“I never consider a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.”
As quoted in The Life and Writings of Thomas Jefferson : Including All of His Important Utterances on Public Questions (1900) by Samuel E. Forman, p. 429
Posthumous publications
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Thomas Jefferson 456
3rd President of the United States of America 1743–1826Related quotes
Letter to Francis Hopkinson (13 March 1789)
1780s
Context: You say that I have been dished up to you as an antifederalist, and ask me if it be just. My opinion was never worthy enough of notice to merit citing; but since you ask it I will tell it you. I am not a Federalist, because I never submitted the whole system of my opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever in religion, in philosophy, in politics, or in anything else where I was capable of thinking for myself. Such an addiction is the last degradation of a free and moral agent. If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all. Therefore I protest to you I am not of the party of federalists. But I am much farther from that than of the Antifederalists.
“Medical opinions differed as to the cause of this "humor" disease.”
Planet Without Laughter (1980) http://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~knuth/smullyan.html
Source: What is Political Philosophy (1959), p. 93
“My religion centers in different areas than what's considered conventional religion.”
Quoted in "Years of Minutes" - Page 331 - by Andy Rooney - 2004
2000s, 2004
The Ballot or the Bullet (1964), Speech in Detroit, Michigan (12 April 1964)
Context: Islam is my religion, but I believe my religion is my personal business. It governs my personal life, my personal morals. And my religious philosophy is personal between me and the God in whom I believe; just as the religious philosophy of these others is between them and the God in whom they believe. And this is best this way. Were we to come out here discussing religion, we’d have too many differences from the outstart and we could never get together. [... ] If we bring up religion, we’ll be in an argument, and the best way to keep away from arguments and differences, as I said earlier, put your religion at home in the closet. Keep it between you and your God. Because if it hasn’t done anything more for you than it has, you need to forget it anyway.
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
“Difference of religion breeds more quarrels than difference of politics.”
Speech (7 November 1860).
1860s