--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Two hundred years ago the forces of…" description: "\"Two hundred years ago the forces of freedom challenged this idea. The children of the new enlightenment rose up to defy the tyranny of arrogant clergy ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec1/sherwin-wine-59899_arrogant_two-hundred-years-ago-the-forces-of-free_2110566.png" --- # Two hundred years ago the forces of freedom challenged… ![“Two hundred years ago the forces of freedom challenged this idea. The children of the new enlightenment rose up to defy the tyranny of arrogant clergy and the censorship of pious bureaucrats. They boldly proclaimed that the state must be free from religious coercion and that religion must be free…” quote by Sherwin Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec1/sherwin-wine-59899_arrogant_two-hundred-years-ago-the-forces-of-free_2110566.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec1/sherwin-wine-59899_arrogant_two-hundred-years-ago-the-forces-of-free_2110566.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec1/sherwin-wine-59899_arrogant_two-hundred-years-ago-the-forces-of-free_2110566.png) > “Two hundred years ago the forces of freedom challenged this idea. The children of the new enlightenment rose up to defy the tyranny of arrogant clergy and the censorship of pious bureaucrats. They boldly proclaimed that the state must be free from religious coercion and that religion must be free from state control. All individuals have the right to pursue the dictates of their own conscience. All citizens even have the right not to be religious at all.” [Sherwin Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwin-wine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates separation of church and state, emphasizing individual conscience and freedom from religious coercion. **In simple terms:** Freedom from religious control is essential. Key Takeaway Support secular governance. Themes separation of church and state individual liberty humanism Mood thoughtful serious Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy debates - education curricula - legal reforms - public discourse Key Concepts secularism conscience freedom of belief Questions to Reflect On - How can societies balance religious freedom with secular law? - What role should conscience play in public policy? A Different Perspective May conflict with cultural traditions valuing religion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arrogant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrogant/) [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Bureaucrats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bureaucrats/) [Censorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/censorship/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Citizens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizens/) [Clergy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clergy/) [Coercion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coercion/) [Coercion Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coercion-religion-4258577/) [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Conscience Citizens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience-citizens-4258578/) [Enlightenment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightenment/) [Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force/) [Free Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-religious-4177675/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom Challenged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-challenged-4258576/) [Hundred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hundred/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Pious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pious/) [Pursue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pursue/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Religious Coercion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-coercion-1491049/) [Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rose/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Tyranny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tyranny/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-ago/) ## Related quotes > [Every sort of energy and endurance, of courage and capacity for handling life's evils, is set free in those who have religious faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/every-sort-of-energy-and-endurance-of-courage-and-capacity-for/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [ What has been the effect of \[religious\] coercion? To make one half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites. To support roguery and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/what-has-been-the-effect-of-religious-coercion-to-make-one-half-the/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Every human being shall see in each and all of his fellow-men a hidden divinity... that every human being is made in the likeness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-steiner/every-human-being-shall-see-in-each-and-all-of-his-fellow-men-a/) [Rudolf Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-steiner/) > [What has been the effect of religious coercion? To make half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/what-has-been-the-effect-of-religious-coercion-to-make-half-the-world/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Far, far from the clergy be the love of novelty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-pius-x/far-far-from-the-clergy-be-the-love-of-novelty/) [Pope Pius X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-pius-x/) > [I am opposed to any form of tyranny over the mind of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/i-am-opposed-to-any-form-of-tyranny-over-the-mind-of-man/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“We are like the moon. The moon shines anyway, but it does not produce its own light. It reflects the light illuminated onto its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/we-are-like-the-moon-the-moon-shines-anyway-but-it-does-not-produce/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [ “There exists indeed an opposition to it \[ building of UVA, Jefferson's secular college \] by the friends of William and Mary, which is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/there-exists-indeed-an-opposition-to-it-building-of-uva-jefferson-s/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The military and the clergy cause us much annoyance; the clergy and the military, they empty our wallets and rob our intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-grillparzer/the-military-and-the-clergy-cause-us-much-annoyance-the-clergy-and/) [Franz Grillparzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-grillparzer/) > [If the liberties of the American people are ever destroyed, they will fall by the hands of the clergy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-lafayette/if-the-liberties-of-the-american-people-are-ever-destroyed-they-will/) [Marquis de Lafayette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-lafayette/) > [The clergy converted the simple teachings of Jesus into an engine for enslaving mankind and adulterated by artificial constructions into a contrivance to filch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-clergy-converted-the-simple-teachings-of-jesus-into-an-engine-for/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [ The law for religious freedom... \[has\]put down the aristocracy of the clergy and restored to the citizen the freedom of the mind. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-law-for-religious-freedom-has-put-down-the-aristocracy-of-the/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The great object was to get rid of Christianity, and to convert our churches into halls of science. The plan was not to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orestes-brownson/the-great-object-was-to-get-rid-of-christianity-and-to-convert-our/) [Orestes Brownson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orestes-brownson/) > [Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/every-sensible-man-every-honorable-man-must-hold-the-christian-sect/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Rulers who wished to subvert the public liberty, may have found an established Clergy convenient auxiliaries. A just Government instituted to secure & perpetuate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/rulers-who-wished-to-subvert-the-public-liberty-may-have-found-an/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) ## More by Sherwin Wine > [You have to fight gravity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwin-wine/you-have-to-fight-gravity/) [Sherwin Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwin-wine/) > [If I were a CEO of a company and ran it like God runs the universe, I'd be fired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwin-wine/if-i-were-a-ceo-of-a-company-and-ran-it-like-god-runs-the-universe-i/) [Sherwin Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwin-wine/) > [Laughing has always seemed to me to be more Jewish than praying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwin-wine/laughing-has-always-seemed-to-me-to-be-more-jewish-than-praying/) [Sherwin Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwin-wine/) > [There are two visions of America. One precedes our founding fathers and finds its roots in the harshness of our Puritan past. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwin-wine/there-are-two-visions-of-america-one-precedes-our-founding-fathers/) [Sherwin Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwin-wine/) [Explore all 5 Sherwin Wine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwin-wine/) ## More Arrogant quotes > [How arrogant - how very far from humility - would be the self-satisfied, smug assurance that God, a tidy-up-after-us God will come and clean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/how-arrogant-how-very-far-from-humility-would-be-the-self-satisfied/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [ \[T\]he tax code has been piling up, year after year, a symbol of everything gone wrong in America, of arrogant rulers and lost freedom,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-armey/t-he-tax-code-has-been-piling-up-year-after-year-a-symbol-of/) [Dick Armey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-armey/) > [What I would say to filmmakers, if I may be so bold or so arrogant, is to draw inspiration from other filmmakers, but go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/what-i-would-say-to-filmmakers-if-i-may-be-so-bold-or-so-arrogant-is/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [In politics we face the choice between warmongering, nation-state loving, big-business agents on one hand; and risk-blind, top-down, epistemic arrogant big servants of large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/in-politics-we-face-the-choice-between-warmongering-nation-state/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [I absolutely hate arrogant people, irks me to no end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-absolutely-hate-arrogant-people-irks-me-to-no-end/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Splutter, splutter. Yes - we're off - we're rising. But why start off with an engine like that? But it smooths out now, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/splutter-splutter-yes-we-re-off-we-re-rising-but-why-start-off-with/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [Mourinho is a bit arrogant, but you've got to like him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nicol/mourinho-is-a-bit-arrogant-but-you-ve-got-to-like-him/) [Steve Nicol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nicol/) > [Some say work smarter, not harder, but the wisest are both. Whether you're more of a hard worker or a smart worker, if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-tatem/some-say-work-smarter-not-harder-but-the-wisest-are-both-whether-you/) [Colby Tatem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-tatem/) > [I was spoiled and I was arrogant. I was very demanding, had an overblown image of who I was and got a reputation for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judge-reinhold/i-was-spoiled-and-i-was-arrogant-i-was-very-demanding-had-an/) [Judge Reinhold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judge-reinhold/) > [We are not being arrogant or complacent when we are said that our country, as a united nation, has never in its entire history,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabo-mbeki/we-are-not-being-arrogant-or-complacent-when-we-are-said-that-our/) [Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/) > [“So you intend to go through life never loving anyone? Just … things?” “No. I’m looking for something more.” “More than love?” “Yes.” “Is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-ahdieh/so-you-intend-to-go-through-life-never-loving-anyone-just-things-no-i/) [Renee Ahdieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-ahdieh/) > [People are tired of wasteful government programs and welfare chiselers, and they are angry about the constant spiral of taxes and government regulations, arrogant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/people-are-tired-of-wasteful-government-programs-and-welfare/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [“He was a man. Handsome as sin, arrogant as fuck, and in need of at least one woman to prove he wasn’t God’s gift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-blue/he-was-a-man-handsome-as-sin-arrogant-as-fuck-and-in-need-of-at-least/) [Melissa Blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-blue/) > [Being nice to people gets you nowhere. Being arrogant gets you nowhere. Blackmail, now that's a thing that will get you everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-nice-to-people-gets-you-nowhere-being-arrogant-gets-you-nowhere/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's amusing how arrogant people can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-amusing-how-arrogant-people-can-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 1,146 Arrogant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrogant/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Two hundred years ago the forces of freedom challenged this idea. The children of the new enlightenment rose up to defy the tyranny of arrogant clergy and the censorship of pious bureaucrats. They boldly proclaimed that the state must be free from religious coercion and that religion must be free from state control. All individuals have the right to pursue the dictates of their own conscience. 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