Do you believe that religious tolerance around the world is improving or getting worse?

Because of the Rabid Radical Religoius Right's attitude that they are absolutely correct and have the authority to impose their dogma, doctrines and beliefs upon the entire nation.

SCREW THEM and their fascist associates.

I see the deceiver disliking the fact that humans are pulling away from external godless religions that encourage persecution of humans that are different teaching untruths in the KJV. They don't like their pews being emty.

Tolerance is not a "happy word" in truly religious circles. Rather than saying that religious tolerance is "getting worse" it is more appropriate to say that society in general is becoming more "Orthodox". Religious views are tightly held with firm conviction that believers have the "inside tract" and non adherents, including atheists and agnostics, of that Orthodoxy are completely wrong. Hence the escalating trouble in the Middle East, Taliban in Afghanistan, Africa, Cults in America, Not to mention the exploitation of people's different religious beliefs for political control of populations, like Obama's explotation of the Black Church, Jesse Jackson, Arab leaders, "Moral Majorities, "Evangelicals" The Religious RIght, The Godless Left, ad infinitum

I would not say orthodox. I would say unconscionably enlightened to the truth that God planted in you that you did not reject. The truths are in the book KJV that the religions have, but did not teach hanging on to the laws Jesus rejected shown by the lord's mercy rejecting any law that harmed anyone. Hence writing in the sand until all of the woman's accusers left. The Taliban, Islamic law, legal system, and religious law used to try to condemn Jesus before he got to the cross are all related the the same dark negitive spirit that seeks to condemn. Those outside of religion looking in sees this subconsciously. I see this consciously.

depends on area of the world but it could be a lot better

I believe that anyone that says that Islam is not the Religion of Peace, should be beheaded.

Beheading anyone is not a peacful act. How then protect a religion that contradicts its self?

look at the Christian haters here on sodahead and you tell me

There are haters all over. I've been the target of many haters as well. I think that it may seem like its getting worse, because they can be loud and obnoxious. But I still believe that there is more good out there than bad. At least, I hope so.

Take a look at this poll that I created awhile back: http://www.sodahead.com/livin...

I was very inspired by the numbers of Soda Heads who responded and supported the concept. There are good people out there.

glad you think so

Check out that other poll I gave you the link to.

As I was responding to you - the soda head below was posting on my polls being very insulting of my religion. (LOL) How timely, huh? Still, I'm hoping that some of my optimism might rub off on you.

"..that is one of the advanatges of being a pessimist..one recieves only pleasent surprises"
Nero Wolfe

Well...there is certainly that.

Do the works of Christ be a Christian. A christian does not use the bible as a supposed reason to harm anyone. The religions used their law to try to do the same thing to a perfect being named Jesus. That happens to day.

Let me guess Muslims are gentle and peaceful in your mind

Your not very good at sensing the spirit are you?You can know how the Muslims are that are rejected from Germany because they will shamelessly kill a human based of what kind of sex they do, and have death threats against humans about essentially nothing. Stone young kids because of a hair cut, They have a paranoid paranoia about dogs want them exterminated, and you can in your mind think the Muslims are peacful. I can go on, and on about this. Why don't you see this? The USA worships idols being bad too. The Muslims ritualistically and proudly worship their own idols willingly photographed doing such. We get the Photos because the one taking them were not killed. Don't you remember Rushdie?The Muslims are self deluded.

Personally, I am an eternal optimist. Via the internet, voices are heard in numbers never before imagined. Therefore, it can make it seem as though there is more hatred and intolerance out there. But also via the internet, people can communicate and through communication there can be increased understanding. Rumors and misunderstandings are more easily put to rest, leading to greater tolerance.

I can only say that I consider myself a relatively tolerant person when it comes to religion. But even here I will admit that I am a bit intolerant of Mormonism and the Church of Scientology. But there is a reason for this. Mormonism gains members by converting dead people to mormonism. Church of Scientology in effects brainwashes its recruits so they have little free will left.

I am also intolerant of fundamentalism where the minister or whatever has the absolute truth. I think that fundamentalism has peaked and as it falls, it should be replaced by religious tolerance.

You are entitled to your opinion, of course. Obviously, as a Scientologist I would completely disagree with your assessment. Quite the contrary, Scientology has taught me to think independently and rationally. I got involved with eyes wide open, and after 30 years I still have them wide open. I have friends from all walks of life - and I don't believe any of those friends, Atheists, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, would ever see me as brainwashed or one with little free will.

