Political Quotes

“in January 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt delivered his State of the Union Address as World War II was underway in Europe. Even in that dark time, President Roosevelt reminded us all of what he called ``the simple, basic things that must never be lost sight of in the turmoil and unbelievable complexity of our modern world.'' Religious freedom was one of the four essential freedoms President Roosevelt outlined in that speech. President Roosevelt's counsel applies today as the pace and degree of social and cultural change increase. Last month, for example, the Supreme Court held that laws defining marriage as it had been defined at all times and in all societies are now unconstitutional. A bill has just been introduced in this body that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in areas such as employment, public accommodations, housing, and education. Some are even calling for punitive measures, such as revocation of tax-exempt status, for religious institutions that do not accept such social and cultural changes. Debates about these issues continue in all three branches of government, and I might say, branches of both Federal and State governments among commentators and experts across the media and institutions, both religious and secular, and among our fellow citizens. President Roosevelt's words ``turmoil and unbelievable complexity'' seem to describe the situation today.…”