Christian and Muslim Religious Tolerance
FWIS 104
Christian and Muslim Religious Tolerance
It is ironic that while they are based on similar scriptures, and therefore similar ideologies, Christianity and Islam have had divergent attitudes towards the acceptance of religious minorities. By its nature, the Christian faith antagonizes other religions, including Judaism and Islam, because, according to Christian scripture, a lack of belief in the divinity of Jesus Christ results in damnation. The Muslim faith, however, has a much more tolerant view on “People of the Book,” including Christians and Jews, since such tolerance is stipulated by Islamic scripture. Subsequent treatment (as opposed to acceptance) of religious minorities, however, was similar between followers of the two religions, ranging from relative social indifference, for example religious freedom in exchange for a tax, to extreme violence, despite differences in attitudes towards acceptance. It appears that, for the Christians and Muslims, the relationship between religious acceptance and religious treatment/violence is extremely weak, as the latter can usually be linked to political or economic motives. Whether or not they advocated violence against religious minorities, Christians were most often unwilling to accept other religions. Even Saint Augustine, who advocated a peaceful attitude towards the Jews, called them “blind” and called upon Jewish (and therefore Christian) scripture to support his negative attitude towards them (page 2, The City of God). It is then not surprising that Christians who are belligerent towards religious minorities would also share these antagonistic views. Bishop Severus of Minorca from the fifth century, who was responsible for the supposed conversion of five hundred Jews under the threat of death, compares the Jews “with wolves and foxes for fierceness and villainy (page 14, Letter of Severus).” With these two examples, we have seen both advocates of coexistence and advocates of violence express
Christian and Muslim Religious Tolerance
It is ironic that while they are based on similar scriptures, and therefore similar ideologies, Christianity and Islam have had divergent attitudes towards the acceptance of religious minorities. By its nature, the Christian faith antagonizes other religions, including Judaism and Islam, because, according to Christian scripture, a lack of belief in the divinity of Jesus Christ results in damnation. The Muslim faith, however, has a much more tolerant view on “People of the Book,” including Christians and Jews, since such tolerance is stipulated by Islamic scripture. Subsequent treatment (as opposed to acceptance) of religious minorities, however, was similar between followers of the two religions, ranging from relative social indifference, for example religious freedom in exchange for a tax, to extreme violence, despite differences in attitudes towards acceptance. It appears that, for the Christians and Muslims, the relationship between religious acceptance and religious treatment/violence is extremely weak, as the latter can usually be linked to political or economic motives. Whether or not they advocated violence against religious minorities, Christians were most often unwilling to accept other religions. Even Saint Augustine, who advocated a peaceful attitude towards the Jews, called them “blind” and called upon Jewish (and therefore Christian) scripture to support his negative attitude towards them (page 2, The City of God). It is then not surprising that Christians who are belligerent towards religious minorities would also share these antagonistic views. Bishop Severus of Minorca from the fifth century, who was responsible for the supposed conversion of five hundred Jews under the threat of death, compares the Jews “with wolves and foxes for fierceness and villainy (page 14, Letter of Severus).” With these two examples, we have seen both advocates of coexistence and advocates of violence express