Tolerant of Wrong Religious Beliefs?
Question: “Should I be tolerant of religious beliefs I think are wrong?”Answer: The majority of religions in the world today promote peace, moral virtue, loving-kindness and compassion. Tolerance of religions different than our own, is not enough — we need to actually embrace and celebrate the diversity of these faiths. How can we expect peace in the world if we do not embrace our brothers and sisters of different faiths? German philosopher Max Muller said, “To understand only one religion is to understand none.” Learning about other faiths helps us to appreciate our own faith more.
Understanding other faiths also leads to an understanding of religious diversity. This diversity can then lead to interfaith dialogue, which in turns leads to peace among religions. And once we have peace among religions, this has the potential to lead to peace among nations. For the past 20 years we have been so fortunate to have here in Kansas City the “Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council.” It represents 15 different faith traditions, and has worked for peace among religions. Its motto is: “We are building the most welcoming community for all people.”
Unfortunately, religion also has its shadow side. There are a handful of religious cults who promote hatred, intolerance and discrimination based upon race, gender or sexual orientation. These groups need to understand the meaning of the words of Ella Wheeler Cox, the 19th century American poet, who said, "So many gods, so many creeds, So many paths that wind and wind, while just the art of being kind is all the sad world needs."
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