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0d34d4b Our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions any more than our opinions in physics or geometry... science geometry opinions physics Thomas Jefferson
1165168 History, in general, only informs us what bad government is. history scope-of-government Thomas Jefferson
940948b I have observed, indeed, generally, that while in protestant countries the defections from the Platonic Christianity of the priests is to Deism, in catholic countries they are to Atheism. , , , , are known to have been among the most virtuous of men. Their virtue, then, must have had some other foundation than the love of God. [ ] baron-d-holbach condorcet d-alembert jean-le-rond-d-alembert marquis-de-condorcet platonic-christianity d-holbach denis-diderot diderot paul-henri-d-holbach protestant platonic deism Thomas Jefferson
1336b14 4. Religion. Your reason is now mature enough to examine this object. In the first place, divest yourself of all bias in favor of novelty & singularity of opinion... shake off all the fears & servile prejudices, under which weak minds are servilely crouched. . You will naturally examine first, the religion of your own country. Read the Bible, then as you would read or . The facts which are within the ordinary course of nature, you will .. inspiration science book-of-joshua examine joshua livy tacitus critical-examination contradiction divine-inspiration new-testament inquiry testimony evidence probability supernatural Thomas Jefferson
0f1495a Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time, who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done, if we are always doing. time inspirational enterprise hard-work Thomas Jefferson
65a06cd Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances. inner-peace Thomas Jefferson
d51b882 legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' . Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of.. religion separation-of-church-and-state organized-religion government Thomas Jefferson
6ffd8c8 I had rather be shut up in a very modest cottage with my books, my family and a few old friends, dining on simple bacon, and letting the world roll on as it liked, than to occupy the most splendid post, which any human power can give. life Thomas Jefferson
9ed27a7 vast accession of strength from their younger recruits, who having nothing in them of the feelings or principles of '76 now look to a single and splendid government of an Aristocracy, founded on banking institutions and monied in corporations under the guise and cloak of their favored branches of manufactures commerce and navigation, riding and ruling over the plundered ploughman and beggared yeomanry. plutocracy Thomas Jefferson
864f01c Difference of opinion is advantageous in religion. The several sects perform the office of a Censor morum over each other. Is uniformity attainable? . Let us reflect that it is inhabited by a thousand millions of people. That these profess probably a thousand different systems of religion. That ours is but one of that thousand. That if there be but one right, and ours that one, we should wish to see the 999 wandering sects gathered into th.. reason uniformity free-inquiry religious-violence hypocrites fools Thomas Jefferson
65c2739 I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves ; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power. politics education liberty government Thomas Jefferson
2f788a6 I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical. Unsuccesful rebellions indeed generally establish the incroachments on the rights of the people which have produced them. An observation of this truth should render honest republican governors so mild in their punishment of rebellions, as not to discourage them too much. It is a medecine necessary for the sound .. rebellion politics government revolution Thomas Jefferson
0f49bea Whereas it appeareth that however certain forms of government are better calculated than others to protect individuals in the free exercise of their natural rights, and are at the same time themselves better guarded against degeneracy, yet experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms, those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny; and it is believed that the most effectual means of prev.. misgovernment complacency corruption political-philosophy decline Thomas Jefferson
55508cb We took the liberty to make some enquiries concerning the ground of their pretensions to make war upon nations who had done them no injury, and observed that we considered all mankind as our friends who had done us no wrong, nor had given us any provocation. The Ambassador [of Tripoli] answered us that it was founded on the Laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Koran, that all nations who should not have acknowledged their aut.. musselman the-prophet the-prophet-mohammed tripli koran quran religious-violence mohammed paradise muslim Thomas Jefferson
67627d9 And the day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter. But we may hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away all this artificial scaffolding... { } myth reason irreligion jupiter minerva virgin-birth supreme-being united-states virgin freedom-of-thought father Thomas Jefferson
