To say that authority, whether secular or religious, supplies no ground for morality is not to deny the obvious fact that it supplies a sanction.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.
So the question is, First, Whether the civil magistrate hath power to force men in things religious to do contrary to their conscience, and if they will not to punish them in their goods, liberties, or lives? this we hold in the negative.
Faith properly informs the religious lawyer or judge, and morality is not in tension with fidelity to the law.
I do not want to suggest that you have to be religious to be moral.
If anyone tells you that you cannot legislate morality, remeber that legislation IS morality.
But the relationship of morality and power is a very subtle one. Because ultimately power without morality is no longer power.
Democratic societies can no longer give religious fanatics a free hand to abuse and murder non believers. Such action betrays contempt for the basic human rights which animate any democracy with meaning.
Morality is a test of our conformity rather than our integrity.
Our Constitution recognises no other power than that of persuasion, for enforcing religious observances.
Moral authority is never retained by any attempt to hold on to it. It comes without seeking and is retained without effort.