POLI 2342 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Protestantism
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Ward -> Religious Intolerance
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for canon law to work, we can't tolerate false religious traditions!•
this new version of protestantism can't live with us!◦
it is madness to tolerate religious freedom!◦
leads to blasphemy and evil!◦
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to have a coveted community necessitates religious orthodoxy!•
enforces a belief that the spiritual matters you advocate for are true!◦
everyone else are false!◦
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there is a certain logic to this -> if we believe we have the truth of how to reach God, how can •
we encourage people to believe in something that is not true!
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you are doubting your own religion if you say maybe it is not the truth way to reach Heaven!•
by taking away a brick of certainty, everything else falls!◦
other things might go as well!◦
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consequence of intolerance -> horrible, people died because they didn't say the right thing at •
the right time!
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John Locke write a letter on toleration!•
he noted that every religion that accepted the authority of the crown should be tolerated!◦
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the movement of english liberalism goes towards some kind of toleration eventually!•
However, Ward was writing in 1627!◦
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he presents a very typical view of the notion of religious intolerance!•
why would you tolerate heretics if you believe your religion is the truth!◦
this leads to the conclusion of religious nontoleration!◦
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if all religions are to be tolerated, it means that they are all true!•
if so, why should you care about what religion you believe in?!◦
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such a question completely undermines religion!•
by asking what is the point, religion takes a secondary place!◦
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there is a certain way in which this makes sense from a logical perspective!•
however, the consequences of religion intolerance were shocking !◦
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Ward presents a direct counterargument to Winthrop's "Little Speech on Liberty"!•
this shows the debate between these two thinkers!◦
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winthrop held that there were two kinds of liberty!•
natural liberty -> this is always attached to corruption!◦
this encompasses the freedom to do what one wants!‣
civil/federal liberty -> the liberty to do what is right, moral, and just!◦
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the magistrates are chosen from the people and are therefore subject to the same passions as •
