How tolerant of other people's religions do you consider yourself to be?

[Melusine]

Just curious! [img]smile.gif[/img] Please elaborate on your poll answer, and keep the thread flame/bait-free if at all possible

Edit: also, maybe superfluous to ask, but do be honest! If you think you're pretty tolerant, try to think about how tolerant that really is? Has the knowledge that someone had (or hadn't!) certain beliefs ever influenced your opinion of that person adversely? Do you ever catch yourself thinking intolerant things of which you're ashamed once you realise what you're thinking? Does being tolerant also mean you should not mind at all when people talk about their religious beliefs to you? Or is tolerance alright as long as people don't bother you with their beliefs?

[ 07-24-2003, 04:09 PM: Message edited by: Melusine ]

[Rokenn]

I'm very tolerant of other people religious beliefs, as long as they do not try to shove them down my throat, especially when they try and do it via government backing [img]smile.gif[/img]

The one thing I hate about having a discussion about religious belief is when religious people feel they need me to justify my Brightism (ie atheism). If I show you the respect of not forcing you to justify your belief, please return the favor [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Xen]

I'm very tolerant of other people religious beliefs. I,myself blive in Budistic religion(harm no living being,reincarnation) but this is all to it.
So people belive what they want to belive.

[johnny]

I reject all forms of religeons, but i don't have a problem with people who do live a religeous life. To each his own, live and let live and all that jazz. In return i expect people not to give me a hard time for being an atheist.

I am curious about the backgrounds of religeon though, and what makes people believers. I did read the bible, and quite a few passages from the Quran (sp?), and i have a catholic background, but i decided a long time ago not to get involved in this. I actually had a very long conversation about this with the priest of the church i used to go to, and he seemed to be truly sad about my way of thinking, but he still greets me when we run into eachother.

Fyi, when i was in highschool, i was a singer in the church choir, an altar boy, and because they thought i was an excellent speaker, they had me reading verses from the bible in front of an 800 people live church audience, almost every sunday.

[*\Conan/*]

Heya Mel!

I voted that People should be free to believe what they want, but if a religion caused harm to people I am less tolerant towards it.

I don't really tolerate self-mutalation in religion either. It's just doesn't make sense to whip yourself bloody, no idea what that is all about but that is teaching violence and a sort of physical aspect of one's beliefs by the inward showing the outerself by whatever means is used. If you hurting that badly inside you need to re-group and see where your faith lies. I geuss I don't understand this fully- sorry to carry on.

[harleyquinn]

I am an athiest, but being as I have no absolute proof to show someone that there is no existence of God, I can't very well discount their beliefs. I think people are free to believe what they want, but I don't however, believe that people have the right to push thier beliefs on others. By that, I don't mean talking about their religious beliefs or explaining them, in fact I find it interesting to hear the different beliefs and where they came from or are based on (like the bible). What I mean by pushing is those people that are convinced they need to convert you to save you and will do whatever they can to make that happen, will badger you about it, threaten you, etc. Those are the people I have issue with. I have yet to encounter anyone like that here, though, which is one of the things I like about this site.

[Timber Loftis]

I lined up with the majority (so far) -- complete religious freedom, but don't harm others. I'll caveat that: I have yet to see a religion whose TENETS were aimed at causing harm to others -- perhaps your personal "take" on those tenets may approve of harming others, but the tenets themselves likely don't.

As an atheist who nevertheless thinks religion is good for society, as someone who feels there are central social functions and themes found in all religions, and as the guy who single-handedly got the "no religious discussion" ban lifted on Gen Discussions ( ) I've gotta say I'm pretty liberal about it all.

[Sir Kenyth]

I am tolerant of most god-fearing religions, as long as they are toward me also. I tend to be less tolerant of faiths such as witchcraft, shamanism, wicca, crystal magic, voodoo, etc. The reason being is that everyone I have ever met who is a part of these things did not strike me as being well adjusted or stable. The concept of witchcraft and magic has been used to deceive people for centuries. Everything from torture and murder to conning and extortion have been done in it's name. I suppose the same could be said of other religions too though. I also do not like scientology, alien worship, etc. Strange stuff. Too many crazies! [img]graemlins/crazyeyes.gif[/img]

[Chewbacca]

I love questions that call for self-examination.
[img]smile.gif[/img]

I consider myself tolerant of other people's beliefs and practices so long as they harm no one else and they do not try to push them on me.

I am also intolerant of intolerance, stereotyping and generalizations-Qualities I consider rooted in ignorance and fear of the unknown. Yes, it's a fault, I have recently decided. In the purest ideals I can imagine, I would not suffer intolerance of ignorance, but feel compassion for those caught in what I percieve as limited, narrow-minded egotistism. Shoes for myself to grow into.

As far as my own beliefs and practices, I am a Witch and a Shaman. Eclectic in practice and broad in belief. I do not limit my knowledge or understanding because it "belongs" to one faith/philosophy or another. I take wisdom as it comes.

For myself I do reject beliefs rooted in apathy, guilt or fear, I see these as qualities to grow out of, not qualities to live by. This is for myself though, not intolerance of someone else.

I will listen and/or study the beliefs and practices of others with an open-mind. I may not be totally tolerant as I stated above, but I have a vision of what that is like and I have faith I can grow into it. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 07-24-2003, 07:05 PM: Message edited by: Chewbacca ]

[Masklinn]

I took the 1st answer.

I m not religious myself but have friends of all religions. I truly respect their choice and the way they live. I take great interest into their religions and always try to learn a lot about it.

I think that someone who choose a religious way of life have a sane and well fullfilled life.