You say you are a Calvinist. I am not. I am of a sect by myself, as far as I know.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Jefferson rejects formal religious sects, stating he belongs to none but his own beliefs.
- In plain terms
- He is not a Calvinist or part of any church; he follows his own path.
- What can you take from it?
- Personal conscience matters more than organized religious labels.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What do you believe without labels?
- Does religion require community?
Another view
Rejecting all sects can isolate individuals from community support and shared wisdom.
More from Thomas Jefferson
Tried myself in the school of affliction, by the loss of every form of connection which can rive the human heart, I know well, and feel what you have lost, wha…
Permalink to quote #101 But the greatest of all the reformers of the depraved religion of his own country, was Jesus of Nazareth. Abstracting what is really his from the rubbish in wh…
Permalink to quote #103 I have the consolation to reflect that during the period of my administration not a drop of the blood of a single fellow citizen was shed by the sword of war o…
Permalink to quote #100
Related quotes
Every man is his own doctor of divinity, in the last resort.
Robert Louis StevensonRobert Louis Stevenson quote #2 The distinguishing marks of a Methodist are not his opinions of any sort. His assenting to this or that scheme of Religion, his embracing any particular set of…
John WesleyJohn Wesley quote #3 'I feel, like all modern Americans, no consciousness of sin and simply do not believe in it. All I know is that if God loves me only half as much as my mother …
Lin YutangLin Yutang quote #14