Does religious toleration have room for intolerant religions?

With the influx of Muslims into Western cultures the notion of “religious toleration” takes on a new meaning in which government permits more religious diversity with the implication that such diversity might also include religions that are incompatible with others—even hostile.  In light of this, does religious toleration also have room for intolerant religions which seem to say, my religion, which is Islam, commands me to subjugate the followers of other religions or faiths? (Let’s not forget that, historically speaking, Islam had no toleration for religions other than its own.)

Presently, there is a heightened interest if not a heated controversy as to the problems of religious toleration and with it, religious diversity.  Should, for example, the government tolerate religiously inspired hostility against the national culture and its customs in which the latter is being taken over by an alien religious culture?  Today, one gets the distinct impression that some of the new Muslim immigrants are not at all receptive to getting along with the new culture they are, supposedly, to be a part of.  In light of this, it seems rather obvious that religious toleration has its limits; that it cannot permit intolerant religions to have their way which are antagonistic to the principles of democracy and personal liberty.

Governments which fail to maintain their principles and their culture; who have become, in fact, too tolerant of religions which are, at their very core, inimical to other religions, not to mention the very culture that supports them, have all but lost their authority and respect.  The political thinking which seems responsible for this disintegration is found in “political correctness,” “multiculturalism,” and “identity politics,” all of which have no actual philosophical basis except that they are systems of personal power.  We should note that it is not so much about rule over one’s self (the Buddha’s “self is protector of the self”) but rather it is raw self-will and all this entails.

Adding to the previous, in 2010 Chancellor Angela Merkel admitted that a German multicultural approach had “utterly failed.”  But I would add something former Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurscany said, “There is not much choice. There is not, because we have fucked it up (elkúrtuk). Not a little but a lot. No European country has done something as boneheaded as we have.”  Personally, I am beginning to see that boneheadness rules us, presently (just look at the EU).  For a long time we have let the boneheads run our world.  Yes, it is all fucked up (elkúrtuk) and we are just finding out how much.

Comments

[Susan]

Brainerd, you rule! LOL

[Chansik Park]

Well-written as always, sir.

To address the question, all the robust forms of intoleration will burst, must they not?

To what extent have you considered the physics of river foam?

[David Brainerd]

They did it on purpose. In their hatred of Christianity the atheists imported Muslims to wipe out Christians. They just conveniently forgot that Muslims will also kill their precious gays and trannys.