5d8a409 I agree with yours of the 22d tha inspirational best university-of-virginia opinion theology Thomas Jefferson
c9a8c26 I agree with yours of the 22d that . but we cannot always do what is absolutely best. those with whom we act, entertaining different views, have the power and the right of carrying them into practice. truth advances, & error recedes step by step only; and to do to our fellow-men the most good in our power, we must lead where we can, follow where we cannot, and still go with them, watching always the favorable moment for helping them to ano.. inspirational university-of-virginia opinion theology Thomas Jefferson
21b65a4 And to preserve their independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty, or profusion and servitude. If we run into such debts, as that we must be taxed in our meat and in our drink, in our necessaries and our comforts, in our labors and our amusements, for our callings and our creeds, as the people of England are, our people, like them, must come to labor sixteen hou.. national-debt fiscal-policy political-philosophy Thomas Jefferson
c4675be Altho' I rarely waste time in reading on theological subjects, as mangled by our Pseudo-Christians, yet I can readily suppose Basanistos may be amusing. Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions. Ideas must be distinct before reason can act upon them; and no man ever had a distinct idea of the trinity. It is mere Abracadabra of the mountebanks calling themselves the priests of Jesus. If it could be un.. the-trinity trinity ridicule priests christians weapon superstition Thomas Jefferson
fcd72bf I write nothing for publication, and last of all things should it be on the subject of religion. , for abstractions unintelligible to themselves and to all others, and absolutely beyond the comprehension of the human mind. Were I to enter on that arena, I should only add an unit to the number of Bedlamites. [ ] religion religious-violence Thomas Jefferson
0e4a07b When the clergy addressed on his departure from the government, it was observed in their consultation that he had never on any occasion said a word to the public which showed a belief in the Christian religion and they thought they should so pen their address as to force him at length to declare publicly whether he was a Christian or not. They did so. However [Dr. Rush] observed the old fox was too cunning for them. He answered every arti.. founding-fathers-religion gouverneur-morris irreligious george-washington morris washington disbelief Thomas Jefferson
8f42ff9 it is not to be understood that I am with him [Jesus] in all his doctrines. I am a Materialist, he takes the side of spiritualism; he preaches the efficacy of repentance toward forgiveness of sin. I require a counterpoise of good works to redeem it... Among the sayings & discourses imputed to him by his biographers, I find many passages of fine imagination, correct morality, and of the most lovely benevolence: and others again of so much ig.. materialist good-works untruth contradictions materialism atheism forgiveness ignorance atheist Thomas Jefferson
caf1bdd As you say of yourself, I too am an . I consider the genuine (not the imputed) doctrines of as containing everything rational in moral philosophy which Greece and Rome have left us. [ ] epicureanism philosophy-rome secular-morality epicurus secular-ethics moral-philosophy greece Thomas Jefferson
20d1eac When we see religion split into so many thousand of sects, and I may say Christianity itself divided into its thousands also, who are disputing, anathematizing and where the laws permit burning and torturing one another for abstractions which no one of them understand, and which are indeed beyond the comprehension of the human mind, into which of the chambers of this Bedlam would a man wish to thrust himself. [ ] sects religious-violence torture Thomas Jefferson
3b392da When once we quit the basis of sensation, all is in the wind. To talk of existences is to talk of . To say that the human soul, angels, god, are immaterial, is to say they are , or that there is no god, no angels, no soul. I cannot reason otherwise: but I believe I am supported in my creed of materialism by , , and . { } reason antoine-destutt-de-tracy antoine-louis-claude-destutt comte-de-tracy dugald-stewart john-locke john-stewart-mill stewart tracy john-adams creed materialism atheism angels locke Thomas Jefferson
30deefa The hocus-pocus phantasm of a God like another Cerberus, with one body and three heads, had its birth and growth in the blood of thousands and thousands of martyrs... In fact, the Athanasian paradox that one is three, and three but one, is so incomprehensible to the human mind, that no candid man can say he has any idea of it, and how can he believe what presents no idea? He who thinks he does, only deceives himself. He proves, also, that .. reason athanasian-creed trinitarian athanasian the-trinity trinity martyrs gullibility Thomas Jefferson
64117c1 The whole art of government consists in the art of being honest. honesty Thomas Jefferson
2555de1 All should be laid open to you without reserve, for there is not a truth existing which I fear, or would wish unknown to the whole world. truth Thomas Jefferson
