I'm a person who has always believed that you tell people the truth, and they'll make reasonable decisions. Truth is powerful.
John F. KerryRead
I can't take my Catholic belief, my article of faith, and legislate it on a Protestant or a Jew or an Atheist. We have separation of church and state in the United States of America.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of separating personal beliefs from political responsibilities.
John F. Kerry's statement highlights the necessity of maintaining a clear distinction between individual religious beliefs and the principles of governance in a diverse society. In a nation like the United States, where people hold a variety of faiths and beliefs, it is essential for laws and policies to be based on secular reasoning rather than on any one person's religious convictions, thereby ensuring fairness and respect for all individuals.
Themes
BeliefsLegislationReligionSeparationGovernment
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a discussion about the role of religion in public policy.
More from John F. Kerry
All quotes →Confronting climate change is, in the long run, one of the greatest challenges that we face, and you can see this duty or responsibility laid down in scriptures, clearly.
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Unlike Washington, which is stuck in ideological gridlock, Americans feel the impact of climate change in their own hometowns and they know something must be done.
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Here I am in the state of New Mexico. George Bush is still in the state of denial. New Mexico has five electoral votes. The state of denial has none. I like my chances.
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Democracy relies on free speech. Yes, say anything you want, but it relies even more on the speech being truthful. It is the truth, after all, that sets us free.
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War should be not a war of choice; it should be a war of necessity. And it should be a last resort.
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I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it means to be human, to have the darkness just as much as the light- that in fact the dark parts make the light visible; without them, the light would disappear. But I guess he has to figure other stuff out first, like how to keep his neck from flopping all over the place and how to sit up.
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