Does calling oneself a Christian automatically mean having little tolerance for those of other beliefs? The history of the Christian churches in Europe and the United States suggests that it might. Beginning in Europe over a thousand years ago until the present in the United States, those who go by the term "Christian" have systematically rejected anyone espousing beliefs that do not tally with their own. They have also tried to impose their beliefs on others. The recent rejection of Mitt Romney by evangelicals illustrates the power, and position, of modern Christians.
The Catholic Church: The Beginning of Intolerance?
Since the Catholic Church is the oldest Christian church, it will be examined first. Although at the beginning of this church converts to the new Christian religion were persecuted themselves, it did not take long before its leaders began to do the same. Dark Age and Renaissance monks may have preserved literacy by writing and copying books in monasteries, but it was also during these years that manuscripts from Greece that were still intact were destroyed or mutilated. Why? Because they did not follow the new belief system. Much classical knowledge was lost in this manner. It was not until the Age of Enlightenment that Greek ideas were once again widely disseminated.
During the Renaissance, the Catholic Church was responsible for the death of more than two million women, burned as witches, for following old pagan beliefs. Countless others lost their lives during this period. The Spanish Inquisition led many Spanish Jews to go underground with their faith, escaping torture and even death by pretending to convert to Catholicism while continuing to practice Jewish rituals in secret. In France, members of a minority Catholic sect called the Cathares were massacred for not adhering to strict dogma. The Catholic Church's love of dogma continues today with the writings of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI. He released a paper in the year 2000 describing Jesus Christ as "the sole mediator between God and Man for the whole of humanity." Leaders of other Christian denominations and Jews have protested this divergence from Vatican II, which used language to encourage ecumenicism. At the time of Benedict's confirmation as Pope, the Boston Globe wondered if his election would mean a step backward for the Catholic Church.
Intolerance: Not Just for Catholics
The Catholic Church may be the oldest Christian denomination, but it is not alone when it comes to intolerance. Even newer Christians, such as born-agains (who are considered Protestant) are susceptible to narrow-mindedness.
Intolerant Puritans
When the the colonies that became the United States were founded, colonists were not themselves tolerant. Particularly the Puritans. The state of Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams, who was turned out of Massachusetts for not sharing the beliefs of his fellow citizens. In fact, Massachusetts itself was a religious state at the time. The founding of Pennsylvania by the Quakers continued the trend of religious nonconformists striking out on their own. As the time of the Revolution approached, social changes brought about a division between "Old Lights" and "New Lights" in the Protestant churches. The Old Lights were more conservative, where the New Lights preferred a more emotional and evangelical style of worship. The rift between these groups continues today, except that now the "new" Christians are the conservatives, with some of the older denominations becoming more liberal on issues such as homosexuality.
Intolerant Evangelicals
The rapid growth of evangelical Christianity in the United States -- according to one report, from 25-45% of Americans now claim to be born-again or evangelical -- has led to well-documented political and cultural events.The rejection of Mitt Romney by the religious right remains a glaring statement about the views, and power of, evangelicals. By turning back Mitt Romney, Christians made their mark on the American political landscape. Are born-again Christians by nature intolerant?
According to a 2007 Las Vegas Review-Journal article, nearly a year ago a Hindu was invited to open a session of a congressional subcommittee with a prayer. As he spoke the words, born-again Christians in the audience started shouting their own prayers, attempting to drown him out. When asked about this, two or three Christians answered, "this is a Christian nation. Congress should not be supporting Hinduism." Another said, "I have to be sure that I'm praying to the right god." This type of attitude is not uncommon among Christians.
Is this a Christian Nation?
Years of immigration have ensured that this is not, as the born-agains think, a Christian nation. While the founders of this country were Christian, they devised this government to make sure that no one group could take over. What happens when born-agains do take over? The experience of Escondido, California and San Diego in the nineties is an example.
Christian Principles?
Escondido is a city some 40 miles north of San Diego. According to The Wall Street Journal, when born-agains took control of the Escondido (CA) school system in 1992/1993, they passed out Bibles to all the students in the local high school. When they took power in other San Diego-area schools, they began immediately seeking out homosexual teachers, in order to fire them (also The Wall Street Journal). Citizens in the affected school districts began attending school board meetings in droves, saying that when they elected these leaders, they had not been told what they were going to do. According to the Journal,born-agains ran as "fiscal conservatives," without announcing their real intentions until after they were elected. Does being religious mean that you don't have to tell the truth when running for office?
Many individual Christians may be fine people. They might want to only lead their lives in peace. But power is concentrated in the hands of certain leaders who take advantage of their subjects' desire to be good in order to attack others, or to force their views on people who do not agree with them, it does not bode well for the country.
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