90337f5 But friendship is precious, not only in the shade but in the sunshine of life; & thanks to a benevolent arrangement of things, the greater part of life is sunshine. I will recur for proof to the days we have lately passed. On these indeed the sun shone brightly. THOMAS JEFFERSON
e4cc0c6 May it [American independence] be to the world, what I believe it will be, (to some parts sooner, to others later, but finally to all,) the signal of arousing men to burst the chains under which monkish ignorance and superstition had persuaded them to bind themselves, and to assume the blessings and security of self-government. That form which we have substituted, restores the free right to the unbounded exercise of reason and freedom of op.. reason science hope light-of-science monkish freedom-of-opinion chains ignorance superstition Thomas Jefferson
fc786ec A Decalogue of Canons for Observation in Practical Life inspirational quotes-to-live-by Thomas Jefferson
64343ea A Decalogue of Canons for Observation in Practical Life: 1. Never put off to tomorrow what you can do to-day. 2. Never trouble another with what you can do yourself. 3. Never spend your money before you have it. 4. Never buy a thing you do not want, because it is cheap, it will be dear to you. 5. Take care of your cents: Dollars will take care of themselves. 6. Pride costs us more than hunger, thirst and cold. 7. We never repent of having e.. quotes-to-live-by Thomas Jefferson
2798858 The equal rights of man, and the happiness of every individual, are now acknowledged to be the only legitimate objects of government. Thomas Jefferson
f4a5fe2 It is an axiom in my mind, that our liberty can never be safe but in the hands of the people themselves, and that too of the people with a certain degree of instruction. This it is the business of the State to effect, and on a general plan. Thomas Jefferson
544a368 I wish that all nations may recover and retain their independence; that those which are overgrown may not advance beyond safe measures of power, that a salutary balance may be ever maintained among nations, and that our peace, commerce, and friendship, may be sought and cultivated by all. It is our business to manufacture for ourselves whatever we can, to keep our markets open for what we can spare or want; and the less we have to do with t.. inspirational power Thomas Jefferson
af8fb4c I wish that all nations may recover and retain their independence; that those which are overgrown may not advance beyond safe measures of power, that a salutary balance may be ever maintained among nations, and that our peace, commerce, and friendship, may be sought and cultivated by all. It is our business to manufacture for ourselves whatever we can, to keep our markets open for what we can spare or want; and the less we have to do with t.. power Thomas Jefferson
94ab205 I think one travels more usefully when they travel alone, because they reflect more." ( June 19, 1787)" travel Thomas Jefferson
ada3750 The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it to be always kept alive. It will often be exercised when wrong, but better so than not to be exercised at all. I like a little rebellion now and then. It is like a storm in the atmosphere. Thomas Jefferson
39290a0 If you want something you've never ha inspirational Thomas Jefferson
17a4bf1 Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia. university-of-virginia religious-freedom greatness epitaph Thomas Jefferson
e5f1d76 If we could believe that he [Jesus] really countenanced the follies, the falsehoods, and the charlatanism which his biographers [Gospels] father on him, and admit the misconstructions, interpolations, and theorizations of the fathers of the early, and the fanatics of the latter ages, the conclusion would be irresistible by every sound mind that he was an impostor... We find in the writings of his biographers matter of two distinct descripti.. lies reason god-of-abraham imposter jehovah yahweh freethought new-testament judaism freethinker skeptic skepticism fake Thomas Jefferson
60e5130 What a stupendous, what an incomprehensible machine is man! Who can endure toil, famine, stripes, imprisonment and death itself in vindication of his own liberty, and the next moment . . . inflict on his fellow men a bondage, one hour of which is fraught with more misery than ages of that which he rose in rebellion to oppose. man Thomas Jefferson
5bccfb5 There exists indeed an opposition to it [ ] by the friends of William and Mary, which is not strong. The most restive is that of the . In this the Presbyterian clergy take the lead. The tocsin is sounded in all their pulpits, and the first alarm denounced is against the particular creed of Doctr. Cooper; and as impudently denounced as if they really knew what it is. [ ] witches science duperies fatal-harbinger pulpit religious-sects william-and-mary opposition creed university-of-virginia presbyterian priests science-vs-religion dread Thomas Jefferson
02aad68 History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance of which their civil as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purposes. { } history free-government humboldt alexander-von-humboldt priest ignorance Thomas Jefferson
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