Comments | hummingwolf: Sounds about right

hummingwolf

Sounds about right

Apr 29, 2002 14:41

Gallup says that the high degree of religious tolerance reflects, in part, "not only a lack of knowledge of other religions but an ignorance of one's own faith." In some polls, he says, "you have Christians saying, 'Yes, Jesus is the only way' and also, 'Yes, there are many paths to God.' It's not that Americans don't believe anything; they ( Read more... )

linkage: news, religion

Comments 4

kenhighcountry April 29 2002, 15:43:59 UTC

It's not that Americans don't believe anything; they believe everything.

That nails it. And I think it's funnier than hell.
And now we would like to welcome the Catholic Wiccan Fairie Reincarnation wih a side of Zen delegation.

hummingwolf April 30 2002, 07:02:32 UTC

Hey, some of my best friends are in the Catholic Wiccan Fairie Reincarnation wih a side of Zen delegation. At least they were, until they happened to see the Brahmanic Taoist Druid with a side of Heinlein delegation passing by.

Gallup? xforge April 30 2002, 04:16:21 UTC

Hmm, kinda judgemental of someone whose job is supposed to be creating polls of other people's opinions... I guess what they're saying is true but... is tolerance a bad thing? Isn't "my religion is right and everyone else's is evil" the kind of thinking that starts jihads?

My girlfriend's a Christian who spent a couple of years in India trying to "find herself;" what she asks is why would anyone limit God that much? Why restrict Deity to one incarnation or even one universe? (This is where she told me the story of how Vishnu went walking, creating a new universe with each step... now *that's* a nifty picture of Deity...)

What I won't tolerate OTOH is dogma. "I have to kill you because my religiion says so." Sure pal, why don't you show me where it says that, and I'll find a verse from the same book that refutes your view of it? God hates who?

Re: Gallup? hummingwolf April 30 2002, 06:58:51 UTC

I don't think Gallup was speaking out against tolerance here (which the article as a whole spoke of as a Good Thing). He was commenting on ignorance. You yourself have mentioned the fact that most Christians don't know the history of their faith, what the Bible actually says, etc. as well as you do. Gallup knows the polls show you're right.

Sure, a tolerance based on ignorance is more peaceful than a bigotry based on ignorance, but it's a damn fragile peace. All you have to do with someone who doesn't know about other religions is convince them that, say, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is an accurate depiction of reality, and goodbye to your easy tolerance.

she asks is why would anyone limit God that much?

Hmm? Gallup's comment was about a straight contradiction in beliefs, not about which of those beliefs might be true. Even though the Ground of All Being may be all-powerful, He/She/It still isn't going to violate the law of non-contradiction.

What I won't tolerate OTOH is dogma. "I have to kill you because my ( ... )