Religious Tolerance
I am tolerant, you are permissive, I have reasonable scruples, and you are a conservative. (Author Unknown)
Does this sound like the thoughts of most of us? Many people think that they have to understand and accept the religious beliefs of others in order to get along with them. Respecting someone’s choice to practice their religion does not mean that you must believe the same as they do. In today’s society, we are faced daily with choices on whether or not to tolerate the practices and actions of people around us. More times than not, people ignore actions of those around them when their actions do not affect them personally. If a person dresses in an offensive style or uses inappropriate conduct in the presence of others, more times than not, this “offense” is simply overlooked or ignored. Religious differences are something that is rarely ignored and has been the cause of much hatred, deaths and violence around the world. Why is it that when we see an injustice such as this we are able to just walk away? Many people do not want to get involved. Many feel that they cannot make a difference. Everyone must get involved for this horrible behavior to stop. When people argue about the tolerating of other religions and their practices, what is being shown is that the need for tolerance in general is not as important as the effect that the religion is not so bad that the believers should be prohibited from practicing it or that they should be murdered or harmed in any way just because others do not have the same beliefs. "People don't simply wake up one day and commit genocide. They start by setting themselves apart from others, diminishing the stature of those adhering to dissenting beliefs in small, insidious steps. They begin by saying, 'We're the righteous, and we'll tolerate those others.' And as the toleration diminishes over time, the inevitable harms are overlooked. It is for that reason that James Madison wisely wrote that 'it is proper to take
Does this sound like the thoughts of most of us? Many people think that they have to understand and accept the religious beliefs of others in order to get along with them. Respecting someone’s choice to practice their religion does not mean that you must believe the same as they do. In today’s society, we are faced daily with choices on whether or not to tolerate the practices and actions of people around us. More times than not, people ignore actions of those around them when their actions do not affect them personally. If a person dresses in an offensive style or uses inappropriate conduct in the presence of others, more times than not, this “offense” is simply overlooked or ignored. Religious differences are something that is rarely ignored and has been the cause of much hatred, deaths and violence around the world. Why is it that when we see an injustice such as this we are able to just walk away? Many people do not want to get involved. Many feel that they cannot make a difference. Everyone must get involved for this horrible behavior to stop. When people argue about the tolerating of other religions and their practices, what is being shown is that the need for tolerance in general is not as important as the effect that the religion is not so bad that the believers should be prohibited from practicing it or that they should be murdered or harmed in any way just because others do not have the same beliefs. "People don't simply wake up one day and commit genocide. They start by setting themselves apart from others, diminishing the stature of those adhering to dissenting beliefs in small, insidious steps. They begin by saying, 'We're the righteous, and we'll tolerate those others.' And as the toleration diminishes over time, the inevitable harms are overlooked. It is for that reason that James Madison wisely wrote that 'it is proper to take
References: Roleff, Tamara L. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999 Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center: Gale Yu Bin, “Clash of the Uncivilized”, Extremism Mars World Stage, Pacific News Service, May 6, 2002 "The clash of civilizations and the remaking of world order," Touchstone Books, (1998).