John Locke Separation Of Church And State

1. John Locke was a proponent of the separation of church and state. Locke mentions the differences between civil government and the church. The government’s primary goal is to protect external interests, such as life and liberty. The church, on the other hand, protects internal interests, such as salvation. Since religion is such a personal matter, Locke believed that the government should not force any one to convert to a religion. A person cannot be forced into believing something that they do not believe in. Government and church serve different issues; therefore, they must be treated as separate institutions. Additionally, Locke argues that more religious group prevent civil unrest rather than contribute to it. He believes that civil unrest