--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The clergy, by getting themselves…" description: "\"The clergy, by getting themselves established by law and in-grafted into the machine of government, have been a very formidable engine against the civi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fe/thomas-jefferson-43_christianity_the-clergy-by-getting-themselves-establi_2776235.jpg" --- # The clergy, by getting themselves established by law and… ![“The clergy, by getting themselves established by law and in-grafted into the machine of government, have been a very formidable engine against the civil and religious rights of man.” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fe/thomas-jefferson-43_christianity_the-clergy-by-getting-themselves-establi_2776235.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fe/thomas-jefferson-43_christianity_the-clergy-by-getting-themselves-establi_2776235.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fe/thomas-jefferson-43_christianity_the-clergy-by-getting-themselves-establi_2776235.jpg) > “The clergy, by getting themselves established by law and in-grafted into the machine of government, have been a very formidable engine against the civil and religious rights of man.” [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When clergy merge with government, they become a powerful barrier to civil and religious freedoms. **In simple terms:** Church‑state entanglement blocks rights. Key Takeaway Uphold separation of church and state. Themes freedom government religion rights Mood philosophical political Type analytical historical When to use this quote - legal reforms - public education - advocacy campaigns Key Concepts secularism civil liberties institutional power Questions to Reflect On - How does separation protect individual liberty? - What are the limits of governmental authority over religion? 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I do not discuss the morals of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-a-douglas/i-am-now-speaking-of-rights-under-the-constitution-and-not-of-moral/) [Stephen A. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-a-douglas/) > [I heard the prophet Joseph Smith say the time would come when this nation would so far depart from its original purity, its glory,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliza-r-snow/i-heard-the-prophet-joseph-smith-say-the-time-would-come-when-this/) [Eliza R. Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliza-r-snow/) > [In a free government the security for civil rights must be the same as that for religious rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/in-a-free-government-the-security-for-civil-rights-must-be-the-same/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [Rights mean you have a right to your life. 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After the injuries we have done them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-two-principles-on-which-our-conduct-towards-the-indians-should-be/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Knowledge is power...knowled ge is safety...knowle dge is happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/knowledge-is-power-knowled-ge-is-safety-knowle-dge-is-happiness/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [There is... an artificial aristocracy founded on wealth and birth, without either virtue or talents... 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But when the government is afraid of the people, that's liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/when-the-people-are-afraid-of-the-government-that-s-tyranny-but-when/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/we-hold-these-truths-to-be-self-evident-that-all-men-are-created/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) [Explore all 2,098 Thomas Jefferson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) ## More Christianity quotes > [Christianity was never meant to be defined by its disciplines, but by its passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/christianity-was-never-meant-to-be-defined-by-its-disciplines-but-by/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [“God hates Hell. 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