A few responses here. None of what has been said above makes much sense if there is no such thing as truth. But if absolute truth does exist, then yes, battles over truth claims will always occur. Hopefully they will remain intellectual battles, but truth matters, truth is important, and people will always defend what they see to be the truth.

And tie this into what you said: “Intolerance leads to hatred. Hatred leads to fighting. Fighting leads to wars and bloodshed.”

Your assumption here is that religious truth claims lead to all this, while atheistic truth claims somehow do not. The fact is, atheists are as convinced that they are right and have the sole truth as any religious person can be.

And if you don’t think atheists can be fundamentalistic, crusading, intolerant and viscous to their opponents, you simply have not read The God Delusion, for starters. Atheists can be just as bigoted and intolerant as anyone else. And they can be just as hateful and just as willing to go to war.

Indeed, this is even truer of atheists than of religious people, simply in terms of numbers. More people were killed in war last century than in all the previous centuries put together. The hundreds of millions of people killed last century were primarily the victims of atheist ideology, whether that of the Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mao or Pol Pot.

So spare us this baloney that atheists are somehow above intolerance, hatred and blood shedding. They are up to their ears in blood, and the works of the new atheist crusaders simply confirm that secular religions can be every bit as intolerant, hate-filled and proud of their perceived ideological superiority as any religious person has ever been.

Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

Is is an interesting question and for me the simple answer is every group thinks they are correct. In itself this is ok but only becomes a problem when groups try to impose or force their views onto others.

Ben Green

I would just like to give a viewpoint of an atheist.

I partially understand the reasons for articles points, but obviously cannot put myself in your shoes completely as I am an athiest. But, it is a very real concern amongst non-religious people such as myself, that tolerance is not achievable between the various religions.

There is certainly an aspect that Christianity is superior in this article (of course, I can understand why). This leads to the conclusion that all other religions are inferior and wrong.

Intolerance leads to hatred. Hatred leads to fighting. Fighting leads to wars and bloodshed.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of examples where this propaganda is misunderstood to the point of hatred and violent behaviour between various fringe groups of religions (christianity and islam). It is the same teachers, the same materials but a different interpretation. And usually, it is the intolerance part of the teachings that these people focus on.

It is us athiests that are always caught in the middle. This is why i firmly believe that a religious believer should never, ever be in charge of the nuclear codes because they are not fully impartial.

Perhaps… If religions cannot grow up and teach tolerance to each other, then it is up to the rest of us to step in and enforce rules to ensure tolerance to bring our best chances of peace.

Ian Webb

And thanks too for reminding us of God’s instructions to Israel in the OT. Yes, the command not to intermingle with the Canaanite peoples and their religions was clearly made on numerous occaisions, but unfortunately Israel disobeyed God, and ended up being just as bad as the Canaanites. They too then had to face the judgment of Yahweh. A good lesson for us today.

Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

Rohan Needs

How can there be more than one truth? When you do an exam you know there is only one right answer for each question…..if you conduct a scientific experiment you will get one definitive conclusion. Christians are dreaming or deluded in thinking we can all just get along…. was Jesus wasting his breathe when He said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” -John 14:6

Or do we see the fulfillment of 1 Timothy 4:1: “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits, and doctrines of demons.”

Better to be labelled exclusive, because the Good News of Jesus Christ is exclusive – there’s no better way!

Grant Weedall

Yes I was thinking just recently that it was because of the exclusivist preaching of truth (as opposed to all falsehoods, lies and idolatries) that Jesus and most of the twelve disciples met with very unpleasant deaths. One commentator on another post asked me if I was “obsessed” with exclusivism. I said, just as much as Jesus was. Such exclusive truth claims give lie to so much of the whole interfaith movement, which thinks we can all just get along if we ease up on our theological exclusivism. But a follower of Jesus Christ just cannot do that.

Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

Jesus didn’t get nails & arise 3 days later, for his “followers” in this day & age to seek affinity with the followers of a mere man documented to be a bandit, murderer, & child bride consumator for starters, who arguably exhibited psychotic symptoms in his discourses with “allah”.

It’s way past time for nandy-panderism…..

And Elijah came to all the people and said. “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. 1 Kings 18:21

Solomon consorted with the opposition & his kingdom was tore from him. 1 Kings 11:4-11……perhaps this is a cautionary tale for the Church today, increasingly marginalised, & seemingly irrelevant, looking to “interfaith” for another ear-tickler.

It’s not too late to get back to where we belong.

Grant Weedall