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About this quote

What does it mean?
Forcing religious uniformity causes civil war and harms souls.
In plain terms
Making everyone follow one religion causes wars and hurts people.
What can you take from it?
Religious uniformity leads to conflict.

Where it applies

  • political stability
  • religious policy
  • history

Putting it to work

  • promote religious diversity
  • avoid mandates

Questions to consider

  • Does unity require uniformity?
  • How do we avoid civil war?

Another view

Uniformity can sometimes provide social cohesion.

More from Roger Williams

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  2. A civil sword (as woeful experience in all ages has proved) is so far from bringing or helping forward an opposite in religion to repentance that magistrates s…

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  3. All civil states with their officers of justice in their respective constitutions and administrations are proved essentially civil, and therefore not judges, g…

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