--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To the ACLU, the First Amendment speaks…" description: "\"To the ACLU, the First Amendment speaks more directly to freedom from religion than it does to freedom of religion.\" — William Anthony Donohue" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca0/william-anthony-donohue-41821_amendments_to-the-aclu-the-first-amendment-speaks-m_1570389.jpg" --- # To the ACLU, the First Amendment speaks more directly to… ![“To the ACLU, the First Amendment speaks more directly to freedom from religion than it does to freedom of religion.” quote by William Anthony Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca0/william-anthony-donohue-41821_amendments_to-the-aclu-the-first-amendment-speaks-m_1570389.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca0/william-anthony-donohue-41821_amendments_to-the-aclu-the-first-amendment-speaks-m_1570389.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca0/william-anthony-donohue-41821_amendments_to-the-aclu-the-first-amendment-speaks-m_1570389.jpg) > “To the ACLU, the First Amendment speaks more directly to freedom from religion than it does to freedom of religion.” [William Anthony Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-anthony-donohue/) ## 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 primarily protects against government-imposed religion, less so the right to practice religion. **In simple terms:** Protects from state religion, not necessarily free practice. Key Takeaway Recognize limits of religious freedom protections. Themes religion law civil liberties Mood analytical critical Type legal political When to use this quote - legal analysis - public policy - education curricula - media reporting Key Concepts constitutional law separation of church and state Questions to Reflect On - How does this interpretation affect religious minorities? - What balance should exist between freedom from and of religion? A Different Perspective May ignore broader religious liberty issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amendments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amendments/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [First amendment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-amendment/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom of religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-of-religion/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) ## Related quotes > [Freedom of religion does not entitle your religion to have a privileged position within the public sphere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gad-saad/freedom-of-religion-does-not-entitle-your-religion-to-have-a/) [Gad Saad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gad-saad/) > [Freedom of religion does not give you the right to physically or verbally assault people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/freedom-of-religion-does-not-give-you-the-right-to-physically-or/) [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) > [I strongly believe in the separation of church and state. But freedom of religion does not mean freedom from religion, there is a better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/i-strongly-believe-in-the-separation-of-church-and-state-but-freedom/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [John Marshall's warning that the power to tax is the power to destroy has taken on far greater meaning... more specifically, the power of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-grassley/john-marshall-s-warning-that-the-power-to-tax-is-the-power-to-destroy/) [Chuck Grassley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-grassley/) > [The first phrase of the First Amendment spoke to the freedom uppermost in Jefferson's mind when it provided that, 'Congress shall make no law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-gaustad/the-first-phrase-of-the-first-amendment-spoke-to-the-freedom/) [Edwin Gaustad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-gaustad/) > [The framers of our Constitution meant we were to have freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/the-framers-of-our-constitution-meant-we-were-to-have-freedom-of/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [ “The \[Apache\] tribe was under siege by government agents, who had jailed some of the medicine men for practicing their rituals. Freedom of religion… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-egan/the-apache-tribe-was-under-siege-by-government-agents-who-had-jailed/) [Timothy Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-egan/) > [Israel can't be the only country in the Western world not to have freedom of religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yair-lapid/israel-can-t-be-the-only-country-in-the-western-world-not-to-have/) [Yair Lapid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yair-lapid/) > [Neither the wording of the amendment itself nor common practice challenged the widely held belief that government guaranteed freedom of religion, not freedom from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-chavez/neither-the-wording-of-the-amendment-itself-nor-common-practice/) [Linda Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-chavez/) > [The freedom to convert is fundamental to freedom of religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-inglis/the-freedom-to-convert-is-fundamental-to-freedom-of-religion/) [Bob Inglis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-inglis/) > [Religious freedom does not mean freedom from religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perry/religious-freedom-does-not-mean-freedom-from-religion/) [Rick Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perry/) > [Everyone claims to be okay with freedom of religion, but the moment you mention God there is a strange tension that fills the air.