--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What James Madison and the other men of…" description: "\"What James Madison and the other men of his generation had in mind when they wrote the First Amendment was that there should be no official relationshi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/sam-ervin-25684_amendment_what-james-madison-and-the-other-men-of_1021473.png" --- # What James Madison and the other men of his generation had… ![“What James Madison and the other men of his generation had in mind when they wrote the First Amendment was that there should be no official relationship of any character between government and any church or many churches, and no levying of taxes for the support of any church, or many churches, or…” quote by Sam Ervin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/sam-ervin-25684_amendment_what-james-madison-and-the-other-men-of_1021473.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/sam-ervin-25684_amendment_what-james-madison-and-the-other-men-of_1021473.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/sam-ervin-25684_amendment_what-james-madison-and-the-other-men-of_1021473.png) > “What James Madison and the other men of his generation had in mind when they wrote the First Amendment was that there should be no official relationship of any character between government and any church or many churches, and no levying of taxes for the support of any church, or many churches, or all churches, or any institution conducted by any of them.” [Sam Ervin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-ervin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The First Amendment was intended to keep government and religion separate and to prevent tax support for any church. **In simple terms:** Keep government and religion apart, no tax support. Key Takeaway Support strict separation of church and state. Themes religion government law Mood reflective serious Type legal historical When to use this quote - legislative debates - court cases - public policy Key Concepts separation of church and state tax policy Questions to Reflect On - How should modern pluralism affect this principle? - What are limits of government involvement? A Different Perspective Interpretations of “any church” can vary. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amendment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amendment/) [Amendments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amendments/) [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [First amendment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-amendment/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Institutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutions/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Positive atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive-atheism/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) ## Related quotes > [I believe that the Framers of the Constitution made their intent clear when they wrote the First Amendment. 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That's why no legislative leader since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-morris/as-bob-dole-found-out-you-can-t-keep-a-positive-image-while-being/) [Dick Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-morris/) > [“If men were angels, no government would be necessary - James Madison”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-berry/if-men-were-angels-no-government-would-be-necessary-james-madison/) [Steve Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-berry/) > [ England shouldn't have the real freedom of vote and we shouldn't either. Because as \[James Madison\] put it, one of the primary goals of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/england-shouldn-t-have-the-real-freedom-of-vote-and-we-shouldn-t/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I am a Libertarian. I want to be known as a Libertarian and a Constitutionalist in the tradition of the early James Madison -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/i-am-a-libertarian-i-want-to-be-known-as-a-libertarian-and-a/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) ## More by Sam Ervin > [If the many allegations made to this date are true, then the burglars who broke into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-ervin/if-the-many-allegations-made-to-this-date-are-true-then-the-burglars/) [Sam Ervin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-ervin/) > [I believe in a wall between church and state so high that no one can climb over it. When religion controls government, political liberty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-ervin/i-believe-in-a-wall-between-church-and-state-so-high-that-no-one-can/) [Sam Ervin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-ervin/) > [A school prayer amendment would confer upon public school boards a power the First Amendment now denies to Congress and the states, that is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-ervin/a-school-prayer-amendment-would-confer-upon-public-school-boards-a/) [Sam Ervin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-ervin/) > [I believe in a wall between church and state so high that no one can climb over it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-ervin/i-believe-in-a-wall-between-church-and-state-so-high-that-no-one-can-2/) [Sam Ervin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-ervin/) > [Humor makes our heavy burdens light and smoothes the rough spots in our pathways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-ervin/humor-makes-our-heavy-burdens-light-and-smoothes-the-rough-spots-in/) [Sam Ervin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-ervin/) > [A judicial activist is a judge who interprets the Constitution to mean what it would have said if he, instead of the Founding Fathers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-ervin/a-judicial-activist-is-a-judge-who-interprets-the-constitution-to/) [Sam Ervin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-ervin/) > [Political freedom cannot exist in any land where religion controls the state, and religious freedom cannot exist in any land where the state controls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-ervin/political-freedom-cannot-exist-in-any-land-where-religion-controls/) [Sam Ervin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-ervin/) > [Religious faith is not a storm cellar to which men and women can flee for refuge from the storms of life. It is instead,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-ervin/religious-faith-is-not-a-storm-cellar-to-which-men-and-women-can-flee/) [Sam Ervin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-ervin/) > [A leader is someone who helps improve the lives of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-ervin/a-leader-is-someone-who-helps-improve-the-lives-of-other-people/) [Sam Ervin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-ervin/) > [Government is contemptuous of true religion when it confiscates the taxes of Caesar to finance the things of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-ervin/government-is-contemptuous-of-true-religion-when-it-confiscates-the/) [Sam Ervin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-ervin/) > [Recalling an old magistrate's words to a young attorney, The rain it raineth on the just And also on the unjust fella; But chiefly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-ervin/recalling-an-old-magistrate-s-words-to-a-young-attorney-the-rain-it/) [Sam Ervin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-ervin/) > [When religion controls government, political liberty dies; and when government controls religion, religious liberty perishes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-ervin/when-religion-controls-government-political-liberty-dies-and-when/) [Sam Ervin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-ervin/) > [The President seems to extend executive privilege way out past the atmosphere. 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