As I said - you are certainly entitled to your opinion and I thank you for your response.

I have had No contact with the church of scientology for over 40 years. To this day however I still receive mail from them at my parents home. I will give it to them, they never give up. All because I went a couple of times in HS with a friend who became involved in it. He has long since given it up.

Now my wife recently had some contact with them. The place she works at agreed to allowing them present something involving moral or something. She almost died when she realized what it was. It was a joke.

So what exactly have you gotten from Scientology? Have you been cleared yet? Can you levitate? And just curious how much have you given them over the years?

Yes - I will concede that the mail is too much. Since this is not a poll about Scientology, but about religious tolerance in general, I will talk to you about this privately. I will send you an email. I have no problems answering your questions.

At no point in time EVER will everyone in the world say that they tolerate every religion, every belief system, every deity, every person. I am a LaVeyan Satanist, you are a scientologist, the people who have also commented on this post are everything from Wiccan to Jewish and I dont have a problem with that. But there will always be those people, that person, a group if individuals who are gonna think that every other religion or belief system ect is wrong, ridiculous, crazy, false ect ect ect. Sadly thats just how the world works.

Sigh...You are so right. However, I do feel that as there is greater communication amongst the various groups that we can dispel the rumors, clear up the misunderstandings. There are many people out there who want to perpetuate the rumors, make up grandiose stories, because they have a vested interest in sustaining the discrimination or are just fanatics who believe their way is the only way and no one can believe otherwise.

I'm an eternal optimist. (Hmmm...maybe those are the seeds for a new religion - The Church of the Eternal Optimist) LOL. At any rate - I do believe that as we continue to communicate it can only lead to greater understanding. People are suspicious of new things. People can be gullible and believe everything they read. As we dispel the rumors, people won't be so afraid, and this can lead to greater tolerance.

The moment I think tolerance takes a step further I hear something that makes me think it just went backwards by two steps.

Seems that way.

I tolerate all religions that don't call for my enslavement or death for not belonging to their cult.I don't know if it is getting worse or just more out in the open.

Everywhere Christianity or Judaism has a majority, religious tolerance exists,

Everywhere Islam prevails, there is very little or no religious tolerance.

Atheists have proven the most intolerant of all - absolutely stomping on religion and enslaving people when they rise to power.

Sadly I think when it comes to ANY kind of tolerance it is and will only continue to get worse. Tolerance comes when someone feels listened to, and HEARD even if an agreement or understanding does not happen, And we are living in a time where we are not feeling heard, appreciated,or respected never mind tolerated.

It would be nice if everyone could coexist in peace. Maybe in the next few decades.

Both. As religious rights increase in some places, in other places religious intolerance swings more toward the authoritarian right but that swing of the pendulum cannot be maintained. Just as the printing press ultimately caused paradigmatic changes, so too will the advent of the Net and communication technologies.

As long as you have religions and people believing in fairy tales and myths you will have intolerance. The very nature of religions the Us vs Them theme is based in intolerance.

the way i am seeing it hatred is spreading fast nowadays

I eat babies and sacrifice blonde virgins. ^_^ I also rape, kill, steal, cheat, and lie. Ha! Welcome to LaVeyan Satanism. Where people make up lies about you....

Damn, at least you do something. Since I don't believe in any religion, I have no morals or any hopes in life. I also will go to the furthest reaches of Hell and wil be tortuted simply because I don't believe in someone else's words. Aren't religous zealots so nice? I love how they seem to know that I don't believe in religions because I'm an upset young man who is spiting my parents, or how I'm mad at 'God' for not answeing my wishes.

Some people think they know you, when they truly know nothing at all.

I know what you mean. Apparently I'm a "rebellious teenager who is trying to be different" also when I mention the seperation from LaVeyans and Luciferians apparently I'm a "Goth kid fighting over turf." And apparently I hate all Christians and god (I hate no one!). I get treated like I have no brain at all.................

It's actually kinda funny how much people care about other people's choices in religious beliefs.

Ugh that's true. They just don't know when to leave it alone. -.-

As an agnostic I'm just a lazy bum who can't be bothered to do anything for "the greater glory of God." I'll learn the error of my ways in some horrible manner when I've lost everything and I need God to show me the way and bring me back to the Church. Whoops.

I think it's the same as it's always been. There have always been ebs and flows and religious conflicts. The only real difference is the number of humans on the planet. Say for example, 1% are violent religious fanatics. 1% of a million is much smaller than 1% of a billion. So in one respect those who are intolerant have increased in number, but mainly because we all have.