--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Both Jefferson and Adams were wary of…" description: "\"“Both Jefferson and Adams were wary of priests in all forms, as they both knew theocracies are enemies of democracy. Jefferson pointed out that the Ind..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fb/thom-hartmann-13946_jefferson_both-jefferson-and-adams-were-wary-of-pr_630864.png" --- # Both Jefferson and Adams were wary of priests in all… ![“Both Jefferson and Adams were wary of priests in all forms, as they both knew theocracies are enemies of democracy. Jefferson pointed out that the Indians shared their wariness:” quote by Thom Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fb/thom-hartmann-13946_jefferson_both-jefferson-and-adams-were-wary-of-pr_630864.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fb/thom-hartmann-13946_jefferson_both-jefferson-and-adams-were-wary-of-pr_630864.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fb/thom-hartmann-13946_jefferson_both-jefferson-and-adams-were-wary-of-pr_630864.png) > ““Both Jefferson and Adams were wary of priests in all forms, as they both knew theocracies are enemies of democracy. Jefferson pointed out that the Indians shared their wariness:”” [Thom Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-hartmann/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Historical leaders feared religious power because it threatens democratic freedom. **In simple terms:** Priests can become threats to democracy. Key Takeaway Guard democracy from religious overreach. Themes religion democracy power history Mood thoughtful concerned Type historical political When to use this quote - government policy - education curricula - public discourse - activism Key Concepts theocracy separation of church and state political philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance faith and freedom? - What safeguards protect democracy? A Different Perspective Not all religious influence is oppressive; nuance needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adams Wary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adams-wary-5084848/) [Enemies Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemies-democracy-2262618/) [Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jefferson/) [Jefferson Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jefferson-adams-2941270/) [Theocracies Enemies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theocracies-enemies-5084847/) [Wary Priests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wary-priests-5084849/) ## Related quotes > [“In 1786, Jefferson, then the American ambassador to France, and Adams, then the American ambassador to Britain, met in London with Sidi Haji Abdul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walid-shoebat/in-1786-jefferson-then-the-american-ambassador-to-france-and-adams/) [Walid Shoebat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walid-shoebat/) > [Perhaps the most important thing I learned was about democracy, that democracy is not our government, our constitution, our legal structure. Too often they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/perhaps-the-most-important-thing-i-learned-was-about-democracy-that/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [Many who have voted for the AfD, or who intend to do so, aren't doing so because they are dyed-in-the-wool enemies of democracy. Rather,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/many-who-have-voted-for-the-afd-or-who-intend-to-do-so-aren-t-doing/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [Mr. Jefferson has reason to reflect upon himself. How he will get rid of his remorse in his retirement, I know not. He must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/mr-jefferson-has-reason-to-reflect-upon-himself-how-he-will-get-rid/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [ Every answer he \[President John Adams\] gives to his addressers unmasks more and more his principles and views. His language to the young men… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/every-answer-he-president-john-adams-gives-to-his-addressers-unmasks/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [“A morsel of genuine history is a thing so rare as to be always valuable. Thomas Jefferson”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-grove/a-morsel-of-genuine-history-is-a-thing-so-rare-as-to-be-always/) [Tim Grove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-grove/) > [I knew Thomas Jefferson. He was a friend of mine. And believe me, you are no Thomas Jefferson. (at 1992 Republican party convention, referring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-knew-thomas-jefferson-he-was-a-friend-of-mine-and-believe-me-you/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [So now it turns out that Thomas Jefferson was having sex with Sally Hemings while serving in the 101st Airborne during the Vietnam War.