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Thomas Jefferson Quotes - Page 20

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Erecting the 'wall of separation between church and state'... is absolutely essential in a free society.

Erecting the 'wall of separation between church and state'... is absolutely essential in a free society.

Thomas Jefferson
Religious, Wall, Religion

It is part of the American character to consider nothing as desperate.

Thomas Jefferson
Character, America, Desperate
Thomas Jefferson, Jerry Holmes (2002). “Thomas Jefferson: A Chronology of His Thoughts”, p.85, Rowman & Littlefield

Civil officials have no business meddling in private religious affairs.

Thomas Jefferson
Religious, Religion, Atheism

Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper. Truth itself becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle... Perhaps an editor might begin a reformation in some such way as this. Divide his paper into four chapters, heading the 1st, Truths. 2d, Probabilities. 3d, Possibilities. 4th, Lies. The first chapter would be very short.

Thomas Jefferson
Lying, Media, Editors
Thomas Jefferson (1853). “The writings of Thomas Jefferson: being his autobiography, correspondence, reports, messages, addresses, and other writings, official and private”, p.92

To your request of my opinion of the manner in which a newspaper should be conducted, so as to be most useful, I should answer, "by restraining it to true facts & sound principles only." Yet I fear such a paper would find few subscribers. It is a melancholy truth, that a suppression of the press could not more completely deprive the nation of it's benefits, than is done by it's abandoned prostitution to falsehood.

Thomas Jefferson
Media Control, Sound, Principles
Thomas Jefferson, Joyce Appleby, Terence Ball (1999). “Jefferson: Political Writings”, p.274, Cambridge University Press

Let the eye of vigilance never be closed.

Thomas Jefferson
Eye, Vigilance
Thomas Jefferson, Henry Augustine Washington (1859). “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence. Reports and opinions while secretary of state”, p.212

Every gentleman plays billiards, but someone who plays billiards too well, is no gentleman.

Thomas Jefferson
Play, Gentleman, Billiards

Every human being must be viewed according to what it is good for. For not one of us, no, not one, is perfect. And were we to love none who had imperfection, this world would be a desert for our love.

Thomas Jefferson
Love, Perfect, Would Be
Thomas Jefferson, Jerry Holmes (2002). “Thomas Jefferson: A Chronology of His Thoughts”, p.119, Rowman & Littlefield

The office of reformer of the superstitions of a nation, is ever more dangerous. Jesus had to work on the perilous confines of reason and religion; and a step to the right or left might place him within the grasp of the priests of the superstition, a bloodthirsty race, as cruel and remorseless as the being whom they represented as the family God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob, and the local God of Israel. That Jesus did not mean to impose himself on mankind as the son of God, physically speaking, I have been convinced by the writings of men more learned than myself in that lore.

Thomas Jefferson
Jesus, Mean, Writing

Free government is founded in jealousy, and not in confidence; it is jealousy, and not confidence, which prescribes limited constitutions, to bind down those whom we are obliged to trust with power.

Thomas Jefferson
Government, Liberty, Constitution
Thomas Jefferson (2010). “The Works of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence 1793-1798”, p.474, Cosimo, Inc.

It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.

Thomas Jefferson
Wisdom, War, Government Debt
Thomas Jefferson (2010). “The Works of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence and Papers, 1816-1826”, p.184, Cosimo, Inc.

I believe in both a creative and personal God, a divinely ordered universe, that man has an innate moral sense, and that Jesus was a great moral teacher, perhaps the greatest the world has witnessed.

Thomas Jefferson
Teacher, Jesus, Believe
Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

The only way to win money out of a casino is to own one.

Thomas Jefferson
Wisdom, Winning, Casinos

Taxes should be continued by annual or biennial reeactments, because a constant hold, by the nation, of the strings of the public purse is a salutary restraint from which an honest government ought not wish, nor a corrupt one to be permitted, to be free.

Thomas Jefferson
Government, Wish, Taxation
Thomas Jefferson (1855). “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson”, p.195

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.

Thomas Jefferson
Religious, Believe, Ignorance
Thomas Jefferson, Joyce Appleby, Terence Ball (1999). “Jefferson: Political Writings”, p.193, Cambridge University Press

The constitution has erected no such single tribunal, knowing that to whatever hands confided, with the corruption's of time and party, its members would become despots.

Thomas Jefferson
Party, Hands, Knowing
Thomas Jefferson, H. A. Washington (2011). “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and Private”, p.178, Cambridge University Press

Material abundance without character is the surest way to destruction.

Thomas Jefferson
Character, Way, Wealth

As for what is not true, you will always find abundance in the newspapers.

Thomas Jefferson
Abundance, Newspapers, True You
Thomas Jefferson (1829). “Memoirs, Correspondence, and Private Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Late President of the United States”, p.59

While the farmer holds the title to the land, actually, it belongs to all the people because civilization itself rests upon the soil.

Thomas Jefferson
Land, Civilization, People
"The Des Moines Register" Newspaper, July 8, 1979.

The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. But I should mean that every man should receive those papers and be capable of reading them.

Thomas Jefferson
Reading, Mean, Men
Thomas Jefferson (1829). “Memoir, correspondence, and miscellanies from the papers of T. Jefferson”

Rogueries, absurdities and untruths were perpetrated upon the teachings of Jesus by a large band of dupes and importers led by Paul, the first great corrupter of the teaching of Jesus.

Thomas Jefferson
Jesus, Teaching, Firsts

The protection of our citizens, the spirit and honor of our country, require that force should be interposed to a certain degree.

Thomas Jefferson
Country, Honor, Degrees
Thomas Jefferson, Brett F. Woods (2009). “Thomas Jefferson: Thoughts on War and Revolution”, p.12, Algora Publishing

Ignorance and bigotry, like other insanities, are incapable of self-government.

Thomas Jefferson
Ignorance, Government, Self
Thomas Jefferson (1829). “Memoir, correspondence, and miscellanies from the papers of T. Jefferson”

I have examined all of the known superstitions of the world and i do not find our superstitions of Christianity one redeeming feature. They are all founded on fables and mythology. Christianity has made one-half of the world fools and the other half Hypocrites

Thomas Jefferson
Death, Hypocrite, Half

Wine from long habit has become an indispensable for my health

Thomas Jefferson
Food, Wine, Long
Thomas Jefferson, J. Jefferson Looney (2004). “The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Retirement Series, Volume 9: 1 September 1815 to 30 April 1816”, p.263, Princeton University Press