What is it about?
Religion is powerful. It cannot be underestimated or dismissed. In the name of religion, countries went to war; people were and are willing to sacrifice their lives and kill others. There are not many powerful motivations that drive people to engage in violence. Why is religion so powerful? Is universal religion possible?
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Why is it important?
In this Prologue, I discuss the power of religion by observing the teachings of John Locke and John Stuart Mill, aiming to learn from their wise counsel. I discuss the boundaries of religious freedom and the concept of toleration, explaining that toleration needs to be proscribed to avoid self-defeat. I also advocate a separation between state and religion. Such separation is required to enable coexistence between religion and liberal democracy. Lack of separation between state and religion will inevitably lead to coercive theocracy.
Perspectives
Inspired by John Locke and JS Mill.
Professor Raphael Cohen-Almagor
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: "Prologue: The Boundaries of Religious Freedom in Democracies", SSRN Electronic Journal, January 2025, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.5385065.
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