---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Founders wanted to protect the church…"
description: "\"The Founders wanted to protect the church from an encroaching state, not the other way around.\" — Mike Johnson"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/mike-johnson-5601_around_the-founders-wanted-to-protect-the-churc_1304095.jpg"
---

#  The Founders wanted to protect the church from an…

![“The Founders wanted to protect the church from an encroaching state, not the other way around.” quote by Mike Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/mike-johnson-5601_around_the-founders-wanted-to-protect-the-churc_1304095.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/mike-johnson-5601_around_the-founders-wanted-to-protect-the-churc_1304095.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/mike-johnson-5601_around_the-founders-wanted-to-protect-the-churc_1304095.jpg)

> “The Founders wanted to protect the church from an encroaching state, not the other way around.”

[Mike Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-johnson/)

## About This Quote

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

The founders aimed to safeguard the church from growing state power, not reverse the relationship.

**In simple terms:** Founders wanted to protect church from state.

Key Takeaway

Protect religious autonomy.

Themes

religion politics power history

Mood

reflective serious

Type

political historical

When to use this quote

- Legislative debates
- church governance
- public policy
- civil rights

Key Concepts

Church-state relations sovereignty

Questions to Reflect On

- How do modern politics reflect founders' intent?
- What safeguards protect religious freedom today?

A Different Perspective

May oversimplify complex historical motives.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Around](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/around/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Church Encroaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church-encroaching-4292389/) [Founders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/founders/) [Founders Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/founders-wanted-2432619/) [Protect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protect/) [Protect Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protect-church-4292388/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [State](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state/) [Wanted Protect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-protect-763263/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/)

## Related quotes

> [The founders wanted to make it hard for laws to be passed. They wanted to make it hard for there to be restrictions on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-founders-wanted-to-make-it-hard-for-laws-to-be-passed-they-wanted/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [The utter folly of our time is lamentable, that men should think to assist God with human help and to protect the Church of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-of-poitiers/the-utter-folly-of-our-time-is-lamentable-that-men-should-think-to/)

[Hilary of Poitiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-of-poitiers/)

> [My parents wanted me to protect myself and have something to fall back on. I even remember reading a quote from Razor Ramon in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-phoenix/my-parents-wanted-me-to-protect-myself-and-have-something-to-fall/)

[Beth Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-phoenix/)

> [“You always wanted to protect dicks with your hard weapon?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cox/you-always-wanted-to-protect-dicks-with-your-hard-weapon/)

[James Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cox/)

> [You constantly felt like you wanted to protect her and that you wanted to save her and that's what made her attractive more so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-schiller/you-constantly-felt-like-you-wanted-to-protect-her-and-that-you/)

[Lawrence Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-schiller/)

> [We wanted to protect the legacy of DC Comics here in New York, and there are many things that make sense to protect and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-nelson/we-wanted-to-protect-the-legacy-of-dc-comics-here-in-new-york-and/)

[Diane Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-nelson/)

> [“It was sweet he was checking on me. He didn’t have to, but he knew that Blair and I were friends. Sisters, even. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-c-doyle/it-was-sweet-he-was-checking-on-me-he-didn-t-have-to-but-he-knew-that/)

[Barbara C. Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-c-doyle/)

> [“I wanted to protect her, and, if I couldn’t do that, I’d at least be there for her. (Eric)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-a-thompson/i-wanted-to-protect-her-and-if-i-couldn-t-do-that-i-d-at-least-be/)

[Shannon A. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-a-thompson/)

> [“More often than not, she acted as if she wanted to protect him, from the image of herself--herself in the past. She liked to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/more-often-than-not-she-acted-as-if-she-wanted-to-protect-him-from/)

[Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/)

> [I've always wanted to fight for people who didn't have arms. I've always wanted to speak up for people who don't have a voice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-bush/i-ve-always-wanted-to-fight-for-people-who-didn-t-have-arms-i-ve/)

[Sophia Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-bush/)

> [“Something in her wanted to bolt, wanted to protect her heart before it became too lost to ever find again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-kingsbury/something-in-her-wanted-to-bolt-wanted-to-protect-her-heart-before-it/)

[Karen Kingsbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-kingsbury/)

