Through these games they become democrats from their early youth, since, the prizes being awarded, not through the arbitrariness of masters, but through the cheers of spectators, they accustom themselves to recognizing as sovereign the legitimate sovereignty, consisting of the verdict of the assembled people.  The foremost interest of the State is, always, to form the wills of those by which it lasts, to prepare the votes that are to maintain it, to uproot passions in the soul that might be opposed to it, to implant passions that will prove favorable to it, to fix firmly with the breasts of its future citizens the sentiments and prejudices it will at some time need.[27] If it does not secure the children it will not possess the adults, Novices in a convent must be as monks, otherwise, when they grow up, the convent will no longer exist.

Finally, our lay convent has its own religion, a lay religion.  If I possess any other it is through its condescension and under restrictions.  It is, by nature, hostile to other associations than its own; they are rivals, they annoy it, they absorb the will and pervert the votes of its members.

“To ensure a full declaration of the general will it is an important matter not to allow any special society in the State, and that each citizen should pronounce according to it alone."[28] “Whatever breaks up social unity is worthless,” and it would be better for the State if there were no Church. —

Not only is every church suspicious but, if I am a Christian, my belief is regarded unfavorably.  According to this new legislator “nothing is more opposed to the social spirits than Christianity. . . . A society of true Christians would no longer form a society of men.”  For, “the Christian patrimony is not of this world.”  It cannot zealously serve the State, being bound by its conscience to support tyrants.  Its law “preaches only servitude and dependence. . . it is made for a slave,” and never will a citizen be made out of a slave.  “Christian Republic, each of these two words excludes the other.”  Therefore, if the future Republic assents to my profession of Christianity, it is on the understood condition that my doctrine shall be shut up in my mind, without even affecting my heart.  If I am a Catholic, (and twenty-five out of twenty-six million Frenchmen are like me), my condition is worse.  For the social pact does not tolerate an intolerant religion; any sect that condemns other sects is a public enemy; “whoever presumes to say that there is no salvation outside the church, must be driven out of the State.”

Should I be, finally, a free-thinker, a positivist or skeptic, my situation is little better.