Saturday, December 05, 2015

Quote of the Day

The care of every man's soul belongs to himself. But what if he neglect the care of it? Well what if he neglect the care of his health or his estate, which would more nearly relate to the state. Will the magistrate make a law that he not be poor or sick? Laws provide against injury from others; but not from ourselves. God himself will not save men against their wills.

– Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Religion [1776]

Hat-tip FFF

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Welfare is illegal under the US Constitution. NZ is not quite so lucky.

Redbaiter said...

I thought you were an atheist Lindsay?

Lindsay Mitchell said...

I am. Does it matter?

Redbaiter said...

Only in the context that as an atheist one would normally never say or believe such a thing as you have quoted from Mr. Jefferson.