"A Letter About Toleration" Locke - Hailey Morgan

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When reading Locke's A Letter About Toleration, I could see so many similarities between Locke's ideals and the religious freedoms we have here in America.

Locke was arguing for an equal toleration of all religions (except for atheism, he didn't like that one very much). He believed that a person shouldn't be forced to worship in a way dictated by the government or ruling monarch. Locke felt as though dealing with a person's faith was not the job of a person's country, and he is absolutly correct.

Here in America, we have a law dictating the separation of church and state. This is such an important freedom, because it allows us as humans to use our freewill and choose where we would like to put our faith and hope. By exercising this freedom of religion, people are able to explore all kinds of different religions and, hopefully, end up becoming a believer in Christ. When people have the freedom to choose and worship within their own religion, they end up becoming more faithful to their worship, since it was by their own power that they chose to take part in it. To force someone to adopt a religion as their own, regardless of what religion it is, people will not fully believe in what they are supposed to. They merely go through the motions, hoping to get a passing grade, while inside they're dead and lifeless.   

Edit - Replied to Moriah Nelson and Caroline Tucker.

Comments

Stephen Davis said…
I enjoyed your comparisons between Locke's idea of Tolerance and the American right that grants it to all its citizens due to the close history the two had at their inception. Another thing of note was your satisfactory explanation of how the freedom to choose ones religion inevitably leads them to become better Christians if that is the path they chose.
November 4, 2019 at 3:47 PM
AnnaKate Burleson said…
Locke really hit the nail on the head in his explanation of why the state should have no say in religion, and this is true in so many ways. Institutionalized religion just doesn't work, plain and simple. I went to a really strict private Christian high school, so I've seen firsthand how forcing the principles of a religion on a group of people who are religiously indifferent only puts them deeper into a hole of unbelief. The importance of personal choice cannot be stressed enough.
November 4, 2019 at 5:19 PM
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