What's the cure for religious or non religious intolerance?

Question

A drink?

Answer 1

Take religion out of my politics and laws and i will stop argueing against it.

Answer 2

Hi Sailcat,

There's no easy answer for the cure for intolerance (be it religious or non religious based). You probably have to tackle it from a few angles. Laws on the books making hate speech illegal is one approach. Reaching children in the schools when they are young and teaching them about other cultures and religions would also help. Exposing them to the faces and people behind other religions. It's a lot harder to stereotype a race or religion that way.

Even on R&S, it's easy for us to forget that there are real people behind these questions and answers that we are offending by our careless comments and overgeneralizations. Like many others, I too have been guilty of this. Under the cover of anonymity, people forget their manners. This isn't helped when we can all hide behind faceless avatars.

For starters, we all need to stop calling each other stupid and fools for believing in different concepts. If we can't argue our points on their own merits, than maybe we don't have a very good argument to begin with.

I'm beginning to think humans are wired differently - not so much men and women being the distinction, but believer and non-believer. We truly look at the world from completely different perspectives. As a rationalist, I could not conceive of any possible scenario that would turn me into a believer. I like to question the status quo too much. I am here to learn more about this other species that dominates our landscape, and why they think the way they do. I'm assuming they are just as curious about us. We may never truly understand one another. We are two different species in the way we view life.

My plea to Atheists:

"A danger sign of the lapse from true skepticism in to dogmatism is an inability to respect those who disagree."
— Dr. Leonard George
(some of us are becoming the very thing we complain about: rigid dogmatists, incapable of considering alternative viewpoints We have become arrogant praying to the gods of reason).

My plea to Believers:

"Where all think alike, none thinks very much."
— Walter Lippman
(i.e. dissent is healthy).

For more on the topic of Intolerance, you might like these links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intolerance
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allport%27s_scale

Answer 3

My Atheist boyfriend says this is not any longer organic. From a medical point of view, this is not any longer. The intercourse area, besides. Marriage is largely a legal bond and is a humorous tale those days. enable them to marry, they are basically going to get divorced like such countless in the hetero international. No difference, particularly.

Answer 4

Midol...

But seriously most conflicting groups only stop fighting when they ban together to fight a greater enemy. Or at least that's how it works in the pictures >< .

Answer 5

Education and the eventual disappearance of religion.

Answer 6

The end will come when people abandon mysticism, self destruction, and denial and face reality.

Answer 7

Education and Knowledge.

Answer 8

Yeah I need a drink!

Answer 9

People like me.

Answer 10

Total annihilation of the opposing group.