"Our religious belief usurps the place of our sensations, our imaginations of our judgment. We no longer look to actions, trace their consequences, and then deduce the rule; we first make the rule, and then, right or wrong, force the action to square with it"

In this quote, Francis Wright is recommending that our religious beliefs have taken control of and replaced our natural instincts, our creative thoughts, and our capability to make sound judgments. Rather of observing and analyzing actions and their outcomes, we now develop guidelines based on our faiths and after that attempt to fit our actions into those guidelines, despite whether they are best or incorrect. This indicates that our religions have actually become so dominant that they determine our actions, instead of our actions being directed by reason and reasoning. Wright is warning versus blindly following religious guidelines without considering the consequences of our actions.