Religious freedom is something we imagine to be woven into the fabric of America. But it didn’t start out that way. Religious freedom in the American colonies was a hard fought battle. People died and ideologies clashed. Below is a brief outline of some books that ultimately convinced those escapees from European religious persecution to lay claim to a new way of life– a way of life where God rules the world not through the reigns of government, but through the service of human hearts.
John Locke, Letter Concerning Toleration
https://archive.org/details/toleration/page/n1/mode/2up
John Locke, one of the most influential political philosophers of the 17th century, argues that religious persecution is at odds with the teachings of the New Testament. He doesn’t understand why a person who is concerned about another person’s salvation would cause him to “expire in torments.” He also contends that the care of souls does not belong to civil government and says that people cannot be saved by an outward grudging conformity to a religion which they do not believe.
“For it is impossible that those should sincerely and heartily apply themselves to make other people Christians, who have not really embraced the Christian religion in their own hearts. If the Gospel and the apostles may be credited, no man can be a Christian without charity and without that faith which works, not by force, but by love.”
from pg. 1-2
William Penn, The Great Case of Liberty of Conscience Once More Briefly Debated and Defended by the Authority of Reason, Scripture, and Antiquity
William Penn, a Quaker and the Governor of the State of Pennsylvania, argues that religious persecution is against God’s honor, the meekness of Christianity, the authority of Scripture, the privilege of nature, the principles of common reason, the well-being of government, and the apprehensions of the greatest personages of former and latter ages.
“Force may make a hypocrite; ‘tis is faith grounded upon knowledge and consent that makes a Christian.”
from pg 22 (spelling altered to make more readable)
Thomas Jefferson,Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
Thomas Jefferson argues for religious freedom because forced uniformity of religion produces hypocrisy and meanness and is against God’s will and against liberty. It corrupts religion. He also argues that the rulers who make the laws are themselves fallible and not to be trusted to institute true religion.
“Truth is great and will prevail if left to herself; that she is the proper and sufficient antagonist to error, and has nothing to fear from the conflict unless by human interposition disarmed of her natural weapons, free argument and debate; errors ceasing to be dangerous when it is permitted freely to contradict them.”
Are there any other influential books or writings that led Americans to accept religious freedom? Let me know in the comments below…
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