"No true believer could be intolerant or a persecutor. If I were a magistrate and the law carried the death penalty against atheists, I would begin by sending to the stake whoever denounced another"

This quote by Jean-Jacques Rousseau speaks with the concept that true followers in a faith can not be intolerant or persecutors of others. Rousseau is recommending that if he were a magistrate and the law brought the capital punishment versus atheists, he would not be the one to enforce it. Rather, he would start by penalizing those who knocked another person for their beliefs. This quote speaks to the idea of religious tolerance and approval of others, no matter their beliefs. Rousseau is suggesting that true believers must not be intolerant or persecutors of others, and that those who do should be held liable for their actions. This quote is a reminder that we must aim to be tolerant and accepting of others, regardless of their beliefs.