> [“She wanted to protect us from worry, from sadness, from loneliness--things her parents had not been able to protect her from. (About Alice)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-trillin/she-wanted-to-protect-us-from-worry-from-sadness-from-loneliness/)

[Calvin Trillin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-trillin/)

> [“Tony and Kimberley and had wanted to protect her,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maeve-haran/tony-and-kimberley-and-had-wanted-to-protect-her/)

[Maeve Haran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maeve-haran/)

> [I wanted to protect the songs. I wanted to make sure I could write freely and not be self-conscious about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandra-deheza/i-wanted-to-protect-the-songs-i-wanted-to-make-sure-i-could-write/)

[Alejandra Deheza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandra-deheza/)

> [“We wanted to protect some planets that the Empire wanted to destroy. Not outright, not even the Empire’s that evil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-revis/we-wanted-to-protect-some-planets-that-the-empire-wanted-to-destroy/)

[Beth Revis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-revis/)

## More by Mike Johnson

> [American taxpayers expect and deserve to know where their hard-earned money is going and how it is being used.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-johnson/american-taxpayers-expect-and-deserve-to-know-where-their-hard-earned/)

[Mike Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-johnson/)

> [Homosexuals do not meet the criteria for a susect class under the equal protection clause because they are neither disadvantaged nor identified on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-johnson/homosexuals-do-not-meet-the-criteria-for-a-susect-class-under-the/)

[Mike Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-johnson/)

> [While we may have very different ideas and core philosophies, at the end of the day, we are all Americans. We do well to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-johnson/while-we-may-have-very-different-ideas-and-core-philosophies-at-the/)

[Mike Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-johnson/)

> [Obamacare is failing and the American people are suffering because of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-johnson/obamacare-is-failing-and-the-american-people-are-suffering-because-of/)

[Mike Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-johnson/)

> [There is no right to abortion in the Constitution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-johnson/there-is-no-right-to-abortion-in-the-constitution/)

[Mike Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-johnson/)

> [Any fool who contends he has a natural right of supremacy over his neighbors violates not only the foundational creed of America, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-johnson/any-fool-who-contends-he-has-a-natural-right-of-supremacy-over-his/)

[Mike Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-johnson/)

> [The separation of church and state is a misnomer. People misunderstand it. Of course, it comes from a phrase that was in a letter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-johnson/the-separation-of-church-and-state-is-a-misnomer-people-misunderstand/)

[Mike Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-johnson/)

> [We can't allow a long-cherished tradition to go by the wayside because of political correctness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-johnson/we-can-t-allow-a-long-cherished-tradition-to-go-by-the-wayside/)

[Mike Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-johnson/)

> [Same-sex 'marriage' selfishly and deliberately deprives children of either a mother or a father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-johnson/same-sex-marriage-selfishly-and-deliberately-deprives-children-of/)

[Mike Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-johnson/)

> [Misguided policies put in place by the Obama Administration have weakened our military capabilities and reduced the number of our forces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-johnson/misguided-policies-put-in-place-by-the-obama-administration-have/)

[Mike Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-johnson/)

> [We cannot expect to move forward or win anyone over to our side if we dehumanize the people we speak to. Productivity requires civility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-johnson/we-cannot-expect-to-move-forward-or-win-anyone-over-to-our-side-if-we/)

[Mike Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-johnson/)

> [We must always remember, that it is not bigotry to make moral distinctions. City officials can be opposed to elevating homosexuality/transgendered identity to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-johnson/we-must-always-remember-that-it-is-not-bigotry-to-make-moral/)

[Mike Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-johnson/)

> [I know that through our hard work and renewed optimism - and with God's blessings - we can secure a bright future for our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-johnson/i-know-that-through-our-hard-work-and-renewed-optimism-and-with-god-s/)

[Mike Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-johnson/)

> [Let me be clear: David Duke has not, does not and will not speak for Louisiana. Our state is filled with compassionate people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-johnson/let-me-be-clear-david-duke-has-not-does-not-and-will-not-speak-for/)

[Mike Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-johnson/)

> [Pro-family advocates are often asked these days, 'Why should you care? Why is same-sex marriage a threat?' The answer is simple: because we tamper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-johnson/pro-family-advocates-are-often-asked-these-days-why-should-you-care/)

