"To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation
of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical."
by:
Thomas Jefferson
(1743-1826), US Founding Father, drafted the Declaration of Independence, 3rd US President
Source:
Virginia Statutes of Religious Freedom, 1779.
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Reader comments about this quote:
i think it's excellent
 -- Anonymous     
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    See, TJ says we don't have to fund King George W's war... ;-)
     -- Anonymous, Reston, VA US     
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    Yes, so the invasion of Iraq is both sinful and tyrannical and King G should be impeached for war crimes and for stealing funds for personal use.
     -- Robert, Sarasota     
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    See, A Reston is still an IGNORANT fool. TJ did exactly the same thing to exactly the same barbarians for exactly the same reason. Read a little on the Barbary Wars, you know America's first undeclared war with the consent of the founders who knew what that thing they wrote meant. Robert before you lie about the preisdent look at your god and goddess hillary and bill who really did those things you accuse the President of without a shred of proof. Wah! Wah! Communist GO HOME! I doubt you can spell liberty let alone understand it:(|||||||-<-<
     -- helorat, Milton     
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    Typical liberals, Reston and Sarasota agree with what is said, yet rate it poorly.
     -- Joe, Rochester, MI     
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    Christians pay tithes and offerings to the church of their choosing and at their own personal option. The godless have you pay (social security - income tax, etc.) to their church (government) at their option.
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    Good observation, Mike. You are only allowed to act as a moral being when you do your acts voluntarily. Charity at the point of government's gun is not charity at all, and government has robbed you of the opportunity to do a moral act by freely giving.
     -- Ken, Allyn, WA     
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    The People should remember that they have the power to say, "NO" -- and then mean it!
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    I wish today's polls would subscribe to Jefferson's wisdom
     -- Robert K. Greco, Staten Island N.Y.     
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    Mike lies in the clutches of Christendom who teach tithing, a believe with no scriptural substantiation, as a binding law that if broken will cause one to reap eternal punishment. Perhaps he should take into consideration the fact that there would be no streets leading to his church, or street lights to brighten the way without taxes. Or for that matter EMT'S to help him if he was to be involved in an accident on the way.
     -- Billy, Tampa, Fl     
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    Helorat from Milton, I don't know where to start with you. I can't believe you're actually comparing a war to stop the barbary states of Africa from enslaving Americans and Europeans, more than a million of them, with a war of choice that was fought because of the narrow minded ambitions of a small group of people to bring the middle east into an American sphere of influence through the use of force. Its the historically ignorant perception of the world that is to predominant in the white house that has caused America's global standing to plunge from its historical zenith to its nadir, and its the historical ignorance of people like you who continue to allow them to do it.
     -- Billy, Tampa, Fl     
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    I'm not sure on this one. This reminds me of the current health care debate: should federal dollars go to fund abortions? I'm pro-choice, but I know if I was a pro-lifer, I would not want to pay taxes to aid what I considered to be murder. On the other hand, the bitter part of me wants to say, "Oh well. Deal with it," because I'm an ardent pacifist, and yet I still have to pay taxes to fund what is unquestionably murder, just because my views aren't as popular as those of the pro-life crowd. Now, is this just? No. Then again, my problem isn't solved by extending the same dilemma to others (even if I don't see what the dilemma is). So I don't know. Sorry for the rant.
     -- Anonymous     
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    I'd like to see how they will compel people to pay for Obama's socialist health care. How can you take money from a destitute nation that is totally broke to pay for the impossible? America is too broke to be socialized.
     -- J Carlton, Calgary     
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    I agree with the Quote, the only problem is we would have to wipe out 98% of the laws that were put on the books over the years, to get back to a free country and that will never happen even though it should
     -- Bob, Punta Gorda     
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    Billy, I'm guessing you must be a godless liberal. You can read, you misrepresent what I wrote, and you seem to be swinging at imaginary wind mills. What part of what I wrote would indicate I believe tithing was a binding law that would reap eternal punishment without its payment. I'm not familiar with the Christ you described. About taxes, for the years I have been writing on this blog, you have never seen me say anything against Constitutional or otherwise natural law taxes. I happen to drive a lot for my work so, I pay more taxes than most for lighted roads to my church. AND, you are wrong about there being no roads, before there were taxes, people were building roads.
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    I think this is very true, & applicable, today.

    It is indeed, "sinful and tyrannical" - what governments do to we, that have become their subjects.

    We must all be proactive, & stop funding this evil.
     -- Anonymous, Richmond, VA     
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    Billy,
    That's a point - that we do need taxes to fund needed items.
    My issue, however, is what we ARE paying amounts that have become outrageous, & something the Founding Fathers never intended.

    Bob,
    Maybe the new President - WILL wipe out a majority of unconstitutional laws - & get our Country, back. Know to whom I refer?
     -- Valerie, Richmond, VA     
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    Our greatest president.
     -- cal, Lewisville, TX     
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    Billy, welcome to Amerika quickly becoming your decadent and deteriorating godless / socialist utopia where compelled compliance is rapidly becoming the tyranny of choice.

     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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     -- jim k, Austin      
     
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