---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To say I support religious freedom is to…"
description: "\"To say I support religious freedom is to say I support idolatry. It's to say I support lies. I support Hell. I support the kingdom of darkness. You can..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f92/john-macarthur-1117_darkness_to-say-i-support-religious-freedom-is-to_1625208.jpg"
---

#  To say I support religious freedom is to say I support…

![“To say I support religious freedom is to say I support idolatry. It's to say I support lies. I support Hell. I support the kingdom of darkness. You can't say that.” quote by John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f92/john-macarthur-1117_darkness_to-say-i-support-religious-freedom-is-to_1625208.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f92/john-macarthur-1117_darkness_to-say-i-support-religious-freedom-is-to_1625208.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f92/john-macarthur-1117_darkness_to-say-i-support-religious-freedom-is-to_1625208.jpg)

> “To say I support religious freedom is to say I support idolatry. It's to say I support lies. I support Hell. I support the kingdom of darkness. You can't say that.”

[John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Equating religious freedom with idolatry and falsehood, implying it leads to spiritual darkness.

**In simple terms:** Freedom can enable false beliefs and harm.

Key Takeaway

Critically evaluate the impact of belief systems.

Themes

religion freedom truth morality

Mood

serious contemplative

Type

theological controversial

When to use this quote

- church leadership
- public policy
- personal belief
- education
- interfaith dialogue

Key Concepts

theology ethics spiritual warfare

Questions to Reflect On

- How does religious freedom affect societal cohesion?
- Can belief be both free and true?

A Different Perspective

This view may overlook the positive social and personal benefits of religious liberty.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Darkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darkness/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lies/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-freedom/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/)

## Related quotes

> [I don't even support religious freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/i-don-t-even-support-religious-freedom/)

[John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

> [No Christian with half a brain would say 'we support religious freedom.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/no-christian-with-half-a-brain-would-say-we-support-religious-freedom/)

[John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

> [No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/no-man-shall-be-compelled-to-frequent-or-support-any-religious/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [Those reformers who preach against image-worship, or what they denounce as idolatry - to them I say "Brothers, if you are fit to worship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/those-reformers-who-preach-against-image-worship-or-what-they/)

[Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/)

> [“No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship or ministry or shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-davis/no-man-shall-be-compelled-to-frequent-or-support-any-religious-2/)

[John Paul Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-davis/)

> [No tax in any amount, large or small, can be levied to support any religious activities or institutions, whatever they may be called, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-black/no-tax-in-any-amount-large-or-small-can-be-levied-to-support-any/)

[Hugo Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-black/)

> [Christianity advances whether there is religious freedom or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/christianity-advances-whether-there-is-religious-freedom-or-not/)

[John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

> [I wouldn't fight for religious freedom because I won't fight for idolatry. Why would I fight for the devil to have as many false…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/i-wouldn-t-fight-for-religious-freedom-because-i-won-t-fight-for/)

[John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

> [Religious freedom is what sends people to Hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/religious-freedom-is-what-sends-people-to-hell/)

[John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

> [Every false religion is going to be free because it's linked to the kingdom of darkness that operates in the world. And Christians, whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/every-false-religion-is-going-to-be-free-because-it-s-linked-to-the/)

[John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

> [To those who think that the law of gravity interferes with their freedom, there is nothing to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-tiger/to-those-who-think-that-the-law-of-gravity-interferes-with-their/)

[Lionel Tiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-tiger/)

> [If my intentions were not to be read in my eyes and voice, I should not have survived so long without quarrels and without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/if-my-intentions-were-not-to-be-read-in-my-eyes-and-voice-i-should/)

[Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/)

> [People have the freedom to say what they want, and I get it - mean stuff sells better than nice stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dasha-zhukova/people-have-the-freedom-to-say-what-they-want-and-i-get-it-mean-stuff/)

[Dasha Zhukova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dasha-zhukova/)

> [Cabaret presents different challenges, as it is all on me. I love having the freedom to say anything you want - do anything you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-stokes-mitchell/cabaret-presents-different-challenges-as-it-is-all-on-me-i-love/)

[Brian Stokes Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stokes-mitchell/)

> [“Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/freedom-is-the-freedom-to-say-that-two-plus-two-make-four/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

## More by John MacArthur

> [The definition of a Church is crystal clear in the New Testament. We see the picture of it. They came together the first day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-definition-of-a-church-is-crystal-clear-in-the-new-testament-we/)

[John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

> [The more you focus on yourself, the more distracted you will be from the proper path. The more you know Him and commune with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-more-you-focus-on-yourself-the-more-distracted-you-will-be-from/)

[John Macarthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

> [There are things that God hates, right? One of them is the one who stirs up strife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/there-are-things-that-god-hates-right-one-of-them-is-the-one-who/)

[John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

> [Over the years, I've fought a number of polemical battles against ideas that threaten the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/over-the-years-i-ve-fought-a-number-of-polemical-battles-against/)

[John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

> [“You and I believed the gospel, not because we were wiser or more righteous than anyone else but because God graciously intervened, opening our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/you-and-i-believed-the-gospel-not-because-we-were-wiser-or-more/)

[John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

> [“He call us to obey, not because He needs us but because He knows we need Him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/he-call-us-to-obey-not-because-he-needs-us-but-because-he-knows-we/)

[John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

> [“The Spirit works in the church so that men might see Jesus as Lord, recognizing His authority and submitting to His will (1 Cor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-spirit-works-in-the-church-so-that-men-might-see-jesus-as-lord/)

