Quote by Thomas Jefferson
History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance of which their civil as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purposes.
Summary
This quote suggests that a society that is dominated by religious leaders would struggle to maintain a free civil government. The author argues that when people are blindly obedient to these leaders, it reflects a deep level of ignorance that can be exploited by both religious and political leaders for their own personal gains. The quote implies that a healthy balance between religious and civil authority is necessary for a society to preserve its freedoms.