--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When Lincoln was running for the House of…" description: "\"“When Lincoln was running for the House of Representatives from Illinois, he was charged with being “a scoffer at religion,” wrote the historian Willia..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc1/jon-meacham-2863_president-lincoln_when-lincoln-was-running-for-the-house-o_151201.jpg" --- # When Lincoln was running for the House of Representatives… ![“When Lincoln was running for the House of Representatives from Illinois, he was charged with being “a scoffer at religion,” wrote the historian William J. Wolf, because he belonged to no church. During the campaign, Lincoln attended a sermon delivered by his opponent in the race, Reverend Peter…” quote by Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc1/jon-meacham-2863_president-lincoln_when-lincoln-was-running-for-the-house-o_151201.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc1/jon-meacham-2863_president-lincoln_when-lincoln-was-running-for-the-house-o_151201.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc1/jon-meacham-2863_president-lincoln_when-lincoln-was-running-for-the-house-o_151201.jpg) > ““When Lincoln was running for the House of Representatives from Illinois, he was charged with being “a scoffer at religion,” wrote the historian William J. Wolf, because he belonged to no church. During the campaign, Lincoln attended a sermon delivered by his opponent in the race, Reverend Peter Cartwright, a Methodist evangelist. At a dramatic moment in his performance, Cartwright said, “All who do not wish to go to hell will stand.” Only Lincoln kept his seat. “May I inquire of you, Mr. Lincoln, where you are going?” the minister asked, glowering. “I am going to Congress” was the dry reply. When he was president, Lincoln also liked the story of a purported exchange about him and Jefferson Davis between two Quaker women on a train: “I think Jefferson will succeed,” the first said. “Why does thee think so?” “Because Jefferson is a praying man.” “And so is Abraham a praying man.” “Yes, but the Lord will think Abraham is joking.”” [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Lincoln’s political life involved religious skepticism and witty exchanges, showing his pragmatic approach. **In simple terms:** Lincoln was skeptical of religion but used it strategically. Key Takeaway Understand context before judging beliefs. Themes politics religion pragmatism Mood analytical thoughtful Type historical educational When to use this quote - campaigns - debates - historical education Key Concepts historical analysis public perception Questions to Reflect On - How did Lincoln’s skepticism shape his leadership? - What role does humor play in political discourse? A Different Perspective His personal beliefs may have been more nuanced than public anecdotes suggest. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Jefferson Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jefferson-davis/) [Jefferson Praying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jefferson-praying-1681659/) [Lincoln Attended](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lincoln-attended-1681657/) [Lincoln Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lincoln-going-1681658/) [Lincoln Liked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lincoln-liked-1681660/) [President lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president-lincoln/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [“The Battle of Gettysburg was fought in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in 18-something-or-nother. The year doesn‘t matter.They considered it the turning point of the war, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-darhower/the-battle-of-gettysburg-was-fought-in-gettysburg-pennsylvania-in-18/) [J.M. Darhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-darhower/) > [“Grant deserves an honored place in American history, second only to Lincoln for what he did for the freed slaves. He got the big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-chernow/grant-deserves-an-honored-place-in-american-history-second-only-to/) [Ron Chernow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-chernow/) > [Today is the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address. President Lincoln wrote it on his way to the site of the speech on the back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/today-is-the-anniversary-of-the-gettysburg-address-president-lincoln/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [President Lincoln was once criticized for his attitude toward his enemies. "Why do you try to make friends of them?" asked an associate. "You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/president-lincoln-was-once-criticized-for-his-attitude-toward-his/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [No president in history has been more vilified or was more vilivied during the time he was President than Lincoln. Those who knew him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/no-president-in-history-has-been-more-vilified-or-was-more-vilivied/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, but prior to signing the Emancipation Proclamation, President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Act on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-n-green/president-lincoln-signed-the-emancipation-proclamation-on-january-1/) [Al N. Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-n-green/) > [Presidents Lincoln, Jefferson, Jackson, presidents have understood that the Supreme Court cannot make a law. They cannot make it. The legislature has to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/presidents-lincoln-jefferson-jackson-presidents-have-understood-that/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [“Lincoln replied:"There is a difference between secession against the Constitution and in favor of the Constitution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-johnson/lincoln-replied-there-is-a-difference-between-secession-against-the/) [Clint Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-johnson/) > [One hundred years of delay have passed since President Lincoln freed the slaves, yet their heirs, their grandsons, are not fully free. They are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/one-hundred-years-of-delay-have-passed-since-president-lincoln-freed/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [President Lincoln chose to fight a bloody and unpopular war because he believed the enemy had to be defeated. He was right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-hegseth/president-lincoln-chose-to-fight-a-bloody-and-unpopular-war-because/) [Pete Hegseth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-hegseth/) > [In my opinion, assassination theories will continue to revolve around these assassinations as they have around several other significant assassinations in American history. