The Congregation: Clarifying "Religious" Tolerance

tolerance
[tol-er-uh ns]

1. a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, beliefs, practices, racial or ethnic origins, etc., differ from one's own; freedom from bigotry.
2. a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward opinions, beliefs, and practices that differ from one's own. 
3. interest in and concern for ideas, opinions, practices, etc., foreign to one's own; a liberal, undogmatic viewpoint. 
4. the act or capacity of enduring; endurance: My tolerance of noise is limited.

I blame my own lack of forethought when choosing an appropriate name for the Congregation for Religious Tolerance.  I think this lack of forethought was largely due to my lack of patience for the overabundance of religious hypocrisy I was being bombarded with at the time.  If I had taken a moment to consider all options, and maybe even bounce the ideas off a few free thinkers, I may have seen my error.  My patience is a quality for which I am constantly called to task over.

My philosophical intent was to include all things peacefully spiritual for which we sense intolerance toward others.  As you can see by the accepted definitions, "religious" excludes "spiritual," whereas "spiritual" would seem to include "religious."

re·li·gious

adjective

1. relating to or believing in a religion.

spir·it·u·al

adjective

1. of, relating to, or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.

synonyms: nonmaterial, incorporeal, intangible

I find nothing wrong with people being religiously spiritual, any more than I can see them being spiritually religious. I think the two terms, for those folk serious about their beliefs, can and should be philosophically inclusive. I simply don't see how you can have one without the other and be taken seriously, and being taken seriously is what the Congregation is all about.  It was formed to promote tolerance for any peaceful spiritual or religious belief which promotes the raising of the human spirit and soul to a higher state of awareness for the betterment of mankind and the world on which we live, or will live, and creates a more tolerant, understanding attitude for the multitude of diversely peaceful cultures we come in contact with.  

However, I am enough of a realist to understand I might be wrong.  I also understand there will always be those in the wings for which this idea of inclusiveness for these terms will be unacceptable, especially among those members of the LPO; the League of the Perpetually Offended.  They will find it unacceptable for the simple reason that it has been given voice, by someone other than themselves, or the mere fact that it promotes peaceful understanding.  With what is currently happening in our world, I cannot stress the term peaceful enough when discussing religious and spiritual philosophy.  We witness today what a massive threat to innocence lack of such peaceful thought and intent can be.  

I have gone to a fellow minister for which I have some respect, a member of the pagan ministry, and asked for her interpretation of the terms.  She believes, as I had also originally assumed, "it is 'understood' by those in ministries."  So, for now, I will leave the title for the Congregation as is, and ensure those of a spiritual nature are clearly included in the description, mission statement, and philosophy.  

Being a realist, however, I await the perpetually offended.

Note:  I have included, here, a list of posts I have written since the beginning of the congregation blog, "The Path," which deal with my views on the Congregation for Religious Tolerance, and the terms spiritual, religious, and tolerance.  Having written 486 posts, this list surely isn't all inclusive seeing as how these particular subjects are the blog's reason for existence.  I have included these few as a source of reference for my mindset in creating the Congregation, should you have an interest in learning more about it.  Thank you for your readership, and I hope you will continue to visit and grow with me as we travel our personal paths.  Your constructive comments, messages, and email are, as always, welcomed.

• Religious Tolerance: My View
• Congregation for Religious Tolerance
• The Congregation for Religious Tolerance
• Tolerance: Spiritual or Religious?
• Why a Congregation for Religious Tolerance?
• A Worldwide Congregation
• My Thoughts on Religious Tolerance
• The Congregation for Religious Tolerance - One Year Anniversary
• The Congregation for Religious Tolerance (Updated 10/17/2014)
• Tolerance or Respect?

Editor's Note 

(re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card) 

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Frank Anthony Villari (aka, Pastor Tony)

Pastor Tony is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path."