This outstanding collection of memorable quotations on religious freedom - the most comprehensive ever assembled - covers many centuries of thought and a wide array of sources. On every page, the reader will discover a wealth of thoughtful, wise, and impassioned statements by all manner of men and women on a subject that has moved the consciences of generations from the distant past to the present. Included are early church fathers, Enlightenment philosophers, popes, anticlerical European statesmen, journalists, famous writers, judges, twenty-six presidents of the United States, and many others. A special feature of this compilation is the inclusion of quotes from major judicial decisions, from 1872 to the present, that bear on religious liberty. Above all, these quotations show that an enormously wide spectrum of men and women of diverse religious, social, and political views have championed the principle of religious freedom.
Covering an extraordinary array of topics - from abortion rights, charitable choice, and creationism to pluralism, religious persecution, and school prayer - teachers, scholars, clergy, legislators, writers, public speakers, and anyone with an interest in these and other vital issues will benefit from the powerful words in this volume.
