Tolerance
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
~ From The Bill of Rights, 1 Amendment to The Constitution of the United States ~
The Encyclopedia of Wars, written by Charles Phillips and Alan Axelrod, states that only 123 of the 1,764 major conflicts in world history, were due to religion, resulting in only two percent of the casualties of war.
Are you as surprised by that statistic as I am? A mere seven percent of humanities wars have been fought over religious differences. Do the Crusades pop into your head? What about the Reconquista, or the Inquisition, Hitler’s attack on the Jews, the conflict in Ireland between the Catholics and Protestants, the war in the Balkans, the battles between India and Pakistan, or China and Tibet?
I come from a spiritual tradition that believes we should live our life based, in no small part, upon the Great Commission, Christ last directive to his disciples: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” ~ Mark 16: 15 – 18 (NIV) ~
As a Christian, I find the words powerful, and the verse that concludes the chapter, a fascinating place to begin a debate on what is wrong with the Christian church today; however, that conversation is for another time and perhaps another place. I quote this scripture, because unlike some religious traditions, which do not believe in proselytizing, Christianity is based on the notion that having found the truth, it should be shared, as God is not willing that any should perish. I understand religious fervor, I was raised in a home with two ministers, whose life work was fulfilling this Great Commission, and have done my fair share of trying to spread this message. However, I cannot understand or accept the notion that because we disagree on who God is, how to worship Him, or even if He exist, that one of us should take the other’s life, in His name.
Of late, world news is dominated by stories of brutal extremist in the Middle East, who claim to be at war with their neighbors, the majority of which, are also practitioners and believers of Islam – Muslims are killing other Muslims under the guise of doing God’s will.
I am not unaware of the mass execution of Christians, in the area, as well; nor of the groups intentions toward Jews, or can we forget their threats to bring their terror to our shores.
Sadly, I can understand war over political ideology, land disputes, financial philosophy, and even moral or ethical ideals, but I am unable to comprehend war in the name of God.
If I believe that I have found truth and thus in trying to be true to the tenants of my faith, share this belief with you, hoping that you too will find whatever joy or peace or life after death, my faith offers me, why would I believe that taking your life, if you reject the truth I offer, would be of benefit to your soul or to my God?
When I was in my twenties, I had a very dear and brilliant friend, who was an atheist, tell me that even if God were real, and there was a heaven and therefore a hell, he would prefer to spend eternity in hell, rather than follow the God of the Judeo-Christian tradition. It was an unprecedented moment, in my life.
I remember having to step back, from the conversation, as I tried to process his words. At the time, it was almost unfathomable to me, that anyone would willingly choose hell over heaven; this was not a dim witted or undereducated person, who possessed another culturally influenced view of life and death. He had been reared in the same Western-Civilization as I had, and yet, on a matter which seemed so central to my identity, his choice was completely foreign, to me. But stepping back did not take long, it was, after all, his choice.
I come from both a religious and political tradition which believes in freedom of choice, one of the many things that I love about America, a country with much to love. Our governing documents, instead of being inscribed in stone, rendering them frozen in time and lacking flexibility, are written on parchment, making them malleable and amendable!
It feels as if the world is at war, and as an American, I feel bullied by terrorist who seem determined to interfere with the way we live our life and practice our faith or lack thereof. The insanity in the Middle East is unbearable, and I am grateful that a coalition of nations has finally formed, to come to the aid of the thousands of innocent people, who are being forced from their homes, tortured, and beheaded. However, even more incomprehensible, is how those living in our nation, with the freedom to practice their religion, without fear of reprisal and persecution, have decided that a colleagues rejection of said persons faith, should be met with terrorism.
In 1790 America’s first President, George Washington, responded to a congratulatory letter from the “Hebrew Congregation at Newport”, which worshiped in what today is referred to as the Touro Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in the United States. If was founded by descendants who had left Spain and Portugal escaping the Inquisitions. In this remarkable document, proclaiming tolerance, the President eloquently and succinctly states what matters in ensuring happiness, security, and prosperity is being a good citizen.
Letter to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Rhode Island
August 18, 1790
While I receive, with much satisfaction, your Address replete with expressions of affection and esteem; I rejoice in the opportunity of assuring you, that I shall always retain a grateful remembrance of the cordial welcome I experienced in my visit to Newport, from all classes of Citizens.
The reflection on the days of difficulty and danger which are past is rendered the more sweet, from a consciousness that they are succeeded by days of uncommon prosperity and security. If we have wisdom to make the best use of the advantages with which we are now favored, we cannot fail, under the just administration of a good Government, to become a great and a happy people.
The Citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for having given to mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy: a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people, that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.
It would be inconsistent with the frankness of my character not to avow that I am pleased with your favorable opinion of my Administration, and fervent wishes for my felicity. May the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid. May the father of all mercies scatter light and not darkness in our paths, and make us all in our several vocations useful here, and in his own due time and way everlastingly happy.
Go. Washington
I am not willing to submit my inheritance of tolerance to the terrorist will. I do not need you to agree with me on anything from politics to religion. But I will not sit silently and let you rob me of my history. That is all for now.
