nd more eccentric kind of religion, which, giving men
two legislations, two chiefs, two countries, imposes upon them
contradictory duties, and forbids them from being at the same time
devotees and patriots. Such is the religion of the Llamas; such is the
religion of the Japanese; such is Roman Christianity.

Politically considered, all these kinds have their defects. The third is
so manifestly bad that one need waste no time upon it. That which breaks
social unity is worthless. The second is good, in that it inculcates
patriotism, makes it a religious duty to serve the state. But it is
founded on error and falsehood, and renders its adherents superstitious,
intolerant, and cruel. The first, the religion of man, or Christianity,
is a sublime and true religion by which men, children of one god,
acknowledge each other as brethren, and the society that unites them
does not dissolve even with death. But Christianity of itself is not
calculated to strengthen a nation; it teaches submissiveness, and
discourages patriotic pride.

Now it is of prime importance to the state that each citizen should have
a religion which teaches him to love his duty; but the state is only
concerned with religion so far as it teaches morality and the duty of
man towards his neighbour. Beyond that, the sovereign has nothing to do
with a man's religious opinions.

There should, therefore, be a purely civil profession of faith, the
articles of which are to be fixed by the sovereign, not precisely as
religious dogmas, but as sentiments of sociability, without which it is
impossible for a man to be a good citizen or a faithful subject. Without
being able to compel anybody to believe the articles, the sovereign
could banish from the state anybody who did not believe them; it can
banish him, not as impious, but as unsociable, as incapable of sincerely
loving laws and justice. If anyone, having publicly accepted these
dogmas, should act as if he did not believe them, he should be punished
with death; he would have committed the greatest of crimes, that of
lying against the laws.

The dogmas of the civil religion should be simple, few, precise, without
explanations or commentaries. The existence of a powerful, wise,
benevolent, provident, and bountiful Deity, the life to come, the
happiness of the just, the punishment of the wicked, the sanctity of the
social contract, and the laws; these are the positive dogmas. As for
negative dogmas, I limit them to