"As crucial as religion has been and is to the life of the nation, America's unifying force has never been a specific faith, but a commitment to freedom - not least freedom of conscience.“


-Jon Meacham

posted in freedom


As crucial as religion has been and is to the life of the nation, America's unifying force has never been a specific faith, but a commitment to freedom - not least freedom of conscience.

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"The perennial conviction that those who work hard and play by the rules will be rewarded with a more comfortable present and a stronger future for their children faces assault from just about every direction. That great enemy of democratic capitalism, economic inequality, is real and growing."

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"The problem for those who assert biblical authority in support of traditional definitions of marriage is that one could, with equal validity, assert that the lending of money or certain kinds of haircuts are forbidden by God, or that slavery and the subjugation of women are authorized by the Lord."

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"Only the most unapologetic biblical fundamentalists, for instance, take every biblical injunction literally. If we all took all scripture at the same level of authority, then we would be more open to slavery, to the subjugation of women, to wider use of stoning. Jesus himself spoke out frequently against divorce in the strongest of terms."

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"The fact is that America has been at her most prosperous when government and the private sector have been not at war, but in a wary, if often underplayed, alliance. History is unmistakable on this point."

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"World War II ended the Great Depression with one of the great public-private industrial collaborations in the history of man."

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"Men must stop being jealous of their power and generously allow freedom and responsibility to others. The reward is harmonious families and society."

-Delphine de Girardin

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"Although we have, in theory, abolished human slavery, recognized women's rights, and stopped child labor, we continue to enslave other species who, if we simply pay attention, show quite clearly that they experience parental love, pain, and the desire for freedom, just as we do."

-Ingrid Newkirk

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"What is our freedom fight about? Is it about the liberation of children or just having sex with them?"

-Kate Millett

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"If I am outspoken of the dangers of intemperance to members of our armed forces, it is because we are all especially concerned for the welfare of those who are risking their lives in the cause of freedom."

-William Lyon Mackenzie King

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"We must guard against the overreaching hand of big government trying to take away our freedom. And we must always protect the environment in a manner consistent with our values."

-Steve Forbes

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"The main thing I believe in is freedom."

-Charles Evers

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