John Locke On Equality, Toleration, and the Atheist Exception

Locke does indeed target atheists specifically, in fact fervently saying; “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; besides also, those that by their atheism undermine and destroy all religion, can have no pretence of religion whereupon to challenge the privilege of a toleration” (Locke, Toleration, 20).   Not only does the simple idea of atheism rob you of your rights in society, but it proves you unworthy of the tolerance of others, which is apparently a benefit enjoyed by the devout exclusively.  If atheists cannot be relied upon to fulfill ‘promises, covenants, and oaths,’ then they cannot be relied upon to be loyal to the ultimate contract which binds each man to all other members of society, government, and the laws thus established.

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Locke, John. “A Letter Concerning Toleration,” trans. William Popple. LibertyLibrary of   Constitutional Classics, (2009): http://www.constitution.org/jl/tolerati.htm.

Locke, John. An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Project Gutenberg, 2008. http://www.gutenber.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=44103&pageno=1

Locke, John. Second Treatise of Government. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1980.

Lorenz, J. David. “Tradition and Prudence in Locke’s Exceptions to Toleration.” American Journal of Political Science 47, no. 2 (2003): 248-258.