Can all religions be sometimes peaceful and tolerant but sometimes intolerant and violent?  

poetdancer 8/9/2009 6:29 am Last Read: 11/6/2009 7:51 am	Most individuals of all religions and philosophies, or of none, are peaceful, tolerant, ethical, and productive. I was brought up with informal leanings toward the philosophies of Zen and Tao, but without any doctrine or practice. I live in a predominantly Christian and Jewish society with many other religions, practicing mostly freely, though some individuals in all groups still have lingering prejudices. My personal viewpoint is that all religions and philosophies have unique wisdoms and joys to offer but that none is perfect. I have heard much stereotyping and profiling of Islam and Muslims. Six hundred years ago, when Christianity was the age that Islam is now, had Christianity lately finished its oppressive thieving bloody Crusades, and was Christianity intensifying its suppressive torturous murderous Inquisition? Even back then, I'm sure most individual Christians were peaceful, tolerant, ethical, and productive. And today, most individual Christians and Muslims are peaceful, tolerant, ethical, and productive. Today, many Christian and Islamic leaders are peaceful and open-minded, but some aren't. Will most Christian and Islamic leaders become peaceful and open-minded during the next six hundred years? Have all the other religions and philosophies in the world done both good and evil, too? I love all religions and most philosophies, and I perceive all of them as doing much great good but also some great harm. Just as we people are not perfect, so are religions and philosophies not perfect. Shall we dialog within our religions and philosophies, and between our religions and philosophies, and work to aim our religions and philosophies toward tolerance, peacefulness, and benevolence toward all?
Merrick Ask me for a photo 8/9/2009 1:20 pm	I agree with all I read.. nicely done. I do believe that if u are 100% committed, believing and unyielding in ur own religion it shouldn't bother u what other ppl choose to believe in. I have noticed that with some ppl from some religions... they can't accept when I tell them what I believe in and not always but a few times I was told I was going to hell as their religion was the only true religion. All religions minus maybe a fwe I don't know much about all believe in the same tenents... so why not more tollerance... as long as u respect everyone around u... respect urself and try to live as good as one can... then that is all that should matter. ○○○ click the blue links here ○○○
poetdancer 297 posts  8/9/2009 2:14 pm	Merrick, well said. Thank you for your useful wisdom.
govind23456 Ask me for a photo 460 posts 9/19/2009 8:25 pm	Poetdancer , I had missed this post of yours to my own disadvantage. What you have said is true. While all religions preach the same thing - love for God, humanity et al, the practices and practised deviations are left to the interpretations of the self appointed agents and sub-agents of the religion, the clergy, who are but human but refuse to acknowledge that fact by laying claims to greater wisdom. Clergy has always favoured us men against women in the past because of our superior physical strength (things are changing in the present times where intellect has come into play alongwith other human skills). Pursing their own empowerment and avarice, they always tended to favour men (that is why they have always preached subservience of women towards men in a variety of ways) alongwith promotion of hatred towards practitioners of other religions thus retaining a hold over the masses. I believe a religion of humanity, essence of all religions minus the clergy, is the way forward - the term humanity is all encompassing including all that we, the commoners, consider good towards our own selves as well as others. I concur with you on the dialogue part - in my own way, I would tell the clergy that they will face the wrath of God should they persist in their sermons of hatred. In extreme cases, that latter work of God might be pursued through you and me.
poetdancer 297 posts  9/20/2009 5:31 am	Govind, thank you for sharing your loving wisdom. My views are very similar to yours. As I see it, the essences of all religions and most philosophies teach the same three basic messages: loving kindness, sincere ethics, and acknowledgement of spirit as initial creator and potential cause of all, though spirit does not always actively monitor and control everything. Where all religions overlap is essential truth. Where They differ is unessential interpretation. All the great teachers and books introduced gradual reforms appropriate for the societies and times where and when they appeared. In keeping with this spirit, we should realize that if they returned today they would continue to introduce gradual reforms appropriate for our current societies and times. They would not cling to past interpretations and customs. All kinds of people, whether independents, cooperatives, followers, or leaders, all kinds can be benevolent or selfish or defensive. Merely being a leader does not make one bad. It depends on the individual. Even the same person can be a mixture, or change over time, toward the better or toward the worse. Independent or cooperative people don't need leaders, but the majority are followers who need leaders. All people share the responsibility to demand transparency, ethics, and effectiveness from our leaders, and to replace them when necessary, as nonviolently as possible. Eighty percent of people of all kinds can be encouraged to think and act more lovingly and ethically and spiritually, without resorting to enforcement or restraint. On the remaining twenty percent, I believe in using the minimum force and restraint necessary to prevent them from harming others, but I don't believe in punishment, as it only increases the total amount of wrongdoing and suffering in the universe. I believe that our putting more love, ethics, and spirituality into the universe makes it a better environment for all, so I choose to put out what I want to live in.