The Volokh Conspiracy
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A Note on Toleration -- Religious and Political
A brief reflection in light of yesterday's assassination and the political moment.
At times like this it is worth considering and reflecting upon the history and principles of religious toleration. We often lost sight of just how demanding and challenging calls for religious toleration were in prior times.
Religious toleration was not about being nice to people with different customs or holidays, let alone approving or affirming them, but something far more profound. At heart, religious toleration was about sharing civic space with those who disagreed profoundly about the most fundamental questions of human nature and morality, who rejected divinity and truth, who spread heresy and threatened the eternal damnation of immortal souls. For a religious people, the stakes could not have been higher, and yet toleration was called for.
It may be hard to fully comprehend what principles of religious toleration demanded, but it matters. If a religious adherent could be asked to tolerate those of another faith--those who are, by definition, profoundly wrong--we should be able to tolerate those who disagree about mere matters of politics or policy. Indeed, even if--or especially if--politics has supplanted religion for many people, toleration is essential for a free, diverse, and democratic republic to survive.
