We consider that the right to legislate actions is already a very strong one and that it should not be added to this the right to regulate people’s thoughts.

Frédéric Bastiat
Complete Works, Volume 7, pages 357 to 361 (in French)
1849

This text delves into the question of separation between Church and State. Frédéric Bastiat was a catholic but was also clearly opposed to the possibility that the Catholic Church could force its will into governement matters, and vice versa.

I take note of today’s quote pertaining to the freedom of cult in particular but that is also applicable to freedom of speech. As far as the State is representing the violence monopoly, it should have absolutely no power concerning the conscience of individuals. That governement issues its thoughts about what it thinks is good, bad, moral or immoral is undeniably its right because it is an aggregation of individuals. However, there should be no legislation aiming at prescribing or prohibiting what individuals think and therefore, there should be no legislation limiting the expression of their thoughts. It is obvious that some ideas can or need be fought against but it is not through legislation that such a fight should occur. Speech needs to be fought against through speech and the independence of the Church has the objective of guaranteeing the freedom of thoughts (a quick look at what happened in the Soviet Block in the 20th century is self-explanatory).