RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE

As a liberal I suppose I should lament the arrest of a religious leader in Hong Kong. But as the descendant of a nation which the Catholic Church tried to extinguish and wipe out entirely, I really can't. I am not a religious man, but the hatred of huge swathes of Christianity including several sects in which I have some distant relatives, runs strong. Roman Catholics, Baptists, Southern Baptists, Adventists, Mormons ...... we should burn their churches, expunge their loathsome institutions, and drive the survivors into the sea.

But I tolerate them, and have not engaged in thoroughly justifiable acts of violence against them or the superstitious heretics and idolators which make up their congregations.
Even though that would have been the righteous thing to do.

Religious tolerance does NOT mean acceptance.

The less said about tv preachers, the better.


Like most Americans today I cherry-pick the items in my ideological handbag that I can get behind, and reject others. The fact that I think that Christianity is a ridiculous set of magic rituals and fairy tales does NOT mean that I've rejected my ancestors fierce hatred of other branches of it. And in some cases, that's pretty damned near the only cherished heritage left.
If you are a member of one of those weird Anglo-American religious groupings, I thoroughly despise you and damned well everything you stand for.

Please take comfort in the fact that I tolerate you.
Even though you make my skin crawl.
Baptists. Mormons. Jovies.
Ugh!


Revolting faiths.


Oh and good morning, by the way. Today's first walk with a pipe, tobacco, and matches, will take me past several churches to which I do not belong and wouldn't be caught dead in.



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