Religion in Global Politics: Religious Toleration December 15, 2004

John Locke, John Locke, Epistle Concerning Toleration, 1689

Religion, Persuasion and Force “The care of souls cannot belong to the civil magistrate, because his power consists only in outward force; but true and saving religion consists in the inward persuasion of the mind, without which nothing can be acceptable to God. And such is the nature of the understanding, that it cannot be compelled to the belief of anything by outward force.”

Religion and Political Legitimacy “No peace and security, no, not so much as common friendship, can ever be established or preserved amongst men so long as this opinion prevails, that dominion is founded in grace and that religion is to be propagated by force of arms.”

The Limits of Toleration “Those are not at all to be tolerated who deny the being of a God. Promises, covenants, and oaths, which are the bonds of human society, can have no hold upon an atheist. The taking away of God, though but even in thought, dissolves all.” “Neither Pagan nor Mahometan, nor Jew, ought to be excluded from the civil rights of the commonwealth because of his religion. The Gospel commands no such thing.”

The Varieties of Toleration Exhausted acceptance Benign indifference Equal recognition Full respect

Toleration and Democratic Institutions No state church No funding of religious bodies Non-interference in religious congregations Freedom of assembly Freedom of expression

Toleration, Secularism and Truth Why tolerate what is false? Who knows what is false? Toleration and the limits of human knowledge In democratic politics, neither religious nor secular claims trump

Toleration in Public and Private “One must refuse everything to the Jews as a nation, and give everything to Jews as individuals” (Clermont-Tonnerre, 1791) “German in the street, Jewish in the home” (Germany, 1870’s) French headscarf ban in public school Full religious freedom in private

Assimilation, Integration and Religious Freedom Toleration and immigration Religious freedom, national identity and ghettoization Religious freedom and freedom of expression Religious freedom and rights equality

Toleration and International Society Sovereignty and the non-interference rule Promoting tolerance as interference Religious freedom and tolerance as moral universals