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-stokes/in-my-opinion-assassination-theories-will-continue-to-revolve-around/) [Louis Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-stokes/) > [President Lincoln was trying to convince some people, he used some arguments, convincing other people, he used other arguments. That was a great -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/president-lincoln-was-trying-to-convince-some-people-he-used-some/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [President Lincoln called upon Americans to speak with one voice and one heart. That's just what we have to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/president-lincoln-called-upon-americans-to-speak-with-one-voice-and/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [“Our strength, in other words, has rested in our determination to reject simplistic absolutes and to redefine and revitalize a productive middle ground, relinquishing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/our-strength-in-other-words-has-rested-in-our-determination-to-reject/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [ There's one reason why \[Presidents' Day\] is a holiday. It had nothing to do with our country deciding that we wanted to show reverence… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-s-one-reason-why-presidents-day-is-a-holiday-it-had-nothing-to/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) ## More by Jon Meacham > [Scripture is not inerrant; believers are called to interpret biblical texts in light of tradition and reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/scripture-is-not-inerrant-believers-are-called-to-interpret-biblical/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [As a southerner born after the epic events of the civil rights movement, I've always wondered how on earth people of good will could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/as-a-southerner-born-after-the-epic-events-of-the-civil-rights/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [We are now living in a post-Roosevelt, post-Reagan universe. 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The year doesn‘t matter.They considered it the turning point of the war, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-darhower/the-battle-of-gettysburg-was-fought-in-gettysburg-pennsylvania-in-18/) [J.M. Darhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-darhower/) > [“Our strength, in other words, has rested in our determination to reject simplistic absolutes and to redefine and revitalize a productive middle ground, relinquishing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/our-strength-in-other-words-has-rested-in-our-determination-to-reject/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [President Lincoln called upon Americans to speak with one voice and one heart. That's just what we have to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/president-lincoln-called-upon-americans-to-speak-with-one-voice-and/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [President Lincoln was trying to convince some people, he used some arguments, convincing other people, he used other arguments. That was a great -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/president-lincoln-was-trying-to-convince-some-people-he-used-some/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [In my opinion, assassination theories will continue to revolve around these assassinations as they have around several other significant assassinations in American history. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-stokes/in-my-opinion-assassination-theories-will-continue-to-revolve-around/) [Louis Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-stokes/) > [President Lincoln chose to fight a bloody and unpopular war because he believed the enemy had to be defeated. He was right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-hegseth/president-lincoln-chose-to-fight-a-bloody-and-unpopular-war-because/) [Pete Hegseth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-hegseth/) > [One hundred years of delay have passed since President Lincoln freed the slaves, yet their heirs, their grandsons, are not fully free. They are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/one-hundred-years-of-delay-have-passed-since-president-lincoln-freed/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [“Lincoln replied:"There is a difference between secession against the Constitution and in favor of the Constitution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-johnson/lincoln-replied-there-is-a-difference-between-secession-against-the/) [Clint Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-johnson/) > [Presidents Lincoln, Jefferson, Jackson, presidents have understood that the Supreme Court cannot make a law. They cannot make it. 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It had nothing to do with our country deciding that we wanted to show reverence… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-s-one-reason-why-presidents-day-is-a-holiday-it-had-nothing-to/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) [Browse all 23 President lincoln quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president-lincoln/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When Lincoln was running for the House of Representatives from Illinois, he was charged with being “a scoffer at religion,” wrote the historian William J. Wolf, because he belonged to no church. During the campaign, Lincoln attended a sermon delivered by his opponent in the race, Reverend Peter Cartwright, a Methodist evangelist. At a dramatic moment in his performance, Cartwright said, “All who do not wish to go to hell will stand.” Only Lincoln kept his seat. “May I inquire of you, Mr. Lincoln, where you are going?” the minister asked, glowering. “I am going to Congress” was the dry reply. When he was president, Lincoln also liked the story of a purported exchange about him and Jefferson Davis between two Quaker women on a train: “I think Jefferson will succeed,” the first said. “Why does thee think so?” “Because Jefferson is a praying man.” “And so is Abraham a praying man.” “Yes, but the Lord will think Abraham is joking.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jon Meacham" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/when-lincoln-was-running-for-the-house-of-representatives-from/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "President lincoln" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/when-lincoln-was-running-for-the-house-of-representatives-from/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc1/jon-meacham-2863_president-lincoln_when-lincoln-was-running-for-the-house-o_151201.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc1/jon-meacham-2863_president-lincoln_when-lincoln-was-running-for-the-house-o_151201.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc1/jon-meacham-2863_president-lincoln_when-lincoln-was-running-for-the-house-o_151201.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When Lincoln was running for the House of Representatives from Illinois, he was charged with being “a…” — Jon Meacham", "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": "Jon Meacham", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“When Lincoln was running for the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/when-lincoln-was-running-for-the-house-of-representatives-from/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/when-lincoln-was-running-for-the-house-of-representatives-from/#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 } } ] } ```