Almighty and eternal Lord God, the great Creator of heaven and earth, and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; look down from heaven in pity and compassion upon me thy servant, who humbly prostrate myself before thee.
George WashingtonRead
The blessed Religion revealed in the word of God will remain an eternal and awful monument to prove that the best Institution may be abused by human depravity; and that they may even, in some instances be made subservient to the vilest purposes.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Religious institutions can be misused by humanity for immoral purposes.
In this quote, George Washington emphasizes the idea that while religion and its teachings are inherently noble and intended for good, they can also be manipulated by individuals with ill intentions. This highlights the duality of human nature and the potential for even the most positive institutions to be misappropriated, serving as a cautionary warning about the vulnerabilities of faith and morality in the face of human depravity.
Themes
ReligionHuman NatureDepravityInstitutionMorality
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the role of religion in society, one might say, 'As George Washington noted, the best institutions may be abused by human depravity.'
More from George Washington
All quotes →If, in the opinion of the people, the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment in the way which the Constitution designates. But let there be no change by usurpation; for though this, in one instance, may be the instrument of good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed.
George WashingtonRead
The duty of holding a Neutral conduct may be inferred, without any thing more, from the obligation which justice and humanity impose on every nation, in cases in which it is free to act, to maintain inviolate the relations of Peace and amity toward other Nations.
George WashingtonRead
We began a contest for liberty ill provided with the means for the war, relying on our patriotism to supply the deficiency. We expected to encounter many wants and distressed we must bear the present evils and fortitude
George WashingtonRead
What is most important of this grand experiment, the United States? Not the election of the first president but the election of its second president. The peaceful transition of power is what will separate this country from every other country in the world.
George WashingtonRead
Perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages.
George WashingtonRead
Similar quotes
Old age is a tyrant, who forbids, under pain of death, the pleasures of youth.
Francois De La RochefoucauldRead
When the great Tao is abandoned, benevolence and righteousness arise.
LaoziRead
Often a cold shudder has run through me, and I have asked myself whether I may have not devoted myself to a fantasy.
Charles DarwinRead
Talking to Yogi Berra about baseball is like talking to Homer about the Gods.
A. Bartlett GiamattiRead
Flags are bits of colored cloth that governments use first to shrink-wrap people’s brains and then as ceremonial shrouds to bury the dead. When independent-thinking people (and here I do not include the corporate media) begin to rally under flags, when writers, painters, musicians, film makers suspend their judgment and blindly yoke their art to the service of the “Nation,” it’s time for all of us to sit up and worry.
Arundhati RoyRead
The network told me to get rid of Number One, the woman first lieutenant, and also get rid of 'that Martian fellow'... meaning, of course, Spock. I knew I couldn't keep both, so I gave the stoicism of the female officer to Spock, and married the actress who played Number One. Thank God it wasn't the other way around. I mean Leonard's cute, but...
Gene RoddenberryRead