Tolerance In Intolerance

Through the millenniums, human race has transformed from hunters and gatherers to philosophers and engineers. In a world that is constantly expanding new horizons and exploring different ideas, one concept that seems lost to humans is tolerance. The concept of differing beliefs baffled many of the early civilizations. It is known throughout history that religion has always been a key factor. Humanity 's inability to set aside differences and coexist has been, and still is, the cause of all problems. Intolerance is most vibrantly noticeable in American history. America’s inability to be tolerant, is not only ironic, but also feeds into other the intolerances of this country. Racism, homophobia, and gender inequality all stem from the same core

Up until the 1960s, America’s “official” religion was always viewed as Protestant Christian; however, with the uprising of the Civil Rights Movement, Women’s Liberation, the Vietnam war, etc, the traditional religious views of the country were being challenged. The young adults at this time were exposed to different religions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism, which excited the young populace. Unfortunately, the more conservative bunch was not pleased. This distaste towards nontraditional religions heightened the contempt between groups. Rather than coexisting with other beliefs, traditionalists turned towards hate and hostility. Hate crimes and acts of violence were not uncommon during this time. The Jewish community was subjected to anti-semitic attacks along with discriminatory legislation and practices from the late 19th century into the 1960s. The end of the cold war in the 1990’s, left a void in American political life which was easily entertained with the occasional antagonism towards Muslim nations. There were outbursts of anti-Muslim feelings from 1970’s to today still. Those are two of the most common victims of religious hate crime over the past fifty

For many, religion is not a matter of choice but one assigned by birth. Being Jewish, for example, involves both ethnic and religious identity. America was meant to be a place in which people could proudly express who they are. This goal is unachievable when other begin to involve themselves. The issue that must be stressed with religious expression is knowing when it turns into religious harassment. It is possible to appreciate different cultures without comparing them to each other. Acknowledge that many religions teach similar things, but stress the fact that this does not mean that they teach the same things. God and Allah may be similar, but they are not