“When the government puts its imprimatur on a particular religion it conveys a message of exclusion to all those who do not adhere to the favored beliefs. A government cannot be premised on the belief that all persons are created equal when it asserts that God prefers some.”

“To think that because those who wield power in society wield in the end that of government, therefore it is of no use to attempt to influence the constitution of the government by acting on opinion, is to forget that opinion is itself one of the greatest active social forces. One person with a belief is a social power equal to ninety-nine who have only interests.”

“No power of government ought to be employed in the endeavor to establish any system or article of belief on the subject of religion.”

“I think the world will be a better place when science has swept all religions into the dustbin of history. What is religion but a shared belief in things that cannot be known.”

“If all those around you believe some particular thing, you will soon be tempted to share in that belief.”

“It's all very well to put the government in the hands of the perfect man, but what do you do when the perfect man gets a bellyache?”