To all Jews, Christians, Muslims, Bahais, people of any faith...?

Question

What can we do as people, regardless of our religion, to heal the rift between people of different faiths? There is so much hate in the world today, alot of it seems to come from misunderstanding the religious beliefs of others. What are your ideas for helping to end the hatred between our human brothers and sisters? Please note: the answer "convert to my religion" is not acceptable.

I meant to include athiests as well, as even though it is an anti-faith, it is a belief system as well. Sorry, did not mean to discriminate. This problem needs to be solved by all of mankind.

Answer 1

Your right, that is NOT the answer, we are all free and have the right to our beliefs, and we must respect others rights to the same. I have always had friends of many different beliefs, customs, etc. And if people would just take the time to get to know one another they might just find that 'different can be truely interesting' and that we can learn from one another, that does not mean that we 'convert' that means that we gain understanding, and get this, what a boring world we would live in if we were all the same! The sad thing is, is that people have been fighting since the beginning of time, and will most likey fight to the bitter end. One thing that we can do is to raise our children to be 'color blind' to introduce them to different customs, people, even adventures in life, and that predjudice is un-exceptable, kindness is returned with kindness in most case's and that sometimes in life they will come across something 'ugly' and that is the person / persons that they need to say a prayer for. My daughter is 16 now, I moved her from Sedona, Az. when she was 4 years old, at that time it was referred to as 'Payton Place' and 'Lilly White' and I didn't want her growing up thinking that was all there was in our world, it's the best decision I ever made, she has a wonderful mix of friends, her best friend is from Bolivia and I just love her! My daughter has been invited to their home many times and enjoys learning their customs and sharing ours. I guess what I am trying to say is that we need / must teach our children better! I was raised Baptist, now we go to a christian church and my hubby was raised Catholic, we respect each other and have 'blended' our family. Great question, and I hope that you get responses that your looking for, I'll be watching! Have a wonderful day.

Answer 2

Hatred, in most cases springs up from bigotry which comes from ignorance. When people have dialog (like the kind that goes on here at this website) those who are willing to do so can hear others and begin to understand why they think the way they do. This is the only cure for misunderstandings. Ending hatred between people who already hate each other, is hard to do. But we can all stop the spread of more hatred by starting to listen to people we disagree with and looking for that common ground we all have which is our humanity. And here is more common ground. Every major world religion teaches love and peace. I don't know any atheists who are against those things either. This is something we should all realize


9-11 was not caused by all Muslims.
Not all Christians were responsible for the witch trials.
Not all atheists are Stalin
The people responsible for these evils were not inspired by their respective religions (or lack thereof) It was because of ignorance and fear.

The solution is so simple. Treat all people just as if they agreed with you on everything concerning religion and politics. What's the worst that could happen? Besides even people who share your faith can sometimes disagree with you on a lot of other matters and yet you still love them, right? Please allow me to conclude by saying this. Pray for hatred to die and love to spread.

Answer 3

I have to respectfully disagree with you. I dont think its a matter of religious misunderstanding.

its a us V you mentality. Do you think that so many Muslims would have a problem with Israel if they practiced Islam?

would so Christians look so down on Arabs if they were all Christians as well?


would their be a problem in India V Pakistan or Northern Ireland if they were the same religion?

if you want to end the hatred you hinted at it. The mentality of "convert to my religion" is the problem. If every religion saw another as an acceptable option or at least said they were indifferent their would be no conflict because one would not look down on the other.

Answer 4

Human beings are basically animals, and like every animal species they tend to defend their territory, chasing away, refusing and getting rid of every individual not belonging to their own group; it's a primordial instinct; the point is that, unfortunately, too many modern human beings are still bond to that primordial instinct, whereas those who aren't, since they reached a higher level of awareness, aren't so many yet.

It's not only a matter of religion: human beings discriminate each other taking race, skin color, language, traditions, sexual orientation too as excuses to defend their territory and claim their sovereignty. So...it's quite hard to find a way out...prejudice and discrimination stem from ignorance, a lower level of awereness is the consequence of ignorance. They only thing we could all try to do would be to teach our children to respect everybody, regardless of color, race, religion, culture, tastes etc etc and to ackowledge that all human beings are equal and should be equally respected...Then maybe one day the world will become a better place.

Answer 5

Read this and see if it makes sense. If it does, check out my sources.

