Religious faith, tolerance or intolerance? - this question seems to be with us forever. Can one assume a fundamental belief in a deity that proclaims to be the one God for all and still have tolerance for non-believers?
Obviously, when you look at the world’s condition and the misery and horror caused by political institutions that use religion as their weapon, particularly with what is happening currently in the Middle East, you wonder if this question will ever be resolved.
One ray of hope is what is happening within certain Christian communities. As the laity becomes more secularized, they exert more influence on how their religion is practiced.
A perfect example is what happened recently in Ireland*. Probably the most Catholic country in the world, they recently voted to legalize nationally, same-sex marriages.
This is a total contradiction to what they are told to believe from their religious leaders. If we are to believe the laity is the body of their God, and they are part of that body representing a world community, it is time for the leadership to take serious notice.
Perhaps this is how God speaks in the world, not through hierarchical leadership, but through the voice of the faithful. If this is the case, there is much hope for the future. It seems that in all systems, political or religious, the people have to drag their leadership kicking and screaming into the present time.
Sister Veronica
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage_in_the_Republic_of_Ireland
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