--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If . . . a principle of true Religion…" description: "\"If . . . a principle of true Religion [i.e., true Christianity] should . . . gain ground, there is no estimating the effects on public morals, and the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/william-wilberforce-8564_christianity_if-a-principle-of-true-religion-i-e-true_3045862.jpg" --- # If . . . a principle of true Religion \[i.e., true… ![“If . . . a principle of true Religion [i.e., true Christianity] should . . . gain ground, there is no estimating the effects on public morals, and the consequent influence on our political welfare.” quote by William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/william-wilberforce-8564_christianity_if-a-principle-of-true-religion-i-e-true_3045862.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/william-wilberforce-8564_christianity_if-a-principle-of-true-religion-i-e-true_3045862.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/william-wilberforce-8564_christianity_if-a-principle-of-true-religion-i-e-true_3045862.jpg) > “If . . . a principle of true Religion \[i.e., true Christianity\] should . . . gain ground, there is no estimating the effects on public morals, and the consequent influence on our political welfare.” [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True religion shapes societal values, which in turn affect public morality and political well‑being. **In simple terms:** Religion influences morals and politics. Key Takeaway Promote genuine faith to improve society. Themes morality politics religion Mood thoughtful concerned Type ethical political When to use this quote - community building - legislative reform - education initiatives - interfaith dialogue Key Concepts social cohesion public policy ethical influence Questions to Reflect On - How does personal faith translate into public policy? - Can moral improvement occur without religious foundations? A Different Perspective Religious impact can be limited by secular opposition or pluralism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Estimating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/estimating/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [True christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-christianity/) [True religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-religion/) [Welfare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/welfare/) ## Related quotes > [True to my religion, true everything Im too different. So when I die, bury me next to 2 bitches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/2-chainz/true-to-my-religion-true-everything-im-too-different-so-when-i-die/) [2 Chainz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/2-chainz/) > [Though it is very important for man as an individual that his religion should be true, that is not the case for society. Society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/though-it-is-very-important-for-man-as-an-individual-that-his/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [A religion, that is, a true religion, must consist of ideas and facts both; not of ideas alone without facts, for then it would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/a-religion-that-is-a-true-religion-must-consist-of-ideas-and-facts/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [The old Catholic church traditions are worth more than all you have said. Here is a principle of logic that most men have no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-smith-jr/the-old-catholic-church-traditions-are-worth-more-than-all-you-have/) [Joseph Smith, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-smith-jr/) > [True religion is a universal and (necessarily) ego-transcending psycho-physical motivation of human beings. However, up to the present stage in human history, only relatively…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adi-da/true-religion-is-a-universal-and-necessarily-ego-transcending-psycho/) [Adi Da](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adi-da/) > [No religion is a true religion that does not make men tingle to their finger tips with a sense of infinite hazard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ernest-hocking/no-religion-is-a-true-religion-that-does-not-make-men-tingle-to-their/) [William Ernest Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ernest-hocking/) > [“If one religion were 'true,' we would expect to see, even if only once in all of recorded history, a religious missionary that had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-mcafee/if-one-religion-were-true-we-would-expect-to-see-even-if-only-once-in/) [David G. McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-mcafee/) > [“Part of himself held back and would not allow him to commit to the dwarf gods and bind his identity and his sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paolini/part-of-himself-held-back-and-would-not-allow-him-to-commit-to-the/) [Christopher Paolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paolini/) > [If religion is only human, and its form is man's form, it follows that everything in religion is true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-chartier/if-religion-is-only-human-and-its-form-is-man-s-form-it-follows-that/) [Emile Chartier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-chartier/) > [There's something in every atheist, itching to believe, and something in every believer, itching to doubt. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966 Religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/there-s-something-in-every-atheist-itching-to-believe-and-something/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“I have my true religion and you have your true religion. I will respect your right to follow your truth and you must respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amish-tripathi/i-have-my-true-religion-and-you-have-your-true-religion-i-will/) [Amish Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amish-tripathi/) > [Public morals are natural complements of all laws: they are by themselves an entire code.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/public-morals-are-natural-complements-of-all-laws-they-are-by/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [somewhere about the eighteenth century, history tacitly replaced religion as the school of public morals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-v-wedgwood/somewhere-about-the-eighteenth-century-history-tacitly-replaced/) [C. V. Wedgwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-v-wedgwood/) > [To lodge all power in one party and keep it there is to insure bad government and the sure and gradual deterioration of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/to-lodge-all-power-in-one-party-and-keep-it-there-is-to-insure-bad/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Public morals are natural complement of all laws they are by themselves an entire code.