FOOD FOR THOUGHT – Do We Really Need Tolerance Towards Other Religions?

Religious tolerance has been preached as a virtue for ages. But I believe the concept in itself is flawed. Tolerance is a derivative of ‘to tolerate’, which signifies a voluntary non-action against injustice, pain or rather anything unacceptable. Therefore, the term religious tolerance signifies that the very existence of another religion is painful and unacceptable to any other religion or any person belonging to such religious sect.

Religion is a conglomeration of people with allegiance to a common faith in a particular form of the almighty. If one believes in the unity of god, no matter what form we chose, our allegiance lies to the one and only almighty. I such a case, is there any rational in one religion no even willing to accept the existence of other religions? So much so that one is pushed to the verge of having to tolerate the others. What kind of virtue is it for, say, a Christian to tolerate Hindus, Muslims, Jews etc? Is secularism about tolerance or is it about the acceptance of other’s freedom to pay allegiance to the almighty in whatever form they believe the most? Is it not time for us to accept freedom of religion than tolerate it? Is not the concept of religious tolerance the very negation of the unity of the almighty?