how can religion lead to tolerance and intolerance?

Intolerance is a natural part of human nature. We humans naturally are a little untrustful of people who look different from us, who speak a different language or have a different culture. This is 'designed' into us, either by God or evolution, it doesn't matter to this argument, it's just the way we are.

Now REAL religious leaders see that this is not a good thing. They teach that we are all the same family, we're all in the same boat (or 'in the same bath', as the French put it). Someone asked Jesus 'You want us to love our neighbor. Who is our neighbor?' And Jesus responded with the story of the Good Samaritan. In those days 'Samaritans' were a despised minority, like we think of Neo-Nazis today. What he meant by the story is that EVERYONE is your neighbor, and that we shouldn't distrust people who are 'different'.

But political leaders often encourage intolerance, because it serves their purpose. Racial minorities or immigrants or people who speak a different language or have a different religion are DANGEROUS. Elect us and we will protect you from these terrible dangerous people!

See the difference? Religions teach people to love each other, politics often teaches them to hate and fear each other. Divide and conquer.

The thing is, since time immemorial, perhaps since prehistoric times, religion has served as a handmaiden to politics. Religion and politics have been tightly twisted together, with religious ideas being presented as political ideas and vice versa. So religions, over all of history, have often been intolerant. All through the Middle Ages, the Catholics of Europe hated Jews. In the New World, Protestants hated Catholics (and Jews). Today there seems to be a new alliance between fundamentalist Protestants and Catholics to hate Muslims (and Jews).

It's not always easy to separate religious and political ideas. But when you hear intolerance being preached by spiritual leaders, that's not religion, that's politics using religion as a servant, politics speaking through religion. And that accounts for the great irony of human history--that almost all the war and genocide and mass killing and hatreds and anger on earth is supported by religions based on universal peace and love and understanding and cooperation!

Look at all the intolerance, hatred, bigotry, homophobia and persecution posted by Christians on here to prove how religion can create intolerance!

Now try looking at the largest religion without a god that is by definition atheist!

BUDDHISM – Religious teaching from Buddha and his followers that by destroying greed, hatred and delusion (the cause of all suffering) man can attain perfect enlightenment!

That is how religion creates tolerance!

Tolerance? Bahahahahaha.. star for you!!!

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