Treatise on Tolerance, on the occasion of the death of Jean Calas / Voltaire The starting point of this treaty is Laffaire Calas. In Toulouse in 1761, the young Marc Antoine Calas was found hanged in her own home. Rumor accuses his father, the Protestant Jean Calas, a merchant in Toulouse, sixty eight, murdered for washing lempêcher to convert to Catholicism. Religious passions unleashed influence on judges: well that he maintains his innocence after Completion, Jean Calas was martyred in vivid wheel 10 March 1762. "The devotees said that it was better to let highly thrash an old Calvinist innocent as dexposer Languedoc eight councilors to agree that they sétaient deceived. " After much hesitation and studied Laffaire, Voltaire finally be convinced that Calas was innocent. It collects home the other two son of Jean Calas who are accused of complicity. Voltaire will engage in a true rehabilitation campaign and request a retrial. Tireless polemicist, he will wear Laffaire lopinion front and prove that he sagissait of a suicide. Obtaining a first stop in favor of Jean Calas, Voltaire seized the opportunity to stigmatize fanaticism in this Treaty on Tolerance in 1763. It gets reversal of judgment in 1764 and in 1765 the rehabilitation of the memory of Jean Calas. Voltaire once naura constantly to fight against any form dinjustice and vices of justice of his time, doubt must always benefit the accused. In his Treatise, Voltaire briefly recall these facts and sinsurge against all fanaticism advocating the cause of the Protestants: "The progress of reason, ladoucissement of morals, the strength of the government would now tolerate Calvinists without fear of disorder: the return of the exiles would enrich France. " Voltaire is engaged in a long history of lintolérance through the centuries by showing what is not natural law. Citing religious wars, Voltaire sétonne that Christians resort to persecution when their dogmas are also uncertain. Yet although Jesus renounced violence to preach gentleness and forgiveness! "Tolerance was regarded by the Romans as the most sacred law of the law. " It should dattacher least dimportances dogmas quaux virtuous acts. "I say this with horror, but with truth: this is us Christians, this is us who have been persecutors, torturers, murderers! And from whom? our brothers. This is we who have destroyed a hundred cities, the crucifix or the Bible in hand, and DONT stopped bloodshed and bonfires to switching from the reign of Constantine " We must regard all men as our brothers, "What! Turk my brother? my brother the Chinese? the Jew? Siamese? Yes, without doubt: are not we all children of the same father and creatures of God? "When our actions contradict our moral, this is that we believe that it will have some benefit for us to do the opposite of what we teach; ny but certainly there is no benefit to persecute those who are not of our opinion, and let us know hate. .. Of all the superstitions, the most dangerous, is not it the one hating his neighbor for his opinions? It is cruel to persecute in this short life those who do not think like us And with Voltaire to add humor: "And are they not obvious that it would be more reasonable dadorer the holy navel, the holy foreskin, milk and the dress of the Virgin Mary, whom to hate and persecute his brother? " For the "little story", it is good to know that Voltaire after this success in Case Calas will get lacquittement Sirven after nine years of struggle. These Protestants of Castres in the Tarn were unjustly accused to have thrown their daughter down a well. Voltaire and intervene in many other cases to demand justice. Short Phrase shock "hypocrisy is a homage that vice pays to virtue. " The conclusion of Voltaire: "This writing tolerance is a query that humanity has humbly to power and prudence. I sow a seed that will one day produce a harvest " Alas, the world has not heard the big man!
