No Offense
Posted on 22. Nov, 2009 by Ruda in Society
Photo by Jennifer Phoon
It seems the theme of hypocrisy is still present in my head. This time, as applied to religious beliefs. There are many different faiths and belief systems out there, each with their own following. I’m not talking about any hypocrisy within these beliefs. I mean the hypocrisy that is present in how people tolerate other views. Most people are fine with talking about other beliefs and criticizing them, but not all are comfortable when their own beliefs are criticized.
It should be understood by people of religious faith that what they believe in as a path for answers. Being this, they should know that there are multiple paths available. Since there are multiple paths available, criticism of the different systems is inevitable. But some who are strong believers in their faith are unable to accept any criticism or even agree that their system is one among many.
The type of thinking that allows one to criticize the religions of others, but get offended when their own religion is questioned is hypocritical. This is the same type of thinking that has caused so much conflict between the Middle East and the Western world. Many people are quick to assume that it is a fundamental flaw in Islam that causes Muslims to be violent, but this is not the case. Any strong believers of their own faith would react the same way to “offenses.” If Christianity did not already dominate world, and was in a minority state as Islam is, Christians might react the same way. The problem occurs when the followers believe that their faith is the only truth and that it is the only truth for everyone.
The absence of this problem would mean a world where religious issues could be discussed without inflaming any particular group. People would be able to speak and act openly without the danger of offending anyone. At the very least, the same people who get offended should be respectful and tolerant of other religious beliefs. But this also does not exist. Tolerance is preached universally, but the key is practice it unconditionally, not in a way that conforms to already our existing beliefs.
Hello! I suppose you couldn't resist trying to catch a glimpse of the person writing all this nonsense. If you want to learn more about me, check out the "About Me" page. Self-explanatory I guess.
abraham
Nov 23rd, 2009
so if we tolerate unconditionally, do we tolerate intolerance? Sure, we can let things like hate speech or bigotted attitudes slide by because we are tolerant. but can we as a society tolerate things like blasphemy laws, persecution, violence and oppression? You are, of course, completely right in the general sense.
Jeffrey Concerto
Nov 23rd, 2009
So long as we have organized religion, we will have religious intolerance. For each religion views itself as the superior religion, and if its members didn’t believe their religion was the superior one they wouldn’t follow it.
When one identifies oneself with a particular religion, one automatically separates oneself from any other religion. Once such a separation is made, there will always be conflict and hypocrisy. It is inevitable. Identification creates separation; separation creates conflict.
Adriane
Nov 23rd, 2009
I admire your willingness to touch on sensitive subjects, religion certainly being one of them.
Many, if not most, religions believe that theirs is the “true way” and that all other paths will not lead to the highest spiritual attainment. They believe that the doctrine (and not the pathwork that each individual makes, using the tools the doctrine provides) is what leads there, resulting in prejudice toward all other paths except for the one they adhere to.
I would like to attribute this prejudice (initially) to those adherents who have achieved great results using a specific method of communing with the divine… miraculous, even. They are so convinced that their experience can be replicated by all others that they want to convince everyone else that they have the recipe for success. Well intended, no doubt, but just as a shoe does not fit every foot, mystical experience is also unique and personal.
Then the prejudice is further proliferated by those who have not had a personal mystical experience but who believe that if they follow the recipe by rote that they too will achieve the desired result simply by virtue of making the effort.
As long as the end result as opposed to the journey is deemed to be the motivating factor to religious experience, conflict will exist.
Ruda
Nov 23rd, 2009
Jeff,
The problem is not that people think their religion is superior, as this is necessary to make any choice. But it is in their belief that their choice is applicable to everyone. Even the ability to understand doubt on another person’s part would be an improvement over taking offense. This is also exacerbated by the fact that most do not view religion as a choice in faith but a kind of universal truth. There must be some improvements that can be made to the current situation short of doing away with religion.
Ruda
Nov 23rd, 2009
Abraham,
I would say that tolerance of intolerance is exactly what I mean. It seems that even a person’s doubt is sometimes regarded as “intolerance.” When the intolerance is simply expressed in conversation without anger or hate, I think it should definitely be tolerated. When we step into violence and persecution, they would be intolerable not because of their direction at religious beliefs but because of their intrinsic nature. Violence for example is something that would not be desired in any circumstance.
My focus in this post was mainly on the ability of people to express opinions intelligently, because it sometimes seems that even this is regarded as “intolerance.”
Ruda
Nov 23rd, 2009
Adriane,
I agree with you about the way people tend to try and replicate results. It is because of this practice that I think religion has grown as rapidly as it has. People have started to think that one path is applicable to many. Some fail to realize that their results are theirs alone. It is because of this that their desire to universalize beliefs appears in the first place.
Ruda
Alex
Feb 11th, 2010
Things have been rather quiet here..
To be honest, I don’t have much to say about this topic of religion and tolerance. I agree with you on the hypocrisy of how people react. I encounter many people I fundamentally disargee with when considering religion or most things in general. I guess I’m not an agreeable person, LOL.
I guess I’m posting here because reading this makes me question intelligence. I mean that in the natural way.
I’m only 26 years old, but my short observation is that this kind of intelligence is born into us, but easily lost.
The problems we face as a species, and I hate using that word, whether they be hypocrisy or ignorance are too easy.
Don’t you find it so easy to be bad? So easy its good. I don’t mean personally and in the present, but looking back at ourselves.
How can we get rid of this hypocrisy? Its too easy to be so.
There are things deeper than this but what time do we allow ourselves to have?