Important to read entire Adams quote

Theodore M. Utchen's letter quotes John Adams in order to denigrate religion:

"Twenty times, in the course of my late reading, have I been upon the point of breaking out, 'This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it!!!'"

Mr. Utchen left off the rest of the quote:

"But in this exclamatic I should have been as fanatical as (Parson) Bryant or (Pedagogue) Cleverly. Without religion this world would be something not fit to be mentioned in polite company, I mean Hell."

I will be charitable and believe that Mr. Utchen did not know the rest of the quote because that is what we religious people try to do.

Mark Donovan

Carol Stream