Progressive Revelation

A great stumbling block to many, in the way of religious unity, is the difference between the Revelations given by the different Prophets. What is commanded by one is forbidden by another; how then can both be right, how can both be proclaiming the Will of God? Surely the truth is One, and cannot change. Yes, the Absolute Truth is One and cannot change, but the Absolute Truth is infinitely beyond the present range of human understanding, and our conceptions of it must constantly change. Our earlier, imperfect ideas will be by the Grace of God replaced, as time goes on, by more and more adequate conceptions. Bahá’u’lláh says, in a Tablet to some Bahá’ís of Persia:—
O people! Words are revealed according to capacity so that the beginners may make progress. The milk must be given according to measure so that the babe of the world may enter into the Realm of Grandeur and be established in the Court of Unity.
It is milk that strengthens the babe so that it can digest more solid food later on. To say that because one Prophet is right in giving a certain teaching at a certain time, therefore another Prophet must be wrong Who gives a different teaching at a different time, is like saying that because milk is the best food 123 for the newborn babe, therefore, milk and nothing but milk should be the food of the grown man also, and to give any other diet would be wrong! ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:—
Each divine revelation is divided into two parts. The first part is essential and belongs to the eternal world. It is the exposition of Divine truths and essential principles. It is the expression of the Love of God. This is one in all the religions, unchangeable and immutable. The second part is not eternal; it deals with practical life, transactions and business, and changes according to the evolution of man and the requirements of the time of each Prophet. For example. … During the Mosaic period the hand of a person was cut off in punishment of a small theft; there was a law of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but as these laws were not expedient in the time of Christ, they were abrogated. Likewise divorce had become so universal that there remained no fixed laws of marriage, therefore His Holiness Christ forbade divorce.

According to the exigencies of the time, His Holiness Moses revealed ten laws for capital punishment. It was impossible at that time to protect the community and to preserve social security without these severe measures, for the children of Israel lived in the wilderness of Tah, where there were no established courts of justice and no penitentiaries. But this code of conduct was not needed in the time of Christ. The history of the second part of religion is unimportant, because it relates to the customs of this life only; but the foundation of the religion of God is one, and His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh has renewed that foundation.
The religion of God is the One Religion, and all the Prophets have taught it, but it is a living and a growing thing, not lifeless and unchanging. In the teaching of Moses we see the Bud; in that of Christ the Flower; in that of Bahá’u’lláh the Fruit. The flower does not destroy the bud, nor does the fruit destroy the flower. It destroys not, but fulfills. The bud scales must fall in order that the flower may bloom, and the petals must fall that 124 the fruit may grow and ripen. Were the bud scales and the petals wrong or useless, then, that they had to be discarded? Nay, both in their time were right and necessary; without them there could have been no fruit. So it is with the various prophetic teachings; their externals change from age to age, but each revelation is the fulfillment of its predecessors; they are not separate or incongruous, but different stages in the life history of the One Religion, which has in turn been revealed as seed, as bud and as flower, and now enters on the stage of fruition.

Answer 6

First off, as a christian I don't hate people of other religions. If anything I get angry over idiots who spewt off nonsense and say that's it's christian. As for mending the rift, Christ did not come to bring peace, but war. Now it is the time to choose who your master is. I'm sorry if that isn't the answer you were looking for but in all honesty thats how it is.

Answer 7

I think that if everyone follows the teachings of their faith, they would not HATE, but TOLERATE!

NO religion in the world teaches you to be unjust to others.
Most religions teach you to treat others as you yourself would like to be treated - so if we all do this, then there would be NO problem.

But if someone insults my belief in an unkind or rude manner, then my natural instinct would be to retaliate. If someone asks a question respectfully and with consideration to my feelings, then I can also behave in the same way, with consideration and respect.

If you respect me and my religion, why should I not respect you and yours?

Answer 8

I really do not feel it is a misunderstanding about religion.Most us of faith have knowledge of other faiths and respect them.
The problem to me has started to ignite since politics has started to interfere in religion and using religion for illegal wars and cause misery to people,which will not breed love but hate.

Answer 9

moslem answer :
No force in religion. my religion is mine and yours is yours (Quran : Al Kafirun). No special ras infront of God. All human are the same in front of him, the difference is only the fear to God's anger. we are instructed to initiate good deeds and avoiding bad one. to make living balance and minimize the gab between the poor and rich, the smart and the fool, the powerfull and the weak, etc.

Answer 10

People of all religions get blinded by there own ideas and forget that if there is one God it is God of all, atheists, Hindus, Jews, etc..... Just live by your religion or way of life and don't force you ideas on others