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/public-morals-are-natural-complement-of-all-laws-they-are-by/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) ## More by William Wilberforce > [Selfishness is one of the principal fruits of the corruption of human nature; and it is obvious that selfishness disposes us to over-rate our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/selfishness-is-one-of-the-principal-fruits-of-the-corruption-of-human/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [Let everyone regulate his conduct... by the golden rule of doing to others as in similar circumstances we would have them do to us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/let-everyone-regulate-his-conduct-by-the-golden-rule-of-doing-to/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [Surely the principles of Christianity lead to action as well as meditation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/surely-the-principles-of-christianity-lead-to-action-as-well-as/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [Some bolder spirits, indeed, might be expected to despise the cautious moderation of these timid reasoners, and to pronounce decisively, that the Bible was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/some-bolder-spirits-indeed-might-be-expected-to-despise-the-cautious/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [“God Almighty has set before me two Great Objects: the supression of the Slave Trade and the Reformation of Manners.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/god-almighty-has-set-before-me-two-great-objects-the-supression-of/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [The title of Christian is a reproach to us, if we estrange ourselves from Him after whom we are denominated. The name of Jesus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/the-title-of-christian-is-a-reproach-to-us-if-we-estrange-ourselves/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [God Almighty has set before me two great objects, the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners (morality).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/god-almighty-has-set-before-me-two-great-objects-the-suppression-of/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [Life as we know it, with all its ups and downs, will soon be over. We all will give an accounting to God of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/life-as-we-know-it-with-all-its-ups-and-downs-will-soon-be-over-we/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [If there is no passionate love for Christ at the center of everything, we will only jingle and jangle our way across the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/if-there-is-no-passionate-love-for-christ-at-the-center-of-everything/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [Its guilt therefore in these cases, is not to be measure by its effects on the happiness of mankind; nor is it to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/its-guilt-therefore-in-these-cases-is-not-to-be-measure-by-its/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [It is the true duty of every man to promote the happiness of his fellow creatures to the utmost of his power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/it-is-the-true-duty-of-every-man-to-promote-the-happiness-of-his/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [When blessed with wealth, let them withdraw from the competition of vanity and be modest, retiring from ostentation, and not be the slaves of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/when-blessed-with-wealth-let-them-withdraw-from-the-competition-of/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [“Let him then, who would be indeed a Christian, watch over his ways and over his heart with unceasing circumspection. Let him endeavour to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/let-him-then-who-would-be-indeed-a-christian-watch-over-his-ways-and/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [Africa, your sufferings have been the theme that has arrested & engaged my heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/africa-your-sufferings-have-been-the-theme-that-has-arrested-engaged/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [It must be conceded by those who admit the authority of Scripture (such only he is addressing) that from the decision of the word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/it-must-be-conceded-by-those-who-admit-the-authority-of-scripture/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) [Explore all 80 William Wilberforce quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) ## 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. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/) [Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/) > [“some of my good Baptist brethren in Georgia had done a little preaching from the pulpit against the KKK, I would have a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-moss/some-of-my-good-baptist-brethren-in-georgia-had-done-a-little/) [Norman Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-moss/) > [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Why do Christians sing when they are together? The reason is, quite simply, because in singing together it is possible for them to speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/why-do-christians-sing-when-they-are-together-the-reason-is-quite/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“every church can treat each discipleship class and each worship service as an opportunity for continual rehearsal of what the words, stories, symbols, rituals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/every-church-can-treat-each-discipleship-class-and-each-worship/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [“A question for Christians who accept evolution: When did we gain a "soul"? Did Homo habilis have a soul? Homo ergaster? Did God only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-mcafee/a-question-for-christians-who-accept-evolution-when-did-we-gain-a/) [David G. McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-mcafee/) > [The notion of a non-religious Christmas is ridiculous. But so is the insistence on the part of Christians that politicians and retailers carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/the-notion-of-a-non-religious-christmas-is-ridiculous-but-so-is-the/) [Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/) > [A real Christian in an odd number anyway. 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Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) [Browse all 14,385 Christianity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If . . . a principle of true Religion [i.e., true Christianity] should . . . gain ground, there is no estimating the effects on public morals, and the consequent influence on our political welfare.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Wilberforce" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/if-a-principle-of-true-religion-i-e-true-christianity-should-gain/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Christianity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/if-a-principle-of-true-religion-i-e-true-christianity-should-gain/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/william-wilberforce-8564_christianity_if-a-principle-of-true-religion-i-e-true_3045862.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/william-wilberforce-8564_christianity_if-a-principle-of-true-religion-i-e-true_3045862.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/william-wilberforce-8564_christianity_if-a-principle-of-true-religion-i-e-true_3045862.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If . . . a principle of true Religion [i.e., true Christianity] should . . . gain ground, there is no…” — William Wilberforce", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Wilberforce", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If . . . a principle...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/if-a-principle-of-true-religion-i-e-true-christianity-should-gain/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/if-a-principle-of-true-religion-i-e-true-christianity-should-gain/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```