2 Quotes- Bobby Kennedy and Thomas Jefferson
Two quotes that I've always liked and may apply to the different clashes of opinion in our posts. I think the clashes are good and healthy.
“The future does not belong to those who are content with today, apathetic toward common problems and their fellow man alike, timid and fearful in the face of new ideas and bold projects. Rather it will belong to those who can blend passion, reason, and courage in a personal commitment to the ideals and great enterprises of American society. It will belong to those who see that wisdom can only emerge from the clash of contending views, the passionate expression of deep and hostile beliefs. Plato said: A life without criticism is not worth living.”
Robert F. Kennedy, Oct. 22, 1966
"Difference of opinion is advantageous in religion. The several sects perform the office of censor morum over each other. Is uniformity attainable? Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burned, tortured, fined, imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch toward uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one half the world fools and the other half hypocrites; to support roguery and error all over the earth. Let us reflect that it is inhabited by a thousand different systems of religion; that ours is but one of that thousand; that if there be but one right, and ours that one, we should wish to see the nine hundred and ninety-nine wandering sects gathered into the fold of truth. But against such a majority we cannot effect this by force. Reason and persuasion are the only practicable instruments. To make way for these, free inquiry must be indulged; and how can we wish others to indulge it while we refuse it ourselves?"
Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia
- Angelo Lopez's blog
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More Quotes
“Any nation that year after year continues to raise the Defense budget while cutting social programs to the neediest is a nation approaching spiritual death.” - Rev. MLK
"Cowardice asks the question - is it safe? Expediency asks the question - is it politic? Vanity asks the question - is it popular? But conscience asks the question - is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular; but one must take it because it is right." ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
"We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated Governments in the world - no longer a Government of free opinion, no longer a Government by conviction and vote of the majority, but a Government by the opinion and duress of small groups of dominant men." -Woodrow Wilson
"Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official."
~Theodore Roosevelt
"The nation which indulges toward another...is in some degree a slave...a passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils."-President George Washington, Sept. 17, 1796 Farewell Address.
"Love is not the starving of whole populations. Love is not the bombardment of open cities. Love is not killing......Our manifesto is the Sermon on the Mount, which means that we will try to be peacemakers." -Dorothy Day
"Blessed are the Peacemakers: THEY are the children of God."-Jesus
"I am on a mission from God."-Jake Blues/John Belushi in the good Blues Brothers movie.
Eileen Fleming,
Reporter and Editor of
http://www.wearewideawake.org/
Author "KEEP HOPE ALIVE" and "Memoirs of a Nice Irish American 'Girl's' Life in Occupied Territory"
Producer of "30 Minutes with Vanunu"
Great Quotes
Hi Eileen. These are great quotes. I like the one by Martin Luther King Jr. best. As someone who hasn't always had the courage to stand up to my convictions, I always like quotes that help inspire that quality.
The Quotes Feature on CrossLeft
I would encourage each of us to maintain our own listing of our favorite quotes, which CrossLeft easily does.
To do so, click create new content on the side menu. Scroll down to quotes and click quotes. Enter your favorite quotes.
The system will keep your quotes together in one place for yourself and others to see. Its a cool feature...check it out!
Thanks Angelo
Great quotes from 2 of my political heroes. A quote from Lincoln, FDR and MLK would round it out for me in terms of my political heroes.
Jefferson and Tom Paine
Jefferson's 'Bible' in a nutshell:
THE LIFE AND MORALS of JESUS of NAZARETH
1. Be just: justice comes from virtue which comes from the heart.
2. Treat people the way we want to be treated.
3. Always work for PEACEFUL resolutions, even to the point of returning violence with COMPASSION.
4. Consider valuable the things that have no material value.
5. Do not judge others.
6. Do not bear grudges.
7. Be modest and unpretentious.
8. Give out of true generosity, not because you expect to be repaid.
9. Being true to one's self in more important than being loyal to one's family...those who think they know the most are the most ignorant...
My Favorite Founding Father: Tom Paine
"Soon after I had published the pamphlet "Common Sense" [on Feb. 14, 1776] in America, I saw the exceeding probability that a revolution in the system of government would be followed by a revolution in the system of religion... The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion."-Tom Paine
One of my favorite priests:
"If enough Christians followed the gospel, they could bring any state to its knees." -Father Philip Francis Berrigan
Eileen Fleming,
Reporter and Editor of
http://www.wearewideawake.org/
Author "KEEP HOPE ALIVE" and "Memoirs of a Nice Irish American 'Girl's' Life in Occupied Territory"
Producer of "30 Minutes with Vanunu"
Haven't read Jefferson's Bible
I've heard of Jefferson's Bible but never read it. Would you recommend it?
Yeah, I admire Jefferson and all the Founding Fathers too. A few years ago I read the book "Founding Brothers" by Joseph Ellis, and got hooked on knowing more about them. I have the collected letters of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, and reading that made me look in awe at both of them. A lot of the stuff they talked about went way over my head.
re: Jefferson's Bible
I've never read his version, but he compiled it by editing out all the miracles and supernatural bits, virgin birth, resurrection, divinity -- leaving in the moral and ethical teachings of Jesus. Jefferson considered him the greatest moral teacher of all time.
Those are 2 Great Quotes
Jefferson is so profound. If there were some way I could go back in time and meet the thinkers I wished, Jefferson would be one that I would want to meet.Have you ever heard of Jefferson's Bible?