If a person isn't a real bigot, can they be religious?

Question

Most religions require members to believe that their "truth" is the only truth and all conflicting beliefs must be shuned. Is intolerance of others' beliefs a prerequisite for being truly religious? Are you either intellectually liberal or religious but never both?

This is a serious issue for me and i try not to be too serious in my line of work: living with registered sex offenders and psychopaths.
I have read the Bible, am son of Army chaplain,went to church. Dad was Methodist.
I've attended a variety of churches including UU.
Thank you all for helping me sort out ideas.
Diane, you have it wrong.

Answer 1

According to Joseph Campbell (loosely speaking), the three defining characteristics of a religion are:
1) A personal spiritual belief
2) A social purpose
3) Maintenance of orthodoxy

The third one is the catch. Without it, religion becomes a sort of "woodstock" of belief, with everyone sort of rolling around in the spiritual mud getting high on whatever strikes them at the moment.

You may call it intolerance if you wish, but that's a bit like saying police are intolerant because they enforce laws.

Sure, a lot of religious people need to take a chill pill, and they are selfish, mean-spirited, un-Christian SOB's. But it's also a little narrow-minded to tar everyone with the same feather.

If you are interested in the liberal intellectual religious tradition, check out some of the less conservative Christian denominations, like Methodist (strong on social purpose), Episcopal (fairly high on the ritual scale but largely open-minded), Unitarian (more woodstock-ish), Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, and a number of others.

Answer 2

You have two questions. First, can bigots be religious? Think about the bigots you know and then see what religion they practice. Then you decided.

The second is the more detail which is a way of trying to understand belief with rational thinking. Here is a fact that you might consider, God reveals and man observes. Two belief systems. Religious and intellectual (liberal or conservative). Are you really tell me you don't use both?

Answer 3

You have an what shall I say an interesting way of phrasing the question so as to make it appear that only intellectuals can be liberal but never religious. But consider this your "truth " may be shunning the real truth. Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life no man comes to the father except by me. Consider also God's word on your argument... You are in error because you neither know the word of God nor the power of God. also look at the verse Knowledge is the beginining of Wisdom. Christianity is not never has been faith based on faith alone. It is faith based on knowledge of God. God says I knew you before you were formed in your mother's womb. Faith Is Based on God knocking on the door of our heart and introducing himself to us. Christian Faith is Our opening the door and letting God in. We know Jesus because He comes to us cleanses us and lets us fellowship with him. It is not void of knowledge but based on the fact that we actually know God and his power.

Answer 4

The question makes an assumption that is false.

It is not bigoted to come to conclusion that there is Truth (and that we can find the Truth).
--
Please be aware that there is scientific and intellectual evidence for the existence of God (e.g., see http://www.godsci.org/gs/godsci/evidence.htm)

I used to be an atheist. Over a period of time however, I grew convinced of the existence of the Christian God, and ultimately committed my life to Christ (e.g., see http://www.godsci.org/gs/chri/testimony/seek.html ).

Cordially,
John

Answer 5

I think you are probably correct, since you have to question what you are told to be liberal, and the fundamentalists definitely don't want questions.