[John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

> [Grace does not grant permission to live in the flesh; it supplies power to live in the Spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/grace-does-not-grant-permission-to-live-in-the-flesh-it-supplies/)

[John Macarthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

> [Sexual expression within a marriage is not an option or an extra. It is certainly not, as it has sometimes been considered, a necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/sexual-expression-within-a-marriage-is-not-an-option-or-an-extra-it/)

[John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

> [“18O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/18o-my-god-incline-your-ear-and-hear-open-your-eyes-and-see-our/)

[John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

> [“Sin is the monarch that rules the heart of every man. It is the first lord of the soul, and its virus has contaminated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/sin-is-the-monarch-that-rules-the-heart-of-every-man-it-is-the-first/)

[John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

> [“Psalm 13 O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/psalm-13-o-lord-how-long-will-you-forget-me-forever-how-long-will-you/)

[John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

> [Scripture repeatedly makes clear that heaven is a realm of unsurpassed joy, unfading glory, undiminished bliss, unlimited delights, and unending pleasures. Nothing about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/scripture-repeatedly-makes-clear-that-heaven-is-a-realm-of/)

[John Macarthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

> [God's true church has always been a place where people hunger for the truth from the Bible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/god-s-true-church-has-always-been-a-place-where-people-hunger-for-the/)

[John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

> [The lies of systemic racism and the race hustlers dominate the ideologies of universities and even churches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-lies-of-systemic-racism-and-the-race-hustlers-dominate-the/)

[John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

[Explore all 279 John MacArthur quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

## More Darkness quotes

> [“Narrative cannot sustain formlessness any more than light can sustain darkness - it is the antithesis of formlessness, and so it can never truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/narrative-cannot-sustain-formlessness-any-more-than-light-can-sustain/)

[Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/)

> [“Wait here, wait here!" he cried and jumped up and began to run for help toward a cluster of lights he saw in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/wait-here-wait-here-he-cried-and-jumped-up-and-began-to-run-for-help/)

[Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/)

> [Strange - is it not? That of the myriads who Before us passed the door of Darkness through, Not one returns to tell us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/strange-is-it-not-that-of-the-myriads-who-before-us-passed-the-door/)

[Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/)

> [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/)

> [Clear moments are so short. There is much more darkness. More ocean than terra firma. More shadow than form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-zagajewski/clear-moments-are-so-short-there-is-much-more-darkness-more-ocean/)

[Adam Zagajewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-zagajewski/)

> [I even see the cinema itself as a woman, with its alternation of light and darkness, of appearing and disappearing images](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/i-even-see-the-cinema-itself-as-a-woman-with-its-alternation-of-light/)

[Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/)

> [I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-guess-he-ll-have-to-figure-out-someday-that-he-is-supposed-to-have/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [“I promise to respect and protect your aloneness, knowing that everything created must have its period of darkness: child and bulb, poem and personality.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/i-promise-to-respect-and-protect-your-aloneness-knowing-that/)

[anne morrow lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/)

> [The beauty of darkness is how it lets you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/the-beauty-of-darkness-is-how-it-lets-you-see/)

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

> [“Even in darkness your lips taste of sunshine”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/even-in-darkness-your-lips-taste-of-sunshine/)

[Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/)

> [“Defy me not for gleam can only shine in my existence" said Darkness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/defy-me-not-for-gleam-can-only-shine-in-my-existence-said-darkness/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“What does he look like? The question was soft- tentative. I knew who he meant. I interlaced my fingers through Rhysand's and squeezed tightly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/what-does-he-look-like-the-question-was-soft-tentative-i-knew-who-he/)

[Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/)

> [The dream of coming back is becoming a reality. A lot of the uncertainty about the future has been cleared up. A lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tagliabue/the-dream-of-coming-back-is-becoming-a-reality-a-lot-of-the/)

[Paul Tagliabue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tagliabue/)

> [“Life is like coffee, the darker it gets, the more it energizes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ankita-singhal/life-is-like-coffee-the-darker-it-gets-the-more-it-energizes/)

[Ankita Singhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ankita-singhal/)

> [Twinking tears in a sea of black. Soft light in a world of darkness. Tiny wishes in a place of dreams. Do you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-gentile/twinking-tears-in-a-sea-of-black-soft-light-in-a-world-of-darkness/)

Nicole Gentile

[Browse all 8,219 Darkness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darkness/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "To say I support religious freedom is to say I support idolatry. It's to say I support lies. I support Hell. I support the kingdom of darkness. You can't say that.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John MacArthur"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/to-say-i-support-religious-freedom-is-to-say-i-support-idolatry-it-s/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Darkness"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/to-say-i-support-religious-freedom-is-to-say-i-support-idolatry-it-s/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f92/john-macarthur-1117_darkness_to-say-i-support-religious-freedom-is-to_1625208.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f92/john-macarthur-1117_darkness_to-say-i-support-religious-freedom-is-to_1625208.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f92/john-macarthur-1117_darkness_to-say-i-support-religious-freedom-is-to_1625208.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“To say I support religious freedom is to say I support idolatry. It's to say I support lies. I support Hell…” — John MacArthur",
                "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": "John MacArthur",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "To say I support religious freedom...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/to-say-i-support-religious-freedom-is-to-say-i-support-idolatry-it-s/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/to-say-i-support-religious-freedom-is-to-say-i-support-idolatry-it-s/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