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/everyone-claims-to-be-okay-with-freedom-of-religion-but-the-moment/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [I am an Iranian by birth and of my Islamic faith. I am also an American Citizen and I seek to help change America…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-jarrett/i-am-an-iranian-by-birth-and-of-my-islamic-faith-i-am-also-an/) [Valerie Jarrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-jarrett/) > [Those who accept freedom of religion as a right are obligated by this acceptance to take the maintenance of freedom of religion as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-leon-blau/those-who-accept-freedom-of-religion-as-a-right-are-obligated-by-this/) Joseph Leon Blau > [I am for freedom of religion, and against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendency of one sect over another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/i-am-for-freedom-of-religion-and-against-all-maneuvers-to-bring-about/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) ## More by William Anthony Donohue > [When we move beyond information toward transformation, we savor the truth of seeking to do life "under the Word" as the ancients have taught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-anthony-donohue/when-we-move-beyond-information-toward-transformation-we-savor-the/) [William Anthony Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-anthony-donohue/) > [The structure serves the people, people don't serve the structure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-anthony-donohue/the-structure-serves-the-people-people-don-t-serve-the-structure/) [William Anthony Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-anthony-donohue/) > [The ACLU's record, far from showing a momentary wavering from impartiality, is replete with attemps to reform American society according to the wisdom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-anthony-donohue/the-aclu-s-record-far-from-showing-a-momentary-wavering-from/) [William Anthony Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-anthony-donohue/) > [It is hard to think of anything more vile than to intentionally desecrate the Body of Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-anthony-donohue/it-is-hard-to-think-of-anything-more-vile-than-to-intentionally/) [William Anthony Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-anthony-donohue/) > [The ACLU sues no matter what public property a religious symbol is placed on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-anthony-donohue/the-aclu-sues-no-matter-what-public-property-a-religious-symbol-is/) [William Anthony Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-anthony-donohue/) > [We’re not going to allow gay people to adopt children, that’s against nature, it’s against nature’s God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-anthony-donohue/we-re-not-going-to-allow-gay-people-to-adopt-children-that-s-against/) [William Anthony Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-anthony-donohue/) > [Freedom is won by relegating religion to a purely private sphere remote from the body politic. In fact, the establishment of a free society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-anthony-donohue/freedom-is-won-by-relegating-religion-to-a-purely-private-sphere/) [William Anthony Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-anthony-donohue/) > [Removing religion from the womb of culture has become the practiced virtue of the ACLU over the past several decades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-anthony-donohue/removing-religion-from-the-womb-of-culture-has-become-the-practiced/) [William Anthony Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-anthony-donohue/) > [Muslims are right to be angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-anthony-donohue/muslims-are-right-to-be-angry/) [William Anthony Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-anthony-donohue/) [Explore all 10 William Anthony Donohue quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-anthony-donohue/) ## More Amendments quotes > [This separation was absolute in our original Republic. But the sky-godders do not give up easily. In the 1950s they actually got the phrase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/this-separation-was-absolute-in-our-original-republic-but-the-sky/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [The First Amendment makes confidence in the common sense of our people and in the maturity of their judgement the great postulate of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/the-first-amendment-makes-confidence-in-the-common-sense-of-our/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [Anybody who pretends that how you read the 10th and 11th Amendment doesn't have a fundamental impact on the things we care about is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/anybody-who-pretends-that-how-you-read-the-10th-and-11th-amendment/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [I have a lot of guns on my ranch. I don't use them for hunting. I'm not a hunter. It's for protection. The Second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-norris/i-have-a-lot-of-guns-on-my-ranch-i-don-t-use-them-for-hunting-i-m-not/) [Chuck Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-norris/) > [All human situations have their inconveniences. We feel those of the present but neither see nor feel those of the future; and hence we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/all-human-situations-have-their-inconveniences-we-feel-those-of-the/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [If, in the opinion of the people, the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/if-in-the-opinion-of-the-people-the-distribution-or-modification-of/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [The First Amendment exists to protect our religious liberty--to ensure that all Americans are able to seek out worship God with all our hearts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/the-first-amendment-exists-to-protect-our-religious-liberty-to-ensure/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [Laws that forbid the carrying of arms . . . disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/laws-that-forbid-the-carrying-of-arms-disarm-only-those-who-are/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [As civil rulers, not having their duty to the people duly before them, may attempt to tyrannize,... The people are confirmed by the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tench-coxe/as-civil-rulers-not-having-their-duty-to-the-people-duly-before-them/) [Tench Coxe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tench-coxe/) > [The lessons of the First Amendment are as urgent in the modern world as the 18th Century when it was written. 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