Does religion itself breed intolerance ....or is it a by product of society in general?

Answer 1

What is meant precisely by "religion" and "society?" Define the terms clearly and perhaps you'll get a more meaningful response. In the broadest context, religion and society are inextricably linked; since the beginning of human civilization, we have appealed to the supernatural to explain the natural. If you have heard of Sapolsky's research on baboon social structure, and if you assume that these primates don't have a concept of religion, then intolerance is a product of social hierarchy and merely the manifestation of evolutionary pressures at work. But since we humans have always lived with religion in one form or another, it is not so straightforward to claim that man's inhumanity to man is the result of 'survival of the fittest,' for how can we be sure that our development of religion (and its consequences) is not itself the result of social pressures? It's not hard to see that intolerance exists independently of organized religion, but it is equally clear that this does not imply that religion is not a common source of intolerance. Indeed, we see that in the absence of competition for resources, conflicting ideologies are by far the primary motivation for tension and violence in our world. Organized religion, for all its self-proclaimed tolerance, is only a mechanism (and therefore product of) societal control.

Answer 2

I think it's society...maybe it's even human nature; I hope not. At one time I thought it was only religion but have since stepped back to realize that even non-religious people can be very intolerant. However, some religions, being the product of societies, don't tend to help promote tolerance. Even if the books may include some passages about love and turning the other cheek, people wanting to continue their intolerant views will only see those passages which talk about non-believers being foolish, lost, or whatever that particular text may say. Of coarse, there are religions which do purely promote tolerance, they just don't happen to be mainstream in my part of the world.

Answer 3

Any religion founded on the notion of incurring everlasting torture for failing to please its deity must surely encourage intolerance, since it's only to be expected that believers will enthusiastically condemn and persecute 'sinners' and non-believers of all kinds in the fervent hope of earning their deity's approval and thus escaping the torment themselves.

You see exactly this going on wherever religion has a strong grip on society, and the more extreme the religion the worse it is. Bible-bashing Christian fundamentalists and fanatical Muslims are a perfect example.

It's a sad state of affairs, and the sooner we can educate people out of belief in religious mythology the better off we'll all be.

Answer 4

Society. All religions have messages of tolerance for others, yet you will find many people like Christians with almost no tolerance at all. They killed the Jews in the past and now they're killing the Muslims.
Although the Bible is delivering a totally different message from the Christians are doing now. Only VERY FEW Christians really care about the original teachings of Jesus.

Answer 5

I think your premise of this question is correct.. Religion is BAD. More people in the history of this world have been killed in the name of religion that for any other reason. That said, the sweetest thing a person can have in their life is a relationship with God thru Jesus Christ. It will restore lives adding love for all. As I comment on questions I see here I try to keep Jesus in mind. I look to correct error but I try to do it in the Love of Christ. Serious error needs serious rebuke, but only the error not the questioner. They are loved by Christ and I try to follow Him. I wish I was better at it so if I seem intolerant please forgive me I am not trying to attack anyone just error..

Answer 6

I think intolerance comes with joining a group. It's indirectly proportional to the number of members, and directly proportional to the size of the ego.

If you identify with the world (Bono), you tend to be more tolerant. If it's you and the misses, against the world, you tend to be less tolerant. Small groups, like local fundamentalist congregations can be very intolerant, of people that are very similar.

Answer 7

It's both and the way they are taught... Society teaches being wrong as bad/ insulting so ignorance may be built and religion becomes a belief something people are willing to die for, kill for, and on occasion live for. and most of the time religion start a society. or the society starts a religion.

Answer 8

I think fundamentalists of any religion breed intolerance (both among themselves and the societies that must deal with them).

Answer 9

people have always been intolerant of one another and all the religions in their Books teach love and tolerance.
unfortunately, most people who say they are religious have never actually read their Books themselves. once a week for an hour or so having a few verses read to you is not going to tell you the overall of the Book.

Answer 10

No religion breeds intolerance. But it is a Greed in humans who breeds it.