Asked by alex

The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God and that there is no force of law in public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence. If "thou shall not covet" and "thou shall not steal" are not commandments of heaven, they must be made inviolable precepts in every society before it can be civilized or made free.

What stance does Adams take on religion and law?

religious beliefs are the most sacred and should have the greatest force of law
some beliefs and rules, whether based in religion, are necessary for a society to be civilized
religious beliefs make a society free and civilized
rules and beliefs based on religion lead to anarchy and an uncivilized society

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
some beliefs and rules, whether based in religion, are necessary for a society to be civilized

He argues that commandments like "thou shall not steal" must be made inviolable precepts (whether divinely commanded or not) to prevent anarchy and preserve a free, civilized society.