study of concrete communities of faith, try to understand their patterns of life, the
character of their communities, and the complexity of their worldview. Seek to
understand what each tradition regards as sacred and to become familiar with its stor-
ies and rituals.”^269 Learning those stories means learning about the historical tragedies
that helped shape how members of that group might perceive“outsiders.”As we
noted earlier in the chapter, the Spanish Inquisition and the Holocaust still influence
how Jews perceive non-Jews. And, of course, the thirteenth-century Crusades against
Muslims is still a major topic of discussion among many Arabs.
Second, part of the learning process involving diverse religious traditions should
make youaware of the significant differences that exist among all of these traditions. All
of the traditions have had dissimilar histories since their inceptions. Accepting these
differences, however strange they may appear, is a major key to developing religious
tolerance. Hence,“Rather than beginning with the sort of Godthink that lumps all
religions together in one trash can or treasure chest, we must start with a clear-eyed
understanding of the fundamental differences in both belief and practice between
Islam and Christianity, Confucianism and Hinduism.”^270
Third,religious tolerance can be improved if you attempt to avoid religious stereotypes.
Be aware of the word“all”when either listening to or speaking about another reli-
gion. Stereotypes are used to categorize an entire collection of people. What is being
implied is that all people in the group are exactly alike. These characteristics are usu-
ally oversimplified and misleading. They do not account for diversity within the
group. You meet a Christian who says that everyone should celebrate Christmas, and
you assume that all Christians are judgmental and dogmatic. The World Trade Cen-
ter is blown up by Muslim extremists, and you conclude that all Muslims are terrorists.
You see that Jewish people are active on Wall Street, and you assume that all Jews are
rich. You meet an atheist who tells you he does not understand how people can
believe in God, and you assume that all atheists are intolerant. You see many statues
and artistic artifacts in the home of a Hindu, and you conclude that all Hindus
engage in idol worship. We could, of course, offer hundreds of other examples, but
we are sure you understand the point we are making. To repeat, stereotyping is dan-
gerous because your actions, if based on these false notions, can impede religious
tolerance.
Fourth,technology has the potential to contribute to religious intolerance. The power of
technology for both good and evil is well established. It is common knowledge that
there are very few gatekeepers filtering out truth from deception. It is also difficult to
measure the credentials and credibility of those who produce messages via the Inter-
net. Blair develops this point:
Technology, so much the harbinger of opportunity, can also be used by those who want to
disseminate lessons of hate and division. Today’s world is connected as never before. This
has seen enormous advances. It means there is a kind of global conversation being con-
ducted. This is exciting and often liberating. But it comes with the inevitable ability for
those who want to get across a message that is extreme to do so.^271
We suggest that you must be on guard to reject those who espouse messages filled
with vitriol that are based on untrue information about religions other than their
own. In short, to practice religious tolerance means a willingness to refute and even
correct the misinformation that seeks to promote religious intolerance.
Finally, although it might seem simplistic, we advocate that practicing the Golden
Rule is one of the best ways to manifest religious tolerance. The same“Golden Rule”158 CHAPTER 4•Worldview: Cultural Explanations of Life and Death
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