FFQF: John Adams on Virtue
October 3, 2008 by Mrs. Mecomber
Filed under FFQF
See what’s up with today’s FFQF at Meet the Founders blog
The theme for this month is Virtue. Virtue, as stated by the founding fathers themselves, was the key element to sustaining liberty. If a man cannot control himself as an individual, he cannot participate in a disciplined society based on liberty. Virtue is not considered a popular characteristic in modern society anymore. The founding fathers said that corruption of virtue will cause loss of liberty.
There are just soooo many favorite quotes I have for this topic. It was hard to choose just one! But the one that comes to my mind first of all is this:
“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” John Adams
How did you FFQF go today?
Hercules Mulligan on Fri, 3rd Oct 2008 2:31 pm
Hello Mrs. Mecomber. Thanks for your post today. The quote is one of my favorites as well, because it so succinctly explains why virtue is an essential component to society.
Glad you participated!
http://meetthefounders.blogspot.com/2008/10/ffqf-george-washington-on-virtue.html
akaGaGa on Fri, 3rd Oct 2008 5:16 pm
This is great, Mrs. M. I would amend it to say that our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious Congress, as well. Then again, I was watching c-span today.
Garry on Fri, 3rd Oct 2008 7:45 pm
I find that quote truly inspirational, I feel President George Bush could learn something from it, from the Wandering Scotsman.