--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Almost any sect, cult, or religion will…" description: "\"“Almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.”\" — Robert A. Heinlein" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ada/robert-a-heinlein-209_cult_almost-any-sect-cult-or-religion-will-le_1051341.jpg" --- # Almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its… ![“Almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.” quote by Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ada/robert-a-heinlein-209_cult_almost-any-sect-cult-or-religion-will-le_1051341.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ada/robert-a-heinlein-209_cult_almost-any-sect-cult-or-religion-will-le_1051341.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ada/robert-a-heinlein-209_cult_almost-any-sect-cult-or-religion-will-le_1051341.jpg) > ““Almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.”” [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Political power often leads groups to embed its beliefs into law, regardless of fairness. **In simple terms:** Power forces belief into law. Key Takeaway Beware of power shaping law. Themes politics law religion power dynamics Mood cautionary thought‑provoking Type political philosophical When to use this quote - legislative drafting - policy advocacy - religious governance - civil rights movements Key Concepts legal theory social control ideology Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards prevent law from becoming doctrine? - How can minorities resist imposed creeds? A Different Perspective Not all groups have equal power to legislate. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cult/) [Danger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Organized religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organized-religion/) [Political power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-power/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Sect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sect/) [Separation of church and state](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/separation-of-church-and-state/) ## Related quotes > [It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/it-is-a-truism-that-almost-any-sect-cult-or-religion-will-legislate-2/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/it-is-a-truism-that-almost-any-sect-cult-or-religion-will-legislate/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Every sect is a certificate that God has not plainly revealed his will to man. To each reader the Bible conveys a different meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/every-sect-is-a-certificate-that-god-has-not-plainly-revealed-his/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [For seventeen hundred years the Christian sect has done nothing but harm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/for-seventeen-hundred-years-the-christian-sect-has-done-nothing-but/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [“for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-as-concerning-this-sect-we-know-that-every-where-it-is-spoken/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The union of a sect within itself is a pitiful charity; it's no concord of Christians, but a conspiracy against Christ; and they that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-glanvill/the-union-of-a-sect-within-itself-is-a-pitiful-charity-it-s-no/) [Joseph Glanvill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-glanvill/) > [There is no such thing as 'Gandhism', and I do not want to leave any sect after me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/there-is-no-such-thing-as-gandhism-and-i-do-not-want-to-leave-any/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“A sect, incidentally, is a religion with no political power.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-wolfe/a-sect-incidentally-is-a-religion-with-no-political-power/) [Thomas Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-wolfe/) > [Every other sect supposes itself in possession of the truth, and that those who differ are so far in the wrong. Like a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/every-other-sect-supposes-itself-in-possession-of-the-truth-and-that/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Paradise is a center whither the souls of all men are proceeding, each sect in its particular road.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/paradise-is-a-center-whither-the-souls-of-all-men-are-proceeding-each/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [Every sect clamors for toleration when it is down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/every-sect-clamors-for-toleration-when-it-is-down/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [“...Turn our thoughts, in the next place, to the characters of learned men. The priesthood have, in all ancient nations, nearly monopolized learning. Read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/turn-our-thoughts-in-the-next-place-to-the-characters-of-learned-men/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [ Your sect \[the Jews\] by its sufferings has furnished a remarkable proof of the universal point of religious insolence, inherent in every sect, disclaimed… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/your-sect-the-jews-by-its-sufferings-has-furnished-a-remarkable-proof/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“We were a religious sect consisting of two people, and now half the congregation was gone. There would be no closure, no healing. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-marcus/we-were-a-religious-sect-consisting-of-two-people-and-now-half-the/) [James Marcus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-marcus/) > [“we have reason to cool our raging motions, our carnal stings, our unbitted lusts; whereof I take this, that you call love, to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/we-have-reason-to-cool-our-raging-motions-our-carnal-stings-our/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More by Robert A. Heinlein > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [My folks tried to make a preacher of me and missed by a narrow margin… I would have made a good one if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/my-folks-tried-to-make-a-preacher-of-me-and-missed-by-a-narrow-margin/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ninety percent of all human wisdom is the ability to mind your own business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ninety-percent-of-all-human-wisdom-is-the-ability-to-mind-your-own/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [If we blow ourselves up we will do it by misapplication of science; if we manage to keep from blowing ourselves up, it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-we-blow-ourselves-up-we-will-do-it-by-misapplication-of-science-if/) [Robert A. 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Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [No statement should be believed because it is made by an authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/no-statement-should-be-believed-because-it-is-made-by-an-authority/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“Some people are ants by nature; they have to work, even when it’s useless. Few people have a talent for constructive laziness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/some-people-are-ants-by-nature-they-have-to-work-even-when-it-s/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“The instinct to survive is human nature itself, and every aspect of our personalities derives from it. Anything that conflicts with the survival instinct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-instinct-to-survive-is-human-nature-itself-and-every-aspect-of/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“I tried to dig out of the computer a call directory for Luna. But it was still sulking. I could not get it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/i-tried-to-dig-out-of-the-computer-a-call-directory-for-luna-but-it/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“this has more aspects than a cat has hair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/this-has-more-aspects-than-a-cat-has-hair/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Never own more than you can carry in both hands at a dead run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/never-own-more-than-you-can-carry-in-both-hands-at-a-dead-run/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“In Wilson's scale of evaluations breakfast rated just after life itself and ahead of the chance of immortality." ~ By His Bootstraps / Robert A. Heinlein”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/in-wilson-s-scale-of-evaluations-breakfast-rated-just-after-life/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ignorance is curable, stupid is forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ignorance-is-curable-stupid-is-forever/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) [Explore all 888 Robert A. Heinlein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## More Cult quotes > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. 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