Is tolerance antithetical to fervent religious belief?

Question

Is it necessary for a true-believer to convert or kill all heretics or infidels?
If so, isn't fervent religion a seriously dangerous psychiatric disorder?

Oddball's response is interesting and he may get the ten points. He is the kind of guy that represents the terrifying Christian. In his bio he says of himself: "One of my biggest faults is my lack of patience and selfcontrol."
Please don't kill the tolerant among us Oddball.

Answer 1

Depends on what religion it is.
If you're Buddhist, then you're just chillin.

Answer 2

Well, a fervent believer in Islam. . . yes and no. The Koran actuaully says yes, kill/convert them, but also, If you won't win, no you don' have to fight, just wait your time. Now some people say that shouldn't be taken literally, but I'm not gonna judge on that.

Christianity is something totally different. The Bible commands toleration, in one sense of the word, as in we don't go around killing people. But amoung ourselves, we are not to tolerate sin. We tolerate in the sense that we aren;t violent, but we are also totally against homsexuallity, and abortion, and extramarital sex, and people praying to a statue, and people escaping justice for murdering their child just by pleading that they were temporarily insane, and people claiming that religion was something made up a long time ago just to control the masses, and a lot of other things that are just accepted as truth, or justice in modern America.

Answer 3

Actually I was in a taxi today and thought about the same thing. The driver had two rosaries hangin from the mirror, and the picture of a saint on his keychain, mirror, and bracelet. Ok everything went fine, not a word untill someone swirved infront of us. I said they are crazy, he said not yet, They are only anoying but not crazy.

I suppose you have to distinguish between a feverent believer and a fundamentalist. Religion might be just as important for both of them but they follow different interpretations.

Answer 4

No and Yes.

Zen Buddhists are fervent believers, but part of their belief structure includes tolerance of non-believers, Novel concept eh? In general zealots from any religion can be dangerous. They put their beliefs above the law, never a good idea.

Answer 5

It is not necessary to convert or kill the infidels. However heretics deserve to be in jail. I believe that it's God's will that everyone some people are so dedicated to religion and he put it in us so that when He reveals us to him that we don't believe we are hallucinating. Some people take religion to far and its like a drug for some people.

Answer 6

"Is it necessary for a true-believer to convert or kill all heretics or infidels?"

Did you build a time machine and go back and interview a Jesuit from the 1500's?

Answer 7

Yes.
If you believe that your faith is the only true faith, and that all others are wrong and bound for hell, then you cannot practice tolerance. By definition, it'd be against your faith.
People should think about that kind of thing when choosing candidates for public office.

Answer 8

I'm all in favour for everyone to have their own thoughts and feelings, it's our basic human rights - as long as it is no threat to others.
any religion or group that promotes "beheading of infidels" etc. is, in my opinion, a danger to the public.
Also, i shouldn't have to feel scared about voicing my opinions on them - positive or negative - in fear of getting physically harmed!

Answer 9

Tolerance doesn't have to be religious but rather humanistic. A person can still display tolerance without being religious.

Answer 10

if it wasn't illegal, modern christians would still be burning suspected non conformists and heretics regularly during praise and worship services