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/so-now-it-turns-out-that-thomas-jefferson-was-having-sex-with-sally/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [The English are no nearer than they were a hundred years ago to knowing what Jefferson really meant when he said that God had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-english-are-no-nearer-than-they-were-a-hundred-years-ago-to/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [“The Jefferson is such a dignified hotel / There is no such thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/the-jefferson-is-such-a-dignified-hotel-there-is-no-such-thing/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [“...The Presidential election has given me less anxiety than I myself could have imagined. The next administration will be a troublesome one, to whomsoever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/the-presidential-election-has-given-me-less-anxiety-than-i-myself/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [In seeking an empire of liberty, Jefferson wished not only to expand the country's territorial holdings, but also to extend American institutions around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/in-seeking-an-empire-of-liberty-jefferson-wished-not-only-to-expand/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [probably the greatest concentration of talent and genius in this house except for perhaps those times when Thomas Jefferson ate alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/probably-the-greatest-concentration-of-talent-and-genius-in-this/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Thomas Jefferson was a real poet. He was slick with that 'pursuit' of happiness because the 'pursuit' puts it back on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/thomas-jefferson-was-a-real-poet-he-was-slick-with-that-pursuit-of/) [Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## More by Thom Hartmann > [In the 24 hours since this time yesterday, over 200,000 acres of rainforest have been destroyed in our world. Fully 13 million tons of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-hartmann/in-the-24-hours-since-this-time-yesterday-over-200-000-acres-of/) [Thom Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-hartmann/) > [“Traditional English, Dutch, French, and Spanish law didn’t say that corporations are people. The U.S. Constitution wasn’t written with that idea; corporations aren’t mentioned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-hartmann/traditional-english-dutch-french-and-spanish-law-didn-t-say-that/) [Thom Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-hartmann/) > [Blessings are the spiritual equivalent of breathing in, and prayer is the spiritual equivalent of breathing out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-hartmann/blessings-are-the-spiritual-equivalent-of-breathing-in-and-prayer-is/) [Thom Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-hartmann/) > [“2003 case before the Supreme Court in which Nike claimed that it had the First Amendment right to lie in its corporate marketing, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-hartmann/2003-case-before-the-supreme-court-in-which-nike-claimed-that-it-had/) [Thom Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-hartmann/) > [“The Constitution doesn’t give us rights: it restrains government from infringing on rights we acquire at birth by virtue of being human beings, “natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-hartmann/the-constitution-doesn-t-give-us-rights-it-restrains-government-from/) [Thom Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-hartmann/) > [Many people I've met believe that plants are made up of soil-that the tree outside your house, for example, is mostly made from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-hartmann/many-people-i-ve-met-believe-that-plants-are-made-up-of-soil-that-the/) [Thom Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-hartmann/) > [“Her crime cost nobody their life, but she famously was escorted off to a women’s prison. Had she been a corporation instead of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-hartmann/her-crime-cost-nobody-their-life-but-she-famously-was-escorted-off-to/) [Thom Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-hartmann/) > [Black Friday, in reality, is a symptom of the plight that 30 years of Reaganomics has brought to working people in America. Right along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-hartmann/black-friday-in-reality-is-a-symptom-of-the-plight-that-30-years-of/) [Thom Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-hartmann/) > [“So we now know the formula for extinction. Something happens to increase global temperatures five to six degrees, which triggers a melting of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-hartmann/so-we-now-know-the-formula-for-extinction-something-happens-to/) [Thom Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-hartmann/) > [When the Europeans first arrived in North America, the average depth of the topsoil was 53.34 cm (1¾ ft) and it was rich in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-hartmann/when-the-europeans-first-arrived-in-north-america-the-average-depth/) [Thom Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-hartmann/) > [“And so we see people who are spiritually disconnected, living in boxes and driving in boxes, perhaps once a year going "out to nature"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-hartmann/and-so-we-see-people-who-are-spiritually-disconnected-living-in-boxes/) [Thom Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-hartmann/) > [“in previous decades a chemical company took to the Supreme Court a case asserting its Fourth Amendment “right to privacy” from the Environmental Protection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-hartmann/in-previous-decades-a-chemical-company-took-to-the-supreme-court-a/) [Thom Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-hartmann/) > [“the Occupy Movement flared up and began setting up tents in public parks all around the nation, from New York City to Chicago to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-hartmann/the-occupy-movement-flared-up-and-began-setting-up-tents-in-public/) [Thom Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-hartmann/) > [ Because nitrous oxide \[released by nitrate-fertilised soil\] is 296 times stronger than COâ‚‚ at global warming and methane \[cow farts\] is about 26 times… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-hartmann/because-nitrous-oxide-released-by-nitrate-fertilised-soil-is-296/) [Thom Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-hartmann/) > [“Humans are born with human rights. Those human rights are inherent—”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-hartmann/humans-are-born-with-human-rights-those-human-rights-are-inherent/) [Thom Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-hartmann/) [Explore all 48 Thom Hartmann quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-hartmann/) ## More Jefferson quotes > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Thomas Jefferson was a real poet. He was slick with that 'pursuit' of happiness because the 'pursuit' puts it back on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/thomas-jefferson-was-a-real-poet-he-was-slick-with-that-pursuit-of/) [Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/) > [probably the greatest concentration of talent and genius in this house except for perhaps those times when Thomas Jefferson ate alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/probably-the-greatest-concentration-of-talent-and-genius-in-this/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [In seeking an empire of liberty, Jefferson wished not only to expand the country's territorial holdings, but also to extend American institutions around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/in-seeking-an-empire-of-liberty-jefferson-wished-not-only-to-expand/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [“...The Presidential election has given me less anxiety than I myself could have imagined. The next administration will be a troublesome one, to whomsoever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/the-presidential-election-has-given-me-less-anxiety-than-i-myself/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [“The Jefferson is such a dignified hotel / There is no such thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/the-jefferson-is-such-a-dignified-hotel-there-is-no-such-thing/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [The English are no nearer than they were a hundred years ago to knowing what Jefferson really meant when he said that God had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-english-are-no-nearer-than-they-were-a-hundred-years-ago-to/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [So now it turns out that Thomas Jefferson was having sex with Sally Hemings while serving in the 101st Airborne during the Vietnam War.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/so-now-it-turns-out-that-thomas-jefferson-was-having-sex-with-sally/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [I knew Thomas Jefferson. He was a friend of mine. And believe me, you are no Thomas Jefferson. (at 1992 Republican party convention, referring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-knew-thomas-jefferson-he-was-a-friend-of-mine-and-believe-me-you/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [“A morsel of genuine history is a thing so rare as to be always valuable. Thomas Jefferson”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-grove/a-morsel-of-genuine-history-is-a-thing-so-rare-as-to-be-always/) [Tim Grove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-grove/) > [ Every answer he \[President John Adams\] gives to his addressers unmasks more and more his principles and views. His language to the young men… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/every-answer-he-president-john-adams-gives-to-his-addressers-unmasks/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [Mr. Jefferson has reason to reflect upon himself. How he will get rid of his remorse in his retirement, I know not. He must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/mr-jefferson-has-reason-to-reflect-upon-himself-how-he-will-get-rid/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [I love the example of Jefferson because he's willing to murder his government and then he becomes a president and then his face is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-wilson/i-love-the-example-of-jefferson-because-he-s-willing-to-murder-his/) [Cody Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-wilson/) > [What I'm thinking about more and more these days is simply the importance of transparency, and Jefferson's saying that he'd rather have a free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-dyson/what-i-m-thinking-about-more-and-more-these-days-is-simply-the/) [Esther Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-dyson/) > [ \[John\] Adams was the best and most colorful stylist among the Founders. Although \[Tomas\] Jefferson is widely regarded as the smoothest writer, Adams is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-s-wood/john-adams-was-the-best-and-most-colorful-stylist-among-the-founders/) [Gordon S. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-s-wood/) [Browse all 174 Jefferson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jefferson/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Both Jefferson and Adams were wary of priests in all forms, as they both knew theocracies are enemies of democracy. 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