Tolerance Needed!

The news in the last few days has seen religious violence in both Pakistan and Nigeria.

In Pakistan, six Christians were burned to death and two shot dead, as the local Muslim community attacked the Christians for a reported desecration of a copy of the Quran. The reports later turned out to be totally false. And let's not forget, this is a book translated many times over generations and so bearing only a partial resemblance to the original (and, yes, that applies to the Bible too!). It is printed like any other book and on paper like any other paper. It is a book and no more.

In Nigeria, an Islamist sect, opposed to all Western elements of education and wishing to impose Sharia law, beyond the Muslim provinces which already have it, on all of Nigeria, even where Christians form the vast majority, decided to use violent means to attempt to implement their warped idea of Islam. Hundreds died as a result. This fundamentalist intolerance of any modernity is wrong, and contrary to the enlightened early history of Islam. Islam should mean peace! Using it's name to promote violence is wrong.

Unfortunately, both examples involve Islamic violence against Christians. However, the last few decades have seen countless examples of Christians, Jews, Hindus and Muslims attacking those of other faiths. This should be totally unacceptable to moderate followers and preachers of each faith, and should be condemned widely. Sadly, such voices are too often muted in their response.
As such, they bear responsibility for the deaths that result.

Followers of these faiths must have the confidence in themselves and their beliefs that they can accept the right of others to criticise or disagree, without feeling the need to attack them. Is your faith going to crumble, simply because someone holds a different point of view?

All must be free to choose their faith. Or do these religions not have faith that they can hold onto their believers without the threats and intimidation?