the-oldest-and-arguably-most-influential-religious/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sharlet/the-family-is-the-oldest-and-arguably-most-influential-religious/#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 } } ] } ```