---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our Founding Fathers who created this…"
description: "\"Our Founding Fathers who created this republic did not believe in democracy. When did we come to worship this idol?\" — Pat Buchanan"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f16/pat-buchanan-2005_believe_our-founding-fathers-who-created-this-re_1696229.jpg"
---

#  Our Founding Fathers who created this republic did not…

![“Our Founding Fathers who created this republic did not believe in democracy. When did we come to worship this idol?” quote by Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f16/pat-buchanan-2005_believe_our-founding-fathers-who-created-this-re_1696229.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f16/pat-buchanan-2005_believe_our-founding-fathers-who-created-this-re_1696229.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f16/pat-buchanan-2005_believe_our-founding-fathers-who-created-this-re_1696229.jpg)

> “Our Founding Fathers who created this republic did not believe in democracy. When did we come to worship this idol?”

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

## About This Quote

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

The statement claims the founders of the United States favored a republic over pure democracy, questioning modern reverence for democratic ideals.

**In simple terms:** Founders preferred a republic; we now idolize democracy.

Key Takeaway

Reexamine the foundations of our political system.

Themes

politics history democracy

Mood

critical inquisitive

Type

political historical

When to use this quote

- civic education
- political debate
- constitutional reform
- public policy

Key Concepts

republicanism civic theory

Questions to Reflect On

- Do we truly understand the founders’ intent?
- What does democracy mean today?

A Different Perspective

It may oversimplify the founders’ complex views on governance.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believe Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-democracy/) [Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come/) [Created Republic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/created-republic-1105445/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Founding fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/founding-fathers/) [Idol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idol/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) [Worship Idol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship-idol-1064659/)

## Related quotes

> [The free person does not live by an unexamined faith. To do so is to worship an idol whittled out and made into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-luther-adams/the-free-person-does-not-live-by-an-unexamined-faith-to-do-so-is-to/)

[James Luther Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-luther-adams/)

> [One is proud to worship when he cannot be an idol.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/one-is-proud-to-worship-when-he-cannot-be-an-idol/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [When you worship an idol, you're substituting a thing for the ultimate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-disney/when-you-worship-an-idol-you-re-substituting-a-thing-for-the-ultimate/)

[Abigail Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-disney/)

> [“To make the State your god is to worship an idol, for the State is a man-made creation arising naturally out of tribal communion;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eden-phillpotts/to-make-the-state-your-god-is-to-worship-an-idol-for-the-state-is-a/)

[Eden Phillpotts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eden-phillpotts/)

> [I'm not connected with the church, nor with the bible, see I love Jesus as my prophet, bet refuse to worship him as my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-connected-with-the-church-nor-with-the-bible-see-i-love-jesus/)

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

> [“There exists no greater or more painful anxiety for a man who has freed himself from all religious bias, than how he shall soonest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/there-exists-no-greater-or-more-painful-anxiety-for-a-man-who-has/)

[Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/)

> [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [My father thought, and now I think too, that the system of democracy is entirely based upon the system of justice. If we do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/my-father-thought-and-now-i-think-too-that-the-system-of-democracy-is/)

[Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/)

> [The notion of a world government to defend our rights would have sent the founding fathers running for their muskets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/the-notion-of-a-world-government-to-defend-our-rights-would-have-sent/)

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

> [I actually don't believe in governance by referendum. I believe that we have a democracy, that we elect people to make decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-hodges/i-actually-don-t-believe-in-governance-by-referendum-i-believe-that/)

[Betsy Hodges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-hodges/)

> [I believe democracy will succeed in Tunisia, but I also believe that it will succeed in the other Arab Spring countries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashid-al-ghannushi/i-believe-democracy-will-succeed-in-tunisia-but-i-also-believe-that/)

[Rashid al-Ghannushi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashid-al-ghannushi/)

> [An ordinary Turk, an ordinary Arab, an ordinary Tunisian can change history. We believe that democracy is good, and that our people deserve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmet-davutoglu/an-ordinary-turk-an-ordinary-arab-an-ordinary-tunisian-can-change/)

[Ahmet Davutoglu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmet-davutoglu/)

> [Especially among journalists, politics is not a pursuit that's held in high esteem. We tend to be cynical about it - but I actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrystia-freeland/especially-among-journalists-politics-is-not-a-pursuit-that-s-held-in/)

[Chrystia Freeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrystia-freeland/)

> [If you believe in justice, if you believe in democracy, if you believe in people's rights, if you believe in the harmony of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-belafonte/if-you-believe-in-justice-if-you-believe-in-democracy-if-you-believe/)

[Harry Belafonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-belafonte/)

> [I believe in a relatively equal society, supported by institutions that limit extremes of wealth and poverty. I believe in democracy, civil liberties, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/i-believe-in-a-relatively-equal-society-supported-by-institutions/)

[Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/)

## More by Pat Buchanan

> [If U.S. air, naval, missile, and ground forces were not in and around Korea, and if we were not treaty-bound to fight alongside South…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/if-u-s-air-naval-missile-and-ground-forces-were-not-in-and-around/)

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

> [On the McLaughlin Report, August 26, 1990: 'There are only two groups that are beating the drums for war in the middle East, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/on-the-mclaughlin-report-august-26-1990-there-are-only-two-groups/)

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

> [While our bipartisan establishment worships diversity, Trump saw Middle America recoiling from the demographic change brought about by Third World invasions. And he promised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/while-our-bipartisan-establishment-worships-diversity-trump-saw/)

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

> [Candidate Trump held out his hand to Vladimir Putin. He rejected further U.S. intervention in Syria other than to smash ISIS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/candidate-trump-held-out-his-hand-to-vladimir-putin-he-rejected/)

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

> [There has been sort of, if you will, a moral interventionism on the part of the United States trying to reshape countries in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/there-has-been-sort-of-if-you-will-a-moral-interventionism-on-the/)

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

> [Our culture is superior. Our culture is superior because our religion is Christianity and that is the truth that makes men free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/our-culture-is-superior-our-culture-is-superior-because-our-religion/)

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

> [I think Trump is a very interesting candidate in this sense: I think he has cross-party appeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/i-think-trump-is-a-very-interesting-candidate-in-this-sense-i-think/)

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

> [Stop exporting American jobs. Stop exporting American factories, and stop exporting American sovereignty and independence to global institutions like the World Trade Organization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/stop-exporting-american-jobs-stop-exporting-american-factories-and/)

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

> [I think that in the minds of many, the press is being seen less and less as a neutral observer in the impeachment enterprise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/i-think-that-in-the-minds-of-many-the-press-is-being-seen-less-and/)

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

> [By threatening war against Iran, Iraq and North Korea in his now-famous "Axis of Evil" address, the president painted himself into a corner. Either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/by-threatening-war-against-iran-iraq-and-north-korea-in-his-now/)

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

> [I opposed NAFTA in 1993 and '94.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/i-opposed-nafta-in-1993-and-94/)

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

> [That a district judge would overrule the president of the United States on a matter of border security in wartime is absurd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/that-a-district-judge-would-overrule-the-president-of-the-united/)

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

> [ \[The courts and the media elite\] are abolishing America, they are deconstructing our country ... they have dethroned our God. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/the-courts-and-the-media-elite-are-abolishing-america-they-are/)

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

> [Anti-Catholicism is the anti-Semitism of the intellectual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/anti-catholicism-is-the-anti-semitism-of-the-intellectual/)

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

> [Russia and China, which have embraced autocratic capitalism, have attracted admirers and emulators by the seeming success of their strongman rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/russia-and-china-which-have-embraced-autocratic-capitalism-have/)

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

[Explore all 192 Pat Buchanan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

## More Believe 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/)

> [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/)

[Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/)

> [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

> [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/)

[Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/)

> [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/)

[Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/)

> [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/)

[Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/)

> [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/)

[Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/)

> [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/)

[Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/)

> [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/)

[Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/)

> [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/)

[Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/)

[Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Our Founding Fathers who created this republic did not believe in democracy. When did we come to worship this idol?",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Pat Buchanan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/our-founding-fathers-who-created-this-republic-did-not-believe-in/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Believe"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/our-founding-fathers-who-created-this-republic-did-not-believe-in/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f16/pat-buchanan-2005_believe_our-founding-fathers-who-created-this-re_1696229.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f16/pat-buchanan-2005_believe_our-founding-fathers-who-created-this-re_1696229.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f16/pat-buchanan-2005_believe_our-founding-fathers-who-created-this-re_1696229.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Our Founding Fathers who created this republic did not believe in democracy. When did we come to worship…” — Pat Buchanan",
                "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": "Pat Buchanan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Our Founding Fathers who created this...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/our-founding-fathers-who-created-this-republic-did-not-believe-in/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/our-founding-fathers-who-created-this-republic-did-not-believe-in/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