[Mike Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-johnson/)

[Explore all 100 Mike Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-johnson/)

## More Around quotes

> [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/)

[Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/)

> [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/)

[Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/)

> [I've been to Manchester enough to know it's a real place. It's not Factory Records and the Smiths bicycling around. I get it. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-murphy/i-ve-been-to-manchester-enough-to-know-it-s-a-real-place-it-s-not/)

[James Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-murphy/)

> [I guess I'm attracted to things that are fun. I guess what is fun about this role in 'Suburgatory' is that there's a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-tudyk/i-guess-i-m-attracted-to-things-that-are-fun-i-guess-what-is-fun/)

[Alan Tudyk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-tudyk/)

> [When I was a teen, I would draw a really, really long line around my eyes with eyeliner, like Lola Flores.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalia/when-i-was-a-teen-i-would-draw-a-really-really-long-line-around-my/)

[Rosalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalia/)

> [I think the issues around diversity of all kinds are really a huge problem in the startup world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-lyons/i-think-the-issues-around-diversity-of-all-kinds-are-really-a-huge/)

[Daniel Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-lyons/)

> [You always hear actors say, 'Theater is my first love,' and it is. It's a time when you really get to do what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-landecker/you-always-hear-actors-say-theater-is-my-first-love-and-it-is-it-s-a/)

[Amy Landecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-landecker/)

> [Not having drops and not taking plays off, if I do that it will make everyone around me better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demaryius-thomas/not-having-drops-and-not-taking-plays-off-if-i-do-that-it-will-make/)

[Demaryius Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demaryius-thomas/)

> [I can look around a room and tell you if there are hidden cameras or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-ash/i-can-look-around-a-room-and-tell-you-if-there-are-hidden-cameras-or/)

[Lauren Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-ash/)

> [You couldn't get me to go travel around and sit in a hotel room again. I have no interest in doing that. So everybody's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-everly/you-couldn-t-get-me-to-go-travel-around-and-sit-in-a-hotel-room-again/)

[Phil Everly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-everly/)

> [I drink maple syrup. Then I'm hyper so I just run around like crazy and work it all off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-mcadams/i-drink-maple-syrup-then-i-m-hyper-so-i-just-run-around-like-crazy/)

[Rachel McAdams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-mcadams/)

> [Music is almost like a therapy for me. It helps keep me centered and think straight. Before I discovered it, I was walking around,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/music-is-almost-like-a-therapy-for-me-it-helps-keep-me-centered-and/)

[Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/)

> [I have to say, I grew up with fashion because my mother was a seamstress, and she had an atelier. She would cut the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donatella-versace/i-have-to-say-i-grew-up-with-fashion-because-my-mother-was-a/)

[Donatella Versace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donatella-versace/)

> [Curiosity is the essence of human existence. 'Who are we? Where are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going?'... I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/curiosity-is-the-essence-of-human-existence-who-are-we-where-are-we/)

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

> [I became an MP in 2017 and have been around to watch Liberal Democrat party membership soar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/layla-moran/i-became-an-mp-in-2017-and-have-been-around-to-watch-liberal-democrat/)

[Layla Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/layla-moran/)

[Browse all 7,275 Around quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/around/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The Founders wanted to protect the church from an encroaching state, not the other way around.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mike Johnson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-johnson/the-founders-wanted-to-protect-the-church-from-an-encroaching-state/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Around"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-johnson/the-founders-wanted-to-protect-the-church-from-an-encroaching-state/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/mike-johnson-5601_around_the-founders-wanted-to-protect-the-churc_1304095.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/mike-johnson-5601_around_the-founders-wanted-to-protect-the-churc_1304095.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/mike-johnson-5601_around_the-founders-wanted-to-protect-the-churc_1304095.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The Founders wanted to protect the church from an encroaching state, not the other way around.” — Mike Johnson",
                "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": "Mike Johnson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-johnson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The Founders wanted to protect the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-johnson/the-founders-wanted-to-protect-the-church-from-an-encroaching-state/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-johnson/the-founders-wanted-to-protect-the-church-from-an-encroaching-state/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
