Is uniformity attainable? Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity. What has been the effet of coercion? To make one half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites.

Thomas Jefferson

Notes on the State of Virginia

On uniformity of opinion in religion.

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More information about this quote

Topic

Religious persecution Freedom of religion

Author

Thomas Jefferson

Source

Notes on the State of Virginia

Genre

Political literature

Language

English

Time

1785 1780s 18th century

Occupation

Founding Father American President National leader Politician

From

United States

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Jefferson, Thomas [published anonymously]. Notes on the State of Virginia. Paris: Philippe Denis Pierres, 1785, query 17.

Current Citation

Jefferson, Thomas. Notes on the State of Virginia, edited by Frank Shuffelton. Penguin Classics, 1998, query 17.

Illustrated Quote

A quote by Thomas Jefferson about religious persecution: “Is uniformity attainable? Millions of innocent men…”
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A quote by Thomas Jefferson about religious persecution: “Is uniformity attainable? Millions of innocent men…”
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A quote by Thomas Jefferson about religious persecution: “Is uniformity attainable? Millions of innocent men…”
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Related Quotes

Below are one or more quotes that share at least one tag with the quote at the top of the page

Another quote by Thomas Jefferson

Truth is great and will prevail if left to herself; that she is the proper and sufficient antagonist to error, and has nothing to fear from the conflict unless by human interposition disarmed of her natural weapons, free argument and debate; errors ceasing to be dangerous when it is permitted freely to contradict them.

Thomas Jefferson

More information about this quote
Topic
Power of truth Truth and error

Author

Thomas Jefferson
Language
English
Time
1779 1770s 18th century
Authentication Score 3
Original Citation

Jefferson, Thomas. A Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom. 18 June 1779.

Current Citation

Jefferson, Thomas. "An Act for Establishing Religious Freedom, 1779." The Life and Selected Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Including the Autobiography, The Declaration of Independence & His Public and Private Letters, edited by Adrienne Koch and William Peden. Modern Library, 1998.

Another quote from the 1780s

If we should ever get to Heaven, we shall find nobody to reproach us for being black, or being slaves.

Jupiter Hammon

More information about this quote
Topic
Black experience
Speaker
Jupiter Hammon
Medium
Speech
Language
English
Time
1786 1780s 18th century
Authentication Score 3
Citation

Hammon, Jupiter. "An Address to the Negroes in the State of New York." 24 Sept. 1786, New York, NY, USA.