Doctrines of Hatred, Part II: Anti-Protestantism

Doctrines of Hatred, Part II: Anti-Protestantism by Anatole Leroy-Beaulieu (AD 1842-1912) was originally published in 1902, under the French title of Les Doctrines de haine: l'anti-sémitisme, l'anti-protestantisme, l'anti-cléricalisme.

Although written for a particular people of a particular nation at a particular time in their history - the French in France at the height of the Dreyfus Affair - thirty years after the Franco-Prussian War and twelve years before World War I, this book on Anti-Protestantism is also pertinent to all peoples of all nations at all periods of time, if not since the time of Christ, at least since the time of the Reformation. Modern readers should approach it as both a historical document from over 120 years ago, but also as a wake up call and warning for those of us today, in the 21^st century, at a time when religious tensions (not to mention political and racial tensions) seem to be on the rise.

"War summons war, and intolerance, intolerance. If we wish to find religious peace, the first thing is for Authority to show itself free from every denominational passion, free from every sectarian, religious, or anti-religious spirit."

Anatole Leroy-Beaulieu was a French historian and essayist. As a practicing Christian, he was in favor of the separation of Church and State. He was the last president of the National League Against Atheism, an association founded in 1886 initially to combat anti-clericalism and socialism. Politically a liberal, in addition to being a French patriot, Leroy-Beaulieu was opposed to all forms of anti-religious sentiment. Thus this book, which could have easily been entitled "What is Anti-Protestantism?"