“The great writers to whom the world owes what religious liberty it possesses, have mostly asserted freedom of conscience as an indefeasible right, and denied absolutely that a human being is accountable to others for his religious belief. Yet so natural to mankind is intolerance in whatever they really care about, that religious freedom has hardly anywhere been practically realised, except where religious indifference, which dislikes to have its peace disturbed by theological quarrels, has added its weight to the scale.”

A great observation, I agree. The statist theocracy now infesting this land is disturbed by theological quarrels of religious intolerance. Socialism's religionists advance their dogmas through theocratical canons violating freedom of conscience and liberty in general.

We have come a long way from witch burning but not far enough. There are vestiges of this sorry time still abounding in many people. Why then would you have a War on Drugs that is ruining this country. Perhaps because people want to criminalize certain vices of which they don't approve. If cops find a few ounces of pot in your car, you lose your car, and maybe go to jail. This is insanity in a so called free country. We haven't yet gotten over those puritanical impulses from over 200 years ago.

Beautifully said! jim k is right again.