American people Quote by Mario Cuomo
“Way down deep the American people are afraid of an entangling relationship between formal religions - or whole bodies of religious belief - and government. Apart from constitutional law and religious doctrine, there is a sense that tells us it's wrong to presume to speak for God or to claim God's sanction of our particular legislation and his rejection of all other positions. Most of us are offended when we see religion being trivialized by its appearance in political throw-away pamphlets.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: 1992 Democratic National Convention, Mario Cuomo, 1992
The quote warns that Americans fear mixing organized religion with government, believing it wrong to claim divine authority for laws and to trivialize faith in politics.
In simple terms: People distrust religion influencing politics.
Key Takeaway
Keep church and state separate.
Themes
religion
politics
separation
freedom
public discourse
Mood
cautious
reflective
Type
political
ethical
When to use this quote
- legislative drafting
- public policy debates
- media coverage of faith
- civic education
Key Concepts
secularism
constitutional law
public trust
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we respect faith without letting it dictate policy?
- What safeguards ensure genuine secularism?
A Different Perspective
It may overlook that religious values can positively inform moral legislation.
![“The law for religious freedom... [has]put down the aristocracy of the clergy and restored to the citizen the freedom of the mind.” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/895/thomas-jefferson-43_aristocracy_the-law-for-religious-freedom-has-put-do_60865.jpg)
