Religious intolerance; who is to blame?

[Khandro]

Does religious intolerance stem from the teachings inherent within different teachings, or from the manipulation of those teachings by politicians and clerics?

[naomi24]

Before I venture to answer this, can you tell me what you mean by 'religious intolerance'?

[jomifl]

I think it must be inherent in the concept of there being more than one religion. If each religion didn't think they were better than the rest then they would fade away.

[naomi24]

Whenever 'religious intolerance' is mentioned, I can't help recalling the case of the Muslim shop assistant working in a pharmacy who, on the grounds of her religion, refused to serve a customer with a prescription for birth control pills - which is why I would like the term 'religious intolerance' defined.

[Khandro]

naomi; I mean the intolerance which abounds, leading to the persecution and slaughter of others who do not have the same beliefs. Please don't give the mindless, 'John Lennon, "Imagine"' answer about a world without religion, we have tried that; Stalin's USSR and Mao's China.

[Canary42]

The "teachings" are written by clerics and politicians.

[naomi24]

Yes, and the Middle East, drowning in religion, is Utopia! What absolute rubbish!! Too tired to deal with this tonight so I'm going to bed, but before I go I will say that if you think John Lennon's 'Imagine' is mindless and has any connection whatsoever with the likes of Mao or Lenin, then you're kidding yourself because you're not the philosophical man you think you are! How very little you understand. I've seen you write some tripe, Khandro, but this time you've really excelled yourself!

[woofgang]

Who is responsible for intolerance? The people who are intolerant of course!

[ludwig]

It stems from the inherent nature of some religions. The whole point of them is that they profess to be the right way to live and behave - god's way.

Any one not following god's way is therefore misguided, a lesser person, perhaps even evil. Destined to be judged and punished accordingly, if not here and now, then certainly later by god himself.

When you start from that position, intolerance is inevitable.

The manipulation from politicians and clerics comes in later when they realise that people with the above mindset can be fairly easily controlled.

[ludwig]

As far as Stalin and Mao goes, all they did was attempt to replace the traditional religions with the cult of themselves, because despots often realise that when you're after total control and obedience, god can be a rival. The solution is to become god yourself.

It's the same mindset - there are people who follow the dear leader's way - the good people, and those who don't. These are the enemies of the people, and they cannot be tolerated.

[jomifl]

ludwig, I agree 100%

[naomi24]

Me too.

[Khandro]

Ludwig; I agree too, except I would remove the words "all they did". But it doesn't nevertheless answer the question. And naomi, you say "the Middle East, drowning in religion" I say the religion isn't the problem, it is the militancy and intolerance which is stirred up by Politicians and religious leaders which is creating the murder and attacks on Christians and on one another.
Since the second half of the last century, ostensibly secular state leaders have worked to accommodate illiberal religious ideologies. For example, it is often thought that Anwar Sadat was a secular leader assassinated by religious fanatics, but during his presidency he actively promoted Islamic fundamentalism as a counterweight to the secular left, thereby sowing the seeds of the present situation.
The same is true in the USA and India.

[heathfield]

The problem stems from quite well-known but rather strange human psychological experience, where someone can be suddenly filled with an ecstatic feeling combined with a sure and certain knowledge that their god exists. It can happen to anyone, at any time - whether it be Saul on the road to Damascus, or a tree-worshipper in the Amazon rainforest. Once this happens, nothing on earth can convince them that maybe they're mistaken, and a different god may be the true god. They'll argue their case, based on their sure and certain knowledge that they're right, even to the point of taking up arms against those who say they're wrong.

[ludwig]

// But it doesn't nevertheless answer the question //

It does answer the question. I think what you mean is it's not an answer you agree with.

My opinion is that religious thinking creates a herd mentality which political leaders\clerics will attempt to exploit for their own ends. There are basically two ways of doing it - 'God is on my side and to obey me is to do his will', or 'I am god, and thou shalt have no other god but me. Here's my little red book - obey it or die'.

If you remove the concept of a god from all of that - a divine being who can never be wrong - then the power to control evaporates.

[naomi24]

Khandro, //I say the religion isn't the problem//

Oh but it is. You have to go way back to discover the real source of the problem. The Promised Land. No Promised Land, no problem. Fundamentally, religion is wholly responsible for the problem.

[tamborine]

clerics manipulating politics in 3rd world lands.

Multi faiths live in harmony under western civilised laws, thats why non-indiginous choose the western lifestyle

[keyplus90]

From the manipulation of those teachings by politicians and clerics.

[keyplus90]

/////I'm going to bed, but before I go I will say that if you think John Lennon's 'Imagine' is mindless and has any connection whatsoever with the likes of Mao or Lenin, then you're kidding yourself because you're not the philosophical man you think you are! How very little you understand. I've seen you write some tripe, Khandro, but this time you've really excelled yourself!////

This is what you get if you dare question Naomi's posts. I thought Khandro was asking about "religious" intolerance.