Half Dome and the Milky Way

Thomas Jefferson

Religion and Science

Church and State

. . . that they will find their interest in acquiescing in the liberty and science of their country, and that the Christian religion, when divested of the rags in which they have enveloped it, and brought to the original purity and simplicity of its benevolent institutor, is a religion of all others most friendly to liberty, science, and the freer expansion of the human mind.

  Wisdom and Patriotism – To Moses Robinson – Washington, March 21, 1801 – “I entertain real hope that the whole body of  your fellow citizens will shortly be consolidated in the same sentiments. When they examine the real principles of both parties, I think they will find little to differ about. I know, indeed, that there are some of their leaders who have so committed themselves, that pride, if no other passion, will prevent their coalescing. We must be easy with them.

  The eastern States will be the last to come over, on account of the dominion of the clergy, who had a smell of union between Church and State, and began to indulge reveries which can never be realized in the present state of science. If indeed they could have prevailed on us to view all advances in science as dangerous innovations, and to look back to the opinions and practices of our forefathers, instead of looking forward, for  improvement, a promising groundwork would have been laid. But I am in hope their good sense will dictate to them, that since the mountain will not come to them, they had better go to the mountain; that they will find their interest in acquiescing in the liberty and science of their country, and that the Christian religion, when divested of the rags in which they have enveloped it, and brought to the original purity and simplicity of its benevolent institutor, is a religion of all others most friendly to liberty, science, and the freer expansion of the human mind.

  I sincerely wish with you, we could see our government so secured as to depend less  on the character of the person in whose hands it is trusted. Bad men will sometimes get in, and with such an immense patronage, may make great progress in corrupting the public mind and principles. This is a subject with which wisdom and patriotism should be occupied.