Saturday, May 17, 2014

"the religious tradition does not come into our law and our lives as a set of eccentric 'beliefs,' merely begging for indulgence and exemptions to the laws laid down for others. Rather, our religious teaching has formed the deep moral reserve on which the law has drawn."

     Hadley Arkes, "Recasting religious freedom," First things no. 244 (June/July 2014):  47, 51 (45-51), italics mine.
     Cf. Horace, Odes III.xxiv.35-36:  "quid leges sine moribus vanae proficiunt?", "What do empty laws without morals profit/accomplish?"  Reduced to the words in bold, this later became the motto of the University of Pennsylvania.

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