Poll: Americans are religiously tolerant

[krazyKemist]

Basic goodness?

Whatever. Replace that with compassion, care, altruism, you know, values that make people good, and that some religious think they have a monopoly on. (I'm more than really sick of the 'atheists are amoral' phrase.)

 

[blauregen]

Wow, good news. I was afraid I was going to hell for being an Agnostic.

Possibly,but being a baptist for example would save you only one hell. You would still have to suffer an eternity in jahannam for not following the words of the prophet. Then there is the time you have to spend in sheol, your staying in the telestial kingdom (unless you qualify for the outer darkness), your return to the wheel (each reincarnation providing you with new appointments),....

And since several of these appointments are scheduled for infinite time, no matter what your religion is, you will need a scheduler capable of dealing with transfinite numbers to keep tabs on your appointments in the afterlife.

 

[Darth Rotor]

Well that seems like good news. I wonder if this is a continuing trend and if/when we'd get a different result on the old atheist presidency poll.

But since atheism isn't a religion . . .

 

[Ivor the Engineer]

Whatever. Replace that with compassion, care, altruism, you know, values that make people good, and that some religious think they have a monopoly on. (I'm more than really sick of the 'atheists are amoral' phrase.)

Fair enough. I've just been reading an article by Steven Pinker on our moral 'sense'. Here's the link if you're interested:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/13/magazine/13Psychology-t.html?ref=science

 

[bokonon]

The interesting part is that a majority of the religious folks, including Christians, agree that there are more ways to salvation than just their own religion.

From the article:

For example, 70 percent of Americans affiliated with a religion or denomination said they agreed that “many religions can lead to eternal life,” including majorities among Protestants and Catholics. Among evangelical Christians, 57 percent agreed with the statement, and among Catholics, 79 percent did.

Salvation and eternal life are two different things. I think the question, as phrased, is useless in assessing tolerance. Of course one can affirm that different religions, or no religion, can lead to eternal life, if one believes that eternal life is everyone's destiny. I can easily see an intolerant Muslim or Christian fundamentalist answering "Yes" while thinking to himself that the malbeliever is being led to an eternal life in the flames of hell.

 

[krazyKemist]

Fair enough. I've just been reading an article by Steven Pinker on our moral 'sense'. Here's the link if you're interested:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/13/magazine/13Psychology-t.html?ref=science

That's a cool article. I like Steven Pinker (I'm halfway through the language instinct). And he's from my place !

 

[GoodGuysEatPie]

Salvation and eternal life are two different things. I think the question, as phrased, is useless in assessing tolerance. Of course one can affirm that different religions, or no religion, can lead to eternal life, if one believes that eternal life is everyone's destiny. I can easily see an intolerant Muslim or Christian fundamentalist answering "Yes" while thinking to himself that the malbeliever is being led to an eternal life in the flames of hell.

